 From the Beginning to Today
The similarities between Santa Claus and Saint Nicholas. Moore’s Tale. Coca-Cola’s Santa
Who is Santa Claus ?Santa Claus is an Americanized version of Europe’s Saint Nicholas. Santa Claus first appeared in the nineteenth century. His principal role is to bring presents on Christmas Eve (December 24 to December 25) to all the children who have been nice.
The character of Santa Claus is also greatly inspired by Julenisse, a pagan Scandinavian elf who bestows gifts upon children at «Midtvintersblot» or «Jôl» the celebration of mid-winter. Santa Claus inherited the white beard, the bonnet and the Scandinavian attire from Julenisse. Saint Nicholas, ancestor of Santa Claus Many similarities exist between Santa Claus and Saint Nicholas. This isn’t a coincidence; Saint Nicholas served as inspiration for the character of Santa Claus.
For several centuries in Europe, Saint Nicholas’ day was celebrated on the night of December 5 to 6. Saint Nicholas was portrayed as an old man wearing a vast red tunic, a miter (a type of large hat), using a long cane and sporting a white beard. Oftentimes, he was accompanied by a donkey and Black Pete. Saint Nicholas went from house to house placing candies in the shoes that the children left in front of their doors. He is a kind soul that watches over children, seamen and the needy. Important Dates for Santa Claus  | - In 1821, Clement Clarke Moore wrote a poem for his children entitled “The night before Christmas”. This was the first Christmas tale that portrayed Saint Nicholas as a jolly and rotund character all dressed in fur, flying in the sky with his eight trusted reindeer.
- On December 23, 1822, he published another fable, “A Visit from St Nicholas” in the New York Sentinel. It was translated into many languages and became a Christmas classic.
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| - It was in 1860 that an illustrator from “Harper's Illustrated Weekly” named Thomas Nast drew, for the first time, a Santa Claus with a white fur trimmed costume cinched with a large black belt. It was Nast, who in an 1885 drawing, made the North Pole Santa Claus’ home.
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In 1904, the term Père Noël can be found under proper names in the “Nouveau Larousse illustré”dictionary.In 1773 this definition can be found in the Merriam-Webster dictionary: Santa Claus: a modification of Dutch Sinterklaas, alteration of Sint Nikolaas, Saint Nicholas. A plump white-bearded and red-suited old man in modern folklore who delivers presents to good children at Christmastime —a.k.a. Santa.
 | - In 1931, Coca-Cola, used Santa Claus in a series of advertisements for their main product. The portrait of a jolly and rotund Santa Claus wearing the red and white Coca-Cola colors created by drawing artist Haddon Sundblom was rapidly circulated throughout the world.
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In France, the Catholics were already observing the tradition of exchanging gifts on the night of Christmas to celebrate the birth of Christ but it was the Americans who, during the Second World War, popularised Santa Claus in the Old Continent. Nowadays, several non-Catholic countries, namely China, use Santa Claus for publicity purposes on December 25.
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Christmas 
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