The figure of Santa Claus as we know him today, with his red suit and white beard, was consolidated above all thanks to the illustrations of Thomas Nast, a 19th century American illustrator, and the famous Coca-Cola advertising campaign in 1931, which contributed to strengthening the image of Santa Claus as a symbol of modern Christmas.
However, his figure has roots in the history of Saint Nicholas, whose day is celebrated on December 6th. In many Italian cities and European countries, this holiday is still observed with the tradition of bringing gifts to children.
In some Italian regions, such as Sicily and Lombardy, Saint Lucia is also celebrated, who brings gifts to children on December 13, another figure linked to the tradition of Christmas gifts, demonstrating how the Christmas holidays in Italy have multiple regional nuances.
Saint Nicholas lived in the 4th century and it is believed that it was his life that inspired the “birth” of Santa Claus. According to legend, before being ordained bishop, the saint met a noble and rich family who had fallen into poverty. The father, who was ashamed of the state of poverty in which he found himself, decided to turn his daughters into prostitution. Nicholas, while hiding, let three golden balls slip from the window of the man’s house, which appear in the classical iconography with which he is represented, thanks to which the man was able to marry off his daughters and spare them the shame of prostitution.
Saint Nicholas, the story
Saint Nicholas was a native of Patara and bishop of the city of Myria (Anatolia). He was born to a rich family but was orphaned as a child, so he was raised in a monastery and when he became a priest he gave gifts to everyone with his inheritance. Today he is the much loved patron saint of Bari.
Saint Nicholas, the legend
According to a bloody legend, one night three boys ask for hospitality in an inn, the innkeeper and his wife welcome them willingly because they have run out of meat in the pantry, then they cut them into pieces with an ax and pickle them.
Once the massacre is over, Saint Nicholas knocks on the door and asks for a plate of meat. When the innkeeper refuses, he is taken to the pantry, where he extracts the three young people, alive and well, from the brine. This is why Saint Nicholas protects poor people, widows and children.
San Nicola, where it is celebrated
Already in the Middle Ages the tradition of commemorating this episode by exchanging gifts on December 6th had spread throughout Europe and today this still happens in Bari, Molfetta, Trieste and Bolzano, in Friuli and Alto Adige, in the Belluno area but also in Switzerland, Austria, the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Estonia and the Czech Republic.
In Protestant countries Saint Nicholas is called Samiklaus, Sinterclaus or Santa Claus. Tradition says that Saint Nicholas arrives on the night of December 5th on the back of his horse and that the naughty children have to deal with his demonic servant, while the oxen receive gifts, sweets and fruit in their shoes.
The celebration of Saint Nicholas on December 6 is still alive in many Italian cities, such as Bari, Molfetta and Trieste, where fairs and markets are organised, and children take part in parades in honor of the saint. In these areas, children write letters to Saint Nicholas asking for gifts, a custom that dates back to the Middle Ages.
Saint Nicholas, how to celebrate him
Tradition has it that on the night between 5 and 6 December, depending on the place, Saint Nicholas visits homes to bring gifts and sweets, which are usually left next to the fireplace, in a shoe or outside the door. Hence the custom of placing socks and shoes outside windows or doors.
In cities like Trieste and other places in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, it is customary for children to write a letter to Saint Nicholas a few days before December 5th, asking for gifts. Furthermore, parades are held and celebrations are made with broad beans, a symbol of another tradition.
In the Middle Ages, thanks to the intercession of Saint Nicholas of Bari, the population, struck by a serious famine, was miraculously saved by an enormous quantity of boiled broad beans, which suddenly appeared inside a large pot.
Saint Nicholas and the Krampus
In the Alpine areas of German culture, Alto Adige, Austria, Bavaria, alongside the figure of Saint Nicholas, we also find that of Krampus, also known as the Christmas Devil. He has the task of “punishing bad children”, therefore considered the antithesis of Santa Claus. The Krrampus kicks off the Advent period and generally makes his appearance on the evening of December 5th, the day before the feast of Saint Nicholas, accompanying him from house to house to bring gifts.
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