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Saint Nicholas, Santa & the Gift-Bringers

Santa, Saint Nicholas and the Gift-Bringers

True story

Long before there was a Santa Claus, there was Saint Nicholas, a bishop of Myra, in today’s Turkey, who lived in the 300s. Meet him on who was Saint Nicholas?, and see how Saint Nicholas became Santa Claus.

Then there is Santa himself, with his sleigh and his reindeer, reading every letter children send. And Santa is not the only one who comes: children around the world wait for many different visitors. Find out who brings the presents around the world, try the gift-bringer matching game, and read about Saint Nicholas Day.

Santa's sleigh and reindeer crossing a big pale moon above snowy rooftops at night.
Plate V Santa’s sleigh across the moon, with the rooftops fast asleep below.

In this chapter

  1. Who was Saint Nicholas?7 minTrue story
  2. How did Saint Nicholas become Santa Claus?10 minTrue story
  3. What are the names of Santa’s reindeer?6 minChristmas magic
  4. How to write a letter to Santa, and where to send it7 minChristmas magic
  5. Who brings the presents around the world? Santa’s names7 minChristmas magic

Where our facts come from

  1. Michael Ott, "St. Nicholas of Myra", Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. 11 (1911), Paragraph 1 (bishop of Myra in Lycia in the fourth century)
  2. Republic of Türkiye, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, General Directorate for Cultural Assets and Museums, "St. Nicholas Memorial Museum" fact sheet, The leaflet's panel on Saint Nicholas: "worked as a bishop in Myra, now called Demre"; "the places where he was born and lived are within the borders of Türkiye"
  3. Duden online, "Christkind", Bedeutungen, sense 2 (a child figure, modeled on the Christ Child, who brings children presents at Christmas in children's belief)
  4. Treccani, Vocabolario, "befana", Sense 2.a (the old woman who comes down the chimney by night and leaves presents and sweets for good children); sense 1 ("i bambini aspettavano con impazienza la b.")