The Story The true story of Father Christmas - the Saturday Story
Dec 20, 2025
Discover the wild origins of Father Christmas, from a thin, 3rd-century bishop who secretly saved girls from prostitution to his transformation in the Dutch traditions of Sinterklaas. Explore how a Victorian mash-up created the modern Santa Claus, influenced by an anonymous poem and political cartoons. Learn about the impact of Coca-Cola in shaping Santa's iconic image. This journey reveals that the jolly figure we know today has a history filled with reinvention, pagan feast days, and cultural exchange.
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The Chimney Gold Rescue
- St Nicholas of Myra secretly tossed gold down a chimney to save three daughters from prostitution.
- That story seeded chimney-based gift-giving and early Santa imagery across Europe.
Relics Spread Nicholas's Fame
- Sailors exhumed Nicholas's bones and transported relics to Bari, boosting his cult in Italy.
- That relocation explains why St Nicholas became central to Venetian and wider European traditions.
Sinterklaas Travels To New York
- Dutch settlers brought Sinterklaas to New Amsterdam, where he adapted to cold winters and gained weight and fur-lined clothing.
- The 1823 poem added sleighs and reindeer, solidifying many modern Santa details.