Thursday, December 15, 2011

Who is Santa Claus?

I think everyone know "Santa Claus" but do you really know who he is?




Santa Claus is known across the globe as a jolly fat bearded man sporting a red suit trimmed  and black leather belt and boots with white-bearded and cuffs. He also well known as Saint NicholasFather ChristmasKris Kringle, and simply "Santa"





Saint Nicholas was born during the third century in the village of Patara. At the time the area was Greek and is now on the southern coast of Turkey. His wealthy parents, who raised him to be a devout Christian, died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still young. Obeying Jesus' words to "sell what you own and give the money to the poor," Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He dedicated his life to serving God and was made Bishop of Myra while still a young man. Bishop Nicholas became known throughout the land for his generosity to the those in need, his love for children, and his concern for sailors and ships.


Saint Nicholas by Susan Seals



During the 1800s, the American version of Santa Claus spread to Britain where Father Christmas assimilated Santa’s attributes. To this day, Father Christmas serves as Britain’s version of Santa Claus. Like Chris Kringle, Father Christmas is used interchangeably with SantaClaus in the United States.
St Nicholas bringing gifts


St. Nicholas was the biggest influence on the Santa Claus we know today. St. Nicholas was a man of Greek origin born in the third century C.E. His family was very wealthy but both died in a plague. Surviving the epidemic, St. Nick took his strict Christian upbringing very seriously and devoted his life to God.

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