We all know who Santa Claus is, who entered our culture from the western world, right? At least the 80’s generation remembers the rush to find postcards every new year. What if we told you that Santa Claus is from Anatolia?

The inspiration for Santa Claus, who has influenced many cultures in the modern world, is the Christian Saint Nicholas. To understand the evolution of the story of Santa Claus, we need to look at the life story of St. Nicholas.

Who is Santa Claus: The Life of St. Nicholas

It is known that he lived between approximately 285 and 342/343. St. Nicholas was the patron saint of sailors, pawnbrokers, children, and others, known for his charity. MS. Many churches were dedicated in his name in the 6th century. Sources about his life mostly come from oral narratives and date back centuries after his death. According to sources, Saint Nicholas was born into a wealthy Christian family in Patara , Lycia , in 285 AD .

Saint Nicholas, who was very religious, was orphaned at a young age. There are rumors that he could not claim most of his inheritance due to his age and that it was plundered. Despite all these difficulties, he became famous for his charity. In one story, he secretly paid the father of three poor girls to marry the girls off. On a sea voyage, he miraculously managed to calm a storm. Because of this miracle, he became the patron saint of sailors .

St. Nicholas’ uncle was the Bishop of Myra , located in Demre today . When the young saint went to visit his uncle, he learned that his uncle had passed away and was declared the new bishop by the local people. It is claimed that Nicholas was arrested and imprisoned during Emperor Diocletian’s persecution of Christians (303-313 AD). It is also known that he stopped soldiers looting civilians in his area. According to a well-known legend, he saved the lives of three generals who were ordered to be executed by Emperor Constantine.

 It is claimed that St. Nicholas died on December 6, 342 or 343 AD ^. After his death, his bones were brought to the Church of San Nicola in Bari , Italy . Today, St. Nicholas is still worshiped by many Christians, especially members of the Orthodox Churches. There is an island off the southern coast of Turkey named after a Christian bishop. Today, the island of St. Nicholas, known as Gemile Island, is a stopover and pilgrimage center for many trade and cruise ships.

Before telling the story of St. Nicholas turning into Santa Claus, let’s include a legend. According to legend, he miraculously brought back to life three children who were killed by a butcher for their meat during a famine. He is known as the patron saint of children due to his philanthropy and kindness to young people .

From sainthood to Santa Claus!

During the Middle Ages, the cult of St. Nicholas spread throughout Europe and the Near East. It continued to flourish in Catholic and Orthodox societies. St. Nicholas Day was first celebrated in the Dutch Republic on December 6 in the 17th century. During these celebrations, children were given gifts. Additionally, these celebrations soon spread throughout the American continent.

American poet Clement Clarke Moore wrote a poem about Saint Nicholas. In his poem, he depicted the Saint as a fat and cheerful man, not like the pious and ascetic Christian bishop. The poet also depicted Nicholas as riding a sleigh pulled by flying reindeer . The figure of Santa Claus began to form, completely dependent on the poet’s imagination.

The final touches to Santa Claus were made by a cartoonist. By the 1880s, famous cartoonist Thomas Nast drew Saint Nicholas in a red suit with white fur. In this way, by the beginning of the 20th century, St. Nicholas had already turned into Santa Claus.

St. Nicolas probably inspired stories of Santa Claus because of his legendary charity and kindness to children. In fact, he was a Christian Bishop who played an important role in Late Roman society.