Holiday historian explains the story of Jolly Old Saint Nicholas

Newswise — The holiday season is officially upon us and millions of people across the world can’t wait to see what Santa Claus has in store for them this year.

However, while they revel in the gifts they receive from St. Nick, most don’t actually know where his legend comes from and that we could be celebrating him even before December 25th.

“Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of children, sailors and pawn brokers,” says holiday historian Ruth MacDonald, associate dean at Saint Joseph College in West Hartford, Connecticut. “We celebrate St. Nicholas Day on December 6, the day of his death.”

As a patron saint, Saint Nicholas did have one quality which led him to become such a legendary name: his reputation as a secret gift-giver. Long before he became associated with Christmas, St. Nicholas Day was celebrated across Europe in a different way in each country.

In the Netherlands, the eve of December 5 and December 6 is celebrated almost as much as Christmas. In Dutch, the name of this holiday is Santerklaas, which through much derivation, eventually became the name of the American Santa Klaus.

 

“Saint Nicholas became part of the Christmas landscape in the poem, ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,” MacDonald says. “The name shifted around that time, as well, with an emphasis on the ‘clause’ of ‘Nicholas’ and from ‘Saint Claus’ to ‘Santa Claus.’ A lot of attention was paid in the 1920s to children and their welfare, and it was at that time that Christmas becomes a children’s holiday.”

MacDonald is also an expert on many other Christmas myths and traditions including symbols and history of the holiday.