The story of Santa Claus begins in Asia Minor in the fourth century, when a young man named Nicholas lived in the city of Myra, now in Türkiye.

After losing both parents, he inherited a large sum of money and used it to support children, families and anyone living in hardship. His generosity became the basis of several Christmas traditions. One popular tale describes a father who could not afford dowries for his three daughters.

According to the story, Nicholas secretly dropped bags of gold down the chimney, one of which landed in a stocking left to dry. When the father eventually saw Nicholas during the final visit, Nicholas asked him to keep the act quiet. Nicholas later became recognised as a saint and, although he faced exile and imprisonment during the persecution of Christians, he survived long enough to be released under Emperor Constantine. He died in 343. In 1087, sailors from Bari took his relics to Italy, where they remain.

Each year on six December, a statue of Saint Nicholas is carried out to sea in Bari as part of a long-standing maritime tradition.

From Saint Nicholas to Santa Claus

After the Reformation in the sixteenth century, stories about Saint Nicholas faded in several regions, although the idea of giving children presents continued. In the United Kingdom, he evolved into Father Christmas. In France, he became Père Noël. In Austria and Germany, the role of gift bringer shifted to the Christkind, shown as a blond, angelic child linked to the infant Jesus.

In the United States, the figure was first known as Kris Kringle, adapted from the German Christkindl. Dutch settlers introduced their own stories of Sinterklaas, and the two traditions eventually blended into Santa Claus. A key turning point came in 1821 with the poem Old Santeclaus with Much Delight, which described a sleigh pulled by reindeer.

A year later, A Visit from St Nicholas, often called ’Twas the Night Before Christmas, shaped the modern image of Santa as a cheerful, round-faced figure with a list of named reindeer.

Santa around the world

The character of Santa continued to evolve far beyond Europe and North America. In Hawaii, for instance, Santa and his helpers are often shown wearing aloha shirts rather than fur-lined outfits, and families gather for festive luau meals.

Modern calculations suggest that, with 2.1 billion children and an average of 2.5 children per household, Santa would need to make roughly 842 million stops in about 32 hours on Christmas Eve. These figures are light-hearted rather than historical, but they highlight the scale of the legend and the way it continues to spark the imagination.

Scandinavian and Dutch origins

In Scandinavia, several traditions link the festive figure to Odin, a Norse god associated with winter and wisdom. Folklore describes Odin’s two ravens listening at chimneys to learn who behaved well or badly.

During the Yule season, Odin was said to ride through the sky on his eight-legged horse, Sleipnir, which could leap over great distances. Children left boots filled with straw, sugar or carrots for Sleipnir and, in return, received small treats. Over time, this practice shifted into the stocking tradition.

The earliest bringer of gifts in the Nordic region was the Yule Goat. During the nineteenth century, a house spirit known as the Tomte or Nisse began to take on this role in Denmark, inspired partly by the growing influence of Santa Claus. The tradition later spread to Norway and Sweden, where the Tomte replaced the Yule Goat in many homes.

The Netherlands and Belgium

In the Netherlands and Belgium, Sinterklaas remains central to early December celebrations. His festival, the Sinterklaasfest, dates back to the Middle Ages and combined charitable giving with public festivities. Sinterklaas is shown as an elderly man with a long white beard, dressed in a bishop’s robe and a red mantle, riding a white horse through the towns.

Some Dutch families give presents both on Sinterklaas Day and at Christmas. In Belgium, children usually receive their gifts only on Sinterklaas Day, while Christmas gifts are exchanged within the family without involving Sinterklaas.

Central Europe

In central European countries, Saint Nicholas remains a familiar part of the Advent season. His feast on six December was traditionally the day when children received presents if they had behaved well. Although disrupted during religious conflicts in the Middle Ages, the custom survived in regions such as Austria, Bavaria and northern Italy.

On the eve of the celebration, a figure dressed as a bishop, known as the Heilige Nikolaus, walked through towns accompanied by Krampus figures.

These characters wore fur, carved wooden masks and carried birch rods or ash to warn those who misbehaved. In some places, the Heilige Nikolaus still visits homes, speaks with children and hands out small bags of sweets.

Christmas in the Czech Republic

In the Czech Republic, the traditional bringer of gifts is Ježíšek, the Christ Child. The figure was not originally connected to Santa Claus. Children write letters explaining how they behaved and list the presents they hope to receive. When Ježíšek arrives, a bell is rung as a signal to collect the gifts, although the figure is never seen.

After the nineteen nineties, with increased exposure to Western culture, some households began to incorporate elements of Santa, although Ježíšek remains the central figure.

Father Christmas in England

In England, visiting Father Christmas in a grotto is a familiar part of the festive season. A grotto might be a small wooden cabin or a decorated room where Father Christmas meets families during December. These appear in shopping centres, town markets and village fairs across the country.

Father Christmas visits homes on Christmas Eve while children are asleep. As a gesture of thanks, many children leave a mince pie and either sherry or milk, along with carrots for the reindeer. These customs form some of the most recognisable parts of the English Christmas tradition.

Papai Noel in Brazil

In Brazil, Santa is known as Papai Noel. He is shown wearing red and white and is said to travel from a snowy city at the North Pole that has no specific name in Brazilian folklore.

He lives with Mamãe Noel, many elves and a team of reindeer. Papai Noel brings gifts on Christmas Eve, and celebrations often continue late into the warm summer night.

Christmas in the Philippines

In the Philippines, Christmas is one of the most significant celebrations of the year. With the majority of the population identifying as Christian, the festive season is long and lively.

Western influence, including several decades of American presence in the past, shaped many Filipino Christmas customs, and Santa Claus is now a familiar figure in decorations, events and advertising. Although he is not always the one who brings presents, his image forms part of the country’s wider Christmas atmosphere.

The Three Kings in Spain

In Spain, Santa is known as Papá Noel, but he is not the main gift giver. If children receive something on Christmas morning, it is often a small present. The most anticipated celebration is the arrival of the Three Kings, Los Reyes Magos, on six January. Towns and cities hold large parades the night before to welcome them, with the Kings arriving on floats, boats or horse-drawn carriages.

Sweets are thrown to the crowds during the festivities, and before going to bed, children leave their slippers outside their doors so the Kings can fill them with gifts. This tradition remains central to Spanish Christmas celebrations.