Origins of Christmas Traditions
How did a monk named St. Nicholas become Santa Claus? What's the meaning behind peppermint candy canes? Find out where these Christmas traditions came from and what they mean.
Santa Claus He's known as Santa Claus, the jolly man in the red coat who flies from house to house on sleigh led by reindeers. But the legend of Santa started with a monk named St. Nicholas born around 280 A.D. According to History.com, St. Nicholas was a wealthy man who traveled Eastern Europe giving gifts to children and helping the sick and poor. Over time he became known as the protector of children. In Decembers of 1773 and 1774 Dutch immigrants living in New York held a celebration in honor of his death. The name Santa Claus came from St. Nicholas' Dutch name Sinter Klaas. The tradition evolved, and in 1804 a historian distributed woodcuts of what we know Santa Claus to look like today. Source: History.com Candy Canes Turn a …
