A friend asked, who is Saint Nicholas?
And how about Père/ Papa Noël (Father Christmas)?
Any differences to Santa Claus?
I was confused, and read the difference is not always clear nowadays.
In the Middle Ages, Saint Nicholas was everyone's favorite saint. Over the centuries, his popularity grew, and
many people in Europe made up new stories that showed his concern for children.
But in the 16th century those stories and traditions faded away. However someone was still needed to take the place of Saint Nicholas as gift-giving figure. In England, a merry old character
from children's plays, known as Father Christmas, took over the job.
The name Santa Claus was derived from the Dutch Sinterklaas (Saint Nicholas). Early
Dutch settlers in the USA brought their traditions. Since most children often pronounced it as Santa Klass, then settled as Santa Claus. The old
bishop's cloak were soon replaced with
his red suit and clothing seen in other modern images.
I was excited knowing Père - Mère Noël came to visit. They arrived with a horse-drawn carriage and elves. Kids were eagerly waiting for their turn to tell the couple that they've been so nice and what they wished for Christmas.
After waiting for a while and knowing it was for kids only (of course), well.. guess I'll just write them later.