Santa Claus, also known as Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle, or simply "Santa", is a legendary figure of the issues, history and folklore, as in many Western cultures, is said to bring gifts to the homes of good children during the late evening and night hours of Christmas Eve, December 24.The modern figure is derived from the Dutch figure of St. Nicholas, in turn, may have part of their hagiographic stories about basis of the historical figure of gift-giving of Saint Nicholas. An almost identical story is attributed by Greek folklore and Byzantine Basil of Caesarea. Basil's feast day on January 1 is considered the time of exchanging gifts in Greece.
Santa Claus is generally depicted as a plump, jolly man, white beard wearing a red coat with white collar and cuffs, red shorts and white cuffed black leather belt and boots (pictures of him rarely have a beard without a mustache). This image became popular in the United States and Canada in the 19th century due to the significant influence of caricaturist and political cartoonist Thomas Nast.This image has been maintained and reinforced through song, radio, television, books and movies. The North American representation of Santa Claus as developed in the 19th century and 20 in turn influenced the modern perception of Santa Claus, St. Nicholas and St. Nicholas in European culture.
According to a tradition that goes back to the 1820s, Santa Claus lives at the North Pole, with a lot of magical elves and nine (originally eight) flying reindeer. Since the 20th century, an idea popularized by the 1934 song "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town", Santa Claus is believed to make a list of children around the world, classified according to their behavior ("bad" or " good ") and distribute the gifts, toys and candy to all good boys and girls in the world, and sometimes coal to naughty children, in the single night of Christmas Eve. It accomplishes this feat with the help of the elves who make toys in the workshop and reindeer pulling the sleigh.
