The Santa Story

Suryakumari Dennison tunes in to a mother-daughter conversation about why the jolly old man is special at this time of the year

It was Christmas Eve. Sarah was helping her mother to add a few final touches to their Christmas tree. “We don’t want him, Mummy” said Sarah, as Mother hung a glowing Santa Claus in the midst of the brightly coloured baubles.

“Why not?” asked Mother, surprised. “This Santa lantern has been with me since I was a little girl, and has always occupied pride of place on our tree.”

“Not this year,” said Sarah firmly. “My friend Sheila says that Santa Claus distracts us from the real meaning of Christmas. Santa is not the reason for the season.”

“He is certainly not,” agreed Mother, “but I don’t see why we should exclude him. Let’s take a break from decorating, and I’ll tell you about Santa Claus.” Sarah set aside a strand of tinsel and prepared to listen. “It may seem that Santa competes with the baby in the manger,” began Mother, “but the original Santa Claus would never have wished to steal the spotlight from the Christ of Christmas.”

“Well, he does,” muttered Sarah. “He is all over the place at this time of year. Didn’t we meet him at the mall yesterday? And there he was at that party, with the kids crowding round him.”

“Wait till you hear more,” said Mother. “Santa Claus was Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, (now in modern-day Turkey). He lived in the 4th Century and was renowned for his generosity. Legends concerning his charitable deeds abound, but one of them is significant. A poor man, unable to provide for his three daughters, was about to sell them into slavery. Hearing of the family’s plight, Nicholas quietly flung a bag of gold through their window. Soon after, he repeated the act with a second bag, and later with a third.”

Sarah was paying keen attention.

Mother continued: “On the last occasion, the gold went down the chimney and landed inside a stocking, which had been hung out to dry by the fireside. The father of the girls, who was awake and alert, caught his benefactor before Nicholas could flee. Nicholas is said to have sworn the man to silence. This was the inspiration for the later image of the secret gift-giver. That is also how Santa, stockings and chimneys got linked.”

Sarah was fascinated. “And now Santa Claus is known all over the world?” Mother nodded. “Versions of the Nicholas legend exist in many countries,” she said, “but his connection with Christmas began in Holland, where he is known as Sinter Klaus. Dutch emigrants took him to America. In the 19th century, he became the subject of Clement C Moore’s delightful poem, ‘The Night Before Christmas’, in which, interestingly, he is referred to as St Nicholas. In the words of Arthur N Hosking, ‘Not until Santa Claus passed through the crucible of Doctor Clement Clarke Moore’s mind and imagination did the patron saint of childhood ever ride in a sleigh or have eight tiny reindeer.’ Do you know the poem?”

“One of my favourites,” said Sarah. “So, I suppose, our standard conception of Santa as plump and cheerful stems from these lines in Moore’s narrative: ‘He had a broad face and a little round belly/ That shook when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.’ That’s cute.”

Mother smiled. “As for Santa’s clothes,” she went on, “subsequently, he moved beyond the poem and acquired the distinctive red costume that we associate with him today.” Well,” said Sarah, ‘the jolly old elf’ is clearly here to stay.”

“You should share what I’ve told you with Sheila. She might find it interesting,” said Mother.

“Of course, during this special season, even as we eagerly receive from Santa Claus, we should readily give like Saint Nicholas.”

(The author is an English teacher and a freelance writer.)