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[00:00.04]Santa Claus is someone who will remain

[00:03.00]in the hearts of children forever.

[00:05.40]He is the make-believe person

[00:08.60]who brings toys and other gifts to children at Christmas.

[00:13.16]To grown-ups, he is a special symbol of

[00:16.40]good will and selfless giving.

[00:19.64]Santa Claus also has some other names,

[00:22.76]like Saint Nicholas, Kris Kringle and Pelznickel.

[00:28.52]The Santa Claus we talk about in the United States

[00:32.40]flies from his home at the North Pole on Christmas Eve

[00:36.84]to bring toys and gifts to children.

[00:40.20]The happy, white-bearded man is dressed in red.

[00:45.16]He usually flies on a sleigh led by his reindeer.

[00:49.48]Santa enters each home through the chimney

[00:53.28]and fills children's stockings with toys and gifts.

[00:57.32]This modern image of Santa Claus largely

[01:01.12]comes from Clement Clark Moore's

[01:03.44]famous poem, A Visit from St. Nicholas.

[01:06.68]‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

[01:12.48]Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;

[01:16.04]The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

[01:19.56]In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;...

[01:23.36]He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

[01:27.48]And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,

[01:31.44]And laying his finger aside of his nose,

[01:35.08]And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

[01:39.92]Santa Claus is believed

[01:41.64]to have come from the story of St. Nicholas.

[01:45.20]He was a 4th-century clergy

[01:48.40]in the Mediterranean port city of Myra,

[01:51.48]part of modern-day Turkey.

[01:54.72]It is said that St. Nicholas gave away all his wealth

[01:58.64]to help the poor and the sick.

[02:01.28]History.com says St. Nicholas

[02:04.32]became known as the protector of children and sailors.

[02:09.28]It adds that he was the most popular saint in Europe.

[02:13.68]In the 18th century, Dutch immigrants

[02:17.48]brought the story of Saint Nikolaas

[02:19.88]and the tradition of gift-giving to New York City.

[02:24.04]The Dutch said his name very quickly.

[02:27.44]It sounded like "Sinterklaas."

[02:30.36]When English speakers said this word,

[02:33.44]it sounded like Santa Claus.

[02:37.08]German immigrants working as farmers

[02:39.68]in the American state of Pennsylvania

[02:42.24]also knew of Saint Nikolaas.

[02:45.20]But they called him Pelznickel.

[02:48.08]This word came from "pelz," meaning fur in German,

[02:52.00]and "nickel" for Nicholas.

[02:54.84]Saint Nikolaasor became a man dressed in fur

[02:58.84]who came once a year with gifts for good children.

[03:03.40]Pelznickel became part of a celebration

[03:06.64]honoring the Christkindl,

[03:08.52]as the Germans called the child of Christ.

[03:13.36]After some time, Christkindl became "Kris Kringle."

[03:17.84]That is another name you will hear for Santa Claus.

[03:23.40]A Santa-liked figure is known as

[03:25.96]Father Christmas in Britain

[03:27.96]and Père Noel in France.

[03:31.08]In Scandinavia, an elf named Jultomten

[03:35.60]was thought to deliver gifts in a sleigh drawn by goats.

[03:40.24]In Italy, a woman called La Befana

[03:44.28]rides a broomstick down the chimneys of homes

[03:47.68]to bring toys for lucky children.

[03:52.08]The image of Santa Claus as we now see him

[03:55.24]came from Thomas Nast.

[03:57.64]He was an American painter born in Bavaria, Germany.

[04:03.52]Nast remembered that, when he was a little boy,

[04:07.44]a kind old man would give toys

[04:10.76]and cakes to the children on Christmas.

[04:13.68]So, when Nast painted Santa Claus,

[04:17.12]he looked like the old man from his childhood.

[04:21.32]Nast painted Santa as a short,

[04:24.56]fat, jolly old man with a long beard.

[04:28.48]He wore a red suit with white fur.

[04:31.88]He also gave Santa a North Pole workshop,

[04:35.68]elves, and a wife, Mrs. Claus.

[04:40.12]Through the years, Nast's painting has remained

[04:42.92]the most popular picture of Santa Claus.

[04:46.60]American children write letters to Santa

[04:49.40]hoping to be on his "nice list" for Christmas gifts.

[04:53.84]On Christmas Eve, they leave cookies and milk for Santa

[04:57.96]and carrots for his reindeer:

[05:00.52]Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen

[05:05.92]and "the most famous reindeer of all," Rudolph.

[05:10.72]I'm Ashley Thompson.

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Words in This Story

sleigh - n. a large, open vehicle that is usually pulled by a horse (or reindeer) over snow or ice.

chimney - n. a part of a building through which smoke rises into the air

figure - n. a person

jolly - adj. happy and cheerful