“Here comes Santa Claus,
           Here comes Santa Claus,
                 Right down Santa Claus lane!”
                          – Gene Autry & Oakley Haldeman, 1947

Santa. St. Nick. Father Christmas. No matter what they call him in your neck of the woods, it’s Christmas time again, and. . .he’s baaaack!

Although the custom of Christmas gift-giving originates with the Three Kings, the legend of Santa Claus dates to the fourth century. Stories of his origin vary, but here’s one favorite:

The setting was Asia Minor, where a down-on-his luck nobleman found himself unable to cough up dowries for his three daughters. Enter St. Nicholas, a kindly (and well-to-do) bishop, who crept to the man’s home one wintry eve. With exceptionally good aim, he tossed the three bags of gold he’d brought along through an open window. They conveniently landed in three stockings left hanging to dry before a roaring fire. The result: dowries for each daughter. Thanks to some sleuthing on the part of the happy nobleman, his mysterious benefactor was identified, and tales of the generosity of St. Nicholas soon became legend.

Early helpers of St. Nicholas (i.e., parents), stayed with the stuffed-stocking theme, although bags of gold were quickly replaced by apples, oranges, candies, and small, homemade toys. Other cultures offered their own variations. Children in the Netherlands filled wooden shoes with hay, for the horses accompanying “Sinter Klaas” (that’s Dutch for “St. Nicholas”). The next morning, delightful goodies had miraculously taken the place of the hay. Italian children waited until Jan. 6, the “Feast of the Three Kings,” for the arrival of “La Befana,” who filled their empty shoes with treats. For Puerto Rican boys and girls, the Epiphany was also eagerly anticipated. Tiny boxes filled with munchies for the Wise Men’s camels — leaves and other vegetation — were replaced by morning, with the sort of munchies human children enjoy.

St. Nicholas made his way to America with Dutch immigrants in the 1600s. Mispronunciations of “Sinter Klaas” by those unfamiliar with the language eventually resulted in the name we now know and love: “Santa Claus!”