What is Santa Claus like?

'Santa Claus is a spiritual pickpocket,' Godfried Bomans once said during a visit to Canada, dressed as Sinterklaas. Santa Claus, who originated in the United States, is a corruption of St. Nicholas who was brought to North America by Dutch colonists. He became the personification of Christmas. Much later, Santa Claus returned to Europe. A mixture of Father Christmas and Sinterklaas, although customs of German emigrants may also have had an influence.

In 1809, Washington Irving already described a Santa Claus in his fictional history of New York, based on, among other things, Dutch Sinterklaas customs. The poem 'A Visit from St. Nicholas' (authored by Reverend Clément Clark Moore), published anonymously in a New York newspaper in 1823, describes the attributes of Santa Claus, such as his reindeer (with names) and sleigh. For convenience, he shifted the date of the holiday from December 6 to December 24. The poem marks the beginning of a legend. As late as the 19th century, the illustrator Thomas Nast dressed Santa in cardinal red and introduced his dwelling place: somewhere at the North Pole.   The American version of Santa Claus became popular in Europe, along with the age-old, local winter figures who already fulfilled this role. In Great Britain, Santa Claus is also known as Father Christmas. In France Père Noël. Frégate Primauguet. The motto is in Breton. Stamp: Brest Armées 24-12-2003. Ded Moroz (Father Frost) hands out the presents in Russia. Beautiful stamp featuring Ded Moroz, Canada 1993. A nisse or tomte is a creature from Scandinavian folklore, very active at Christmas. No taller than 90 centimeters, (usually) with a beard and a red hat. The ideal helper of Santa Claus.   The nisse/tomte is often seen with a pig, a beloved Christmas symbol in Scandinavia, synonymous with fertility. Moreover, the little figures are often considered guardians of the farm. The Swedish artist Jenny Nyström created many illustrations of the nisse/tomte. According to legend, Santa Claus lives at the North Pole. Only the Finns know the exact location: Rovaniemi. Just outside the city, on the Arctic Circle, lies Santa Park, where you can visit his residence. The local football club is called, of course, FC Santa Claus. The children of Iceland have grown up with the story of the terrible Grýla, half troll, half animal. She lives in the mountains with her third husband, her thirteen headstrong sons (the Yule Lads), and a black cat. At Christmas, this lively bunch descends from the mountains: Grýla in search of naughty children and the sons out for mischief. The naughty children are boiled in a cauldron; children who show remorse are set free. Fortunately, the tradition is now being continued with cheerful Yule Lads who bear a strong resemblance to Santa Claus. Virtually all countries in Europe have their own Christmas traditions and Christmas figures, in addition to Santa Claus, such as in Spain, Italy, Greece, and the Balkans. I have remained faithful to Sinterklaas. Old love never dies.