| Clad in red, full bodied, white bearded and
lavish bell ringer is this jolly old gentleman we all know from countless street corners
at Christmas for quite some time. But who is this man? How did he come to America?
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The nature of his thorough involvement with American Christmas
scene has turned this mythical creation into a living Christmas icon. And at the same time
it has almost forced us to imagine him landing with a group of Dutch and English settlers
who are attributed to be the initiators of this tradition in America. Santa Claus is the
sum total of several trends, customs and beliefs that only got unified about a century and
a half ago. His story is told through an ex-animation of the three names given to him in
America: St. Nicholas, Kriss Kringle and Santa Clause.
Much of the present form of the Santa story is undoubtedly due to the works of Clement
Clark Moore and the cartoons of Thomas Nast. In 1822, Dr. Moore from New York wrote a
Christmas poem, "A visit from St. Nicholas" to read out to his children on X'mas
Eve. The following year one Ms Harriet Butler read the poem and requested a copy from him.
Later she sent it without Dr. Moore's consent for publishing to Troy, New York
Sentinel. Consequently it was published and became popular. In 1938 Dr. Moore revealed
that St. Nicholas was his creation. And since then it has appeared countless times.
The 19th century American cartoonist Nast who had lived on the same West 23rd Street as
Dr. Moore, did a series of Christmas drawings for Harper's Weekly. It was where the
today's much familiar fat and rosy cheeked Santa with large beard and ringing bell made
his debut after being modified from fat, little elf-like creature depicted in Dr. Moore's
poem.
And perhaps what made Santa more realistic is the classic reply of the editor of New York
Sun in response to the 8-year old Virginia O' Hanlon's query whether there really was a
Santa Claus. The ed replied "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus', and made Santa
living for ever to the kids.
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