Saint Nicholas

Santa Claus is an iconic Christmas figure, born from a fusion of Saint Nicholas, a fourth-century Christian bishop, Nordic and Germanic traditions, and intense modern commercialisation. From the Netherlands to America, from Sinterklaas to Santa Claus, his image gradually took shape during the nineteenth century through literature and illustrations, before advertising spread it worldwide in the twentieth century. This fictional character must not, however, obscure the historical reality of Jesus, whose birth Christmas celebrates.

Level: Easy Audience: Beginners