
Monitoringclub.org – Is Santa Claus Real? The figure of Santa Claus who is closely related to Christmas turns out to be inspired by true stories and advertising interests of large companies. What is the real story and why do some still believe?
Is Santa Claus Real?
Santa Claus is a character inspired by Saint (Saint) Nicholas, who was the Bishop of Myra in a Roman city which is now Turkey. He was born around 270 AD and became a bishop from a young age.
He actively helped poor people throughout his life. One of the famous stories is when he helped pay the dowry of poor girls.
Saint Nicholas also had a reputation as a secret gift giver around the town where he lived. The trick is to put coins in the shoes of children who deliberately place them to get prizes.
Sometimes, Nicholas did it to exchange money for a carrot or hay for his horse. While carrying out these activities, according to legend, Nicholas wore a red bishop’s robe and was assisted by an orphan.
Because of that kindness, the name Nicholas is immortalized as a defender of children, sailors, and the Greeks.
A number of archaeologists have uncovered the location of his grave in the city of Demre in Turkey. The town was formerly called Myra, where Saint Nicholas lived.
In order to find it, experts from the Protection of Cultural Sites of Antalya Province gouged out the floor of St. Nicholas Church. With the help of electronic devices, experts then found an empty space between the floor and the foundation of the church.
The room was originally intended for the resting place of Saint Nicholas. However the Crusaders moved the bones of Saint Nicholas to Bari, Italy, 1087.
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Nicholas remained a popular figure to praise during the Middle Ages by holding a festival on the day of his death, December 6th.
Apart from the festival, people also often give small gifts to children and put them in shoes which is done to honor Saint Nicholas.
Entering the 16th Century, the rise of the Protestant religion pushed Catholic saints out of the way in many areas. This had the effect of decreasing the popularity of Saint Nicholas.
Only in the Netherlands, the celebration of remembering Saint Nicholas has survived in the form of Sinterklaas. He is said to be a figure who walked from door to door on the night of December 5, giving gifts in children’s shoes in exchange for treats for his horse.
In Dutch tradition, Sinterklaas wears a red bishop’s robes, has fairy assistants, and rides his horse across the roofs of houses before descending down the chimney to deliver gifts.
This tradition was carried over to the United States when the Dutch arrived there in the 17th and 18th centuries. The name Sinterklaas was anglicized to become Santa Claus in 1773.
In the poem “A Visit from Saint Nicholas”, or “Twas the Night Before Christmas” by Clement Moore (1822), Santa Claus is imagined riding a magic sleigh pulled by reindeer.
He who carries a sack full of toys is described as having a round belly, “like a bowl full of jelly.”
Most depictions of Santa Claus follow this image until the late 1800s.
However, the legend of Santa Claus, whose image has stuck to this day, has been better preserved thanks to the figure in the Coca-Cola advert that Haddon Sundblom created in the 1930s. At that time, he wore a red Santa Claus costume with a white beard, leather boots; the iconic Santa standard that is recognized today.
In 2021, quoted from The Independents Citing Italian media reports, Bishop Antonio Stagliano of the Diocese of Rome in Sicily, Italy, said during a religious festival that Santa Claus does not exist. He also said the red Santa costume was made by the Coca-Cola company for advertising purposes.
Why do children believe?
Even so, the figure of Santa Claus is then trusted by many children today. Jacqueline D. Woolley, Professor from the Department of Psychology at the University of Texas reveals the reason.
In his writings on The Conversations, Jacqueline says parents play a part in making their children believe in Santa Claus. This is because the majority of parents often take their children to meet a clone of Santa Claus in real life.
In a recent study, we found that 84 percent of parents reported taking their child to visit more than two Santa Claus impersonators during the Christmas season.
Older persons also help children by stuffing them with tokens such as putting bells on the roof, making Santa Claus figures in malls, and half-bitten carrots on Christmas morning.
Basically the Santa Claus myth can make children practice their scientific thinking skills.
First, children evaluate sources of information. For example, children tend to trust adults more than children. Second, they sometimes need proof. Third, children begin to understand the absurdities surrounding the story of Santa Claus.
Examples are how a fat man can fit in a small chimney or how animals can fly.
So is this dangerous for children? Jacqueline said there is no evidence of negative effects from parents stuffing their children with Santa Claus stories.
On the other hand, telling stories about Santa Claus can hone children’s thinking skills. However, some experts claim that children will become permanently distrustful of their parents due to this myth.