How did St. Nicholas evolve into Santa Claus and why?

Jennifer Segerstrom

Four artists, working with stories handed down, are responsible for the Santa Claus that we know today as the “spirit of generosity and love.” The other reason we have Santa Claus and not St. Nicholas is due to Protestant hatred against Catholic Saint days.

The transformation of St. Nicholas into Father Christmas or Father January occurred first in Germany, then in countries where the Reformed Churches were in the majority, and finally in France, the feast day being celebrated on Christmas or New Year’s Day. Dutch Protestant settlers in New Amsterdam (New York City) replaced St. Nicholas (Sinter Claes) with the benevolent magician who became known as Santa Claus.

In 1517, the Protestant Reformation took place. Protestants do not believe in Saints. However, St. Nicholas was so beloved by everyone that people held onto his memory of being generous and loving, but they did away with the Catholic influence by creating new characters based on him, like Father Christmas or Pére Noël. In the Dutch legend Sinta Claes and his original elf, Black Peter, a small Moor, leaves Spain in their rowboat on St. Nicholas day, December 6, and heads for Amsterdam. After landing on Christmas Eve with gifts, he asks parents if their children have been good or bad. If good, gifts go in their shoes; if bad, lumps of coal instead. When Dutch settlers, who were predominantly Protestant, came to New Amsterdam (New York) in the 1600’s, they brought their version of “St. Nicholas” with them. With a few modifications and through bad pronunciation of Saint Nicholas, his name was changed to Sinta Claes and Black Peter was dropped. Read more »

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