Merry Christmas!
The modern Santa Claus is a composite character made up from the merging of two quite separate figures. The first of these is Saint Nicholas of Myra, a bishop of Byzantine Anatolia (now in modern-day Turkey) famous for his generous gifts to the poor. In Europe he is still portrayed as a bearded bishop in canonical robes. The second character is Father Christmas, which remains the British name for Santa Claus. Father Christmas dates back at least as far as the 17th century in Britain, and pictures of him survive from that era, portraying him as a well-nourished bearded man dressed in a long, green, fur-lined robe. He typified the spirit of good cheer at Christmas, and was reflected in the ‘Spirit of Christmas Present’ in Charles Dickens’ famous story, A Christmas Carol.
Some elements of this part of the tradition of Father Christmas could be traced back to the Germanic god Wodan (Odin). The appearance is similar to some portrayals of this god, who brought gifts in the winter season of Yule, and rides a flying horse through the sky.
When the Dutch still owned the land that later became New York, they brought the Saint Nicholas’ eve legend with them to the Americas, but without the red mantle and other symbols. The name Santa Claus is derived from the character’s Dutch name, Sinterklaas.
In the United States, the tradition is to leave Santa a glass of milk and cookies; in Britain, he is given sherry and mince pies instead. British children also leave out a carrot for Santa’s reindeer, and were traditionally told that if they are not good all year round, that they will receive coal in their stockings.
