Santa Claus
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Santa Claus, also known as Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas and simply "Santa", is a figure with legendary, mythical, historical and folkloric origins who, in many western cultures, is said to bring gifts to the homes of the good children on the night before Christmas, December 24. The modern figure of Santa Claus was derived from the Dutch figure of Sinterklaas, which, in turn, was part of its basis in hagiographical tales concerning the historical figure of Christian bishop and gift giver Saint Nicholas. During the Christianization of Germanic Europe, this figure may have absorbed elements of the god Odin, who was associated with the pre-Christian midwinter event of Yule and led the Wild Hunt, a ghostly procession through the sky.
Related topics
- Christmas controversy
- Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus
- Flying Santa—a northeastern US tradition of pilots delivering presents to families in remote lighthouses
- Santa Claus, Indiana—a small Midwestern United States town named after the figure, and home to Holiday World amusement park
- Easter Bunny
- Tooth Fairy
- Santa Claus's reindeer
Related figures in folklore
- Joulupukki Original Santa-Claus from Finland
- Mikulás (Hungary)
- Companions of Saint Nicholas
- Jack Frost and Old Man Winter—Mythical characters
- Olentzero, Basque character, possibly derived from Roman traditions
- Saint Nicholas of Myra and Saint Basil
- Tomte—Scandinavian mythical character
- Yule Goat—Scandinavian Christmas symbol
- Yule Lads
- Ded Moroz (Father Frost, Russian: Дед Мороз) plays a role similar to Santa Claus
- Befana
- Moș Gerilă name of a character from Romanian communist propaganda