Why We Celebrate Santa Claus in Christmas
Today’s most common depiction of Santa Claus is of a portly white-bearded gentleman dressed in a red suit with a black belt and white fur trim, black boots, and a soft red cap with white fur trim. This image was developed by illustrator Haddon Sundblum for the Coca-Cola Company’s Santa Claus advertisements from 1931, though it has roots in 19th-century illustrations by Thomas Nast.
Santa Claus is said to live at the North Pole with his wife, where he spends the year making toys with the help of his elves. There he receives letters from children asking for Christmas gifts.
The Dutch are credited with transporting the legend of St. Nicholas (Sinterklaas) to New Amsterdam (now New York City), along with the custom of giving gifts and sweets to children on his feast day, December 6.
It is said that on Christmas Eve Santa Claus loads his sleigh with toys and flies around the world, drawn by nine reindeer. Stopping at each child’s house, he slides down the chimney and leaves gifts, refreshing himself with milk and cookies left for him by the household’s children.
While it is tough to catch Santa Claus on Christmas Eve when he is said to come down the chimney, it is possible to spot Santa in shopping malls and other places in the United States and elsewhere around Christmastime. It has become a popular tradition in many families for children to pose for photos with Santa and tell him what presents they would like.