ORIGIN OF SANTA CLAUS
’ St. Nicholas is undoubtedly the Original of Santa Claus. He is the most ver-' satile of all the patron saints, or in olden times lie'AVkV supposed to exert a certain protective influence over scholars, sailors, parish clerks, pawnbrokers, prospective brides, and even ' thieves, who were called ‘-‘clerks of _St. Nicholas.” But of children he is still the special saint. ■ , Old Santa ,Claus, who is a 'sort of modern. St. Nicholas, came; to us from 1 Holland,' via Ameiica, and lie has always been remihescent of cold climates, where snow and 'icd'are ‘supposed to be typical of Christmas-tide, ‘and Where fur coats and warm red cloaks are the only wear. . . . His prediction for the chimney m preference to the door is a relic of the old fairy myths of Central Europe) and his sledge drawn by reindeer a growth of the North Country customs, where travellers invariably used to arrive m that way, and. in Lapland still do so.. , ,
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Bibliographic details
Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 23 December 1922, Page 2
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162ORIGIN OF SANTA CLAUS Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 23 December 1922, Page 2
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