Santa Claus, St. Nick and Kris Kringle Have Different Origins

Misbar’s investigation found that Santa Claus wasn’t always equated with St. Nick and Kris Kringle.

St. Nicholas was a Greek bishop who died in the 4th century. He was known for secretly leaving people gifts, and particularly for stuffing gifts into stockings and shoes. The Christian feast day of Saint Nicholas is celebrated by many on December 6, which is believed to be the day he died. 

St. Nicholas’s role as gift-giver was largely replaced by the figure of Jesus throughout the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century; the celebration of gifts was moved from December 6 to Christmas, December 25. The so-called Christkind was said to bring presents to good children on Christmas Eve. Sometimes Christkind was said to have a sidekick, often based on St. Nicholas, who would punish children who had behaved poorly throughout the years. 

By the end of the 18th century, St. Nicholas, or Sinter Klaas, as he was nicknamed in Dutch – derived from Sint-Nikolaas – had entered American popular culture.

The idea of a kind, gift-giving St. Nicholas was revived throughout the 19th century, particularly with the mass publication of what we know today as “Twas the Night Before Christmas” and an immensely popular cartoon of Santa (below).

The term Christkind was modified to Kris Kringle around this time.

By the 20th century, the legend around St. Nicholas had grown, as had depictions of his beard and magical capabilities. The newly hirsute, jolly, and reindeer-driving St. Nick became interchangeable with Santa Claus, and the popularity of the film Miracle on 34th Street cemented Kris Kringle as having the same identity.

Now as to whether Santa Claus is real and lives at the North Pole? That, Misbar’s team will never tell.