The story of Santa Claus is an old canard and this mysterious man was not always the jolly old man we have come to love today. He’s been through many changes over the generations.
In 280 A.D. There was a tale about a Monk named St. Nikolas, from what is now modern-day Turkey. He was well known for being kind and generous, with stories of him giving to the poor and saving three sisters from being sold into slavery. Over the years, he made quite a name for himself, which carried over after his death. On December 6, the anniversary of his death, people would celebrate with a toothsome feast. This day was also considered lucky and prime time for big purchases and getting married.
In the late 1700s, Americans began learning about this very popular Saint from Dutch families, who would gather to honor his death. The name Sinter Klaas was modified to Santa Claus which we call him today. In 1804, a man named John Pintard gave out woodcuttings of St. Nik featuring familiar images of stockings filled with toys and fruit next to a fireplace. By 1809, however, the actual image of Santa was not stationed, ranging from a rascal-like lad with multi-colored clothing to a man with a marvelous large-brimmed hat and even larger Flemish Trunk Hose.
In 1822, a minister named Clement Marke Moore wrote a famous poem commonly known as Twas the Night Before Christmas which became heavily responsible for our modern-day visualization of Santa (easily sliding down chimneys, riding on a reindeer-led sleigh, etc.) By the 1840s, Newspapers would begin adding a holiday-specific section of the newspaper, which was adorned with the ever-popular Santa, as well as statues and people dressing up as the man to further spread the holiday cheer.
Cartoonist Thomas Nast drew the first modern Santa image in 1881, featuring a merry old man dressed in red, happy to deliver toys to good children, thanks to his elves at the North Pole. And the rest is history!
Many people around the world share different, yet similar, customs with various entities that leave toys and treats for good children, such as Christkind(German), La Befana(Italian), Jultomten(Scandinavian), Father Christmas(English), and many more.