When did the tradition of Santa Claus begin? How is it connected with the Birth of Christ?

Steven

as far as i know, it isn’t really connected to the birth of christ. the tradition of santa claus comes from the dutch holiday, sinterklaas, occuring early in december, in which a man who resembles our santa claus supposedly comes on a boat and puts candy in the children’s shoes.

Sincere

It’s not. The modern “Christmas” holiday is a relatively new (within the last 200ish years) concept. Santa comes from many different personas: Swedish Tanta gnomes, British Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas… They all have come together to form one. The birth of Christ really only contributes to the name. (Before you start screaming, I’m not saying it never happened, I’m just saying that it didn’t happen Dec. 25th) Many of the Christmas traditions (trees, wreaths, candy, candles, songs, yule logs, Santa, presents, decorations…) are actually ancient Pagan traditions from their celebration of the winter solstice. (Called Yule.)
The elves, reindeer and so on have been added by chocolate, greeting card and of course the Coca-Cola companies purely for sales.

Makenna

The previous writer got some info right. Reindeer and elves etc are also ancient in pagan custom. Northern European areas had the deer, middle east had the goat and the mediterranean had the bull. All pagan symbols of the male aspect of the deity or as the ancients would refer too as the Horned One, bringer of light and life and death. Green elves are conected to nature elementals( Nature dieties ) like the green man, Jack puck, Pan and so forth. Santa Clause or as pagans would sometimes refer to as the red man the oposite of the green man, Green man is associated with the agricultural time of the year known as the light half ( life) which rules vegetation in its growth time in a nutshell and the red man governs the dark half of year( Death ) which is life in its death cycle with agricultre especially. The red man is with Yule because the winter solstice is midwinter, the shortest day of the year and is mid death so to speak till when in Midspring the spring euqinox life starts to return with vigor. Horned animals such as deer are symbols that go with him to represent the male hunter aspect of the deity of winter and elves are actually of the fairy world and fairy or elemental spirits walk along the forrest or hunter diety when it comes to being his helpers. Later the catholic church in its many years of trying to damage the pagan symbology of the red man give the name Santa Claws to try and say Satan was hidding in desguise by rearranging his true name Satans claws. So Santa Claws and all the symbology that goes with it is the Pagans Lord of the dark half of the year basically. Oh, and buy the way, In witchcraft paganism stretching thousands of years. North is associated with Midwinter ( Winter Soltice, Yule ) cold and dark and death to be reborn hence why Santa Claws governs this time. South is associated with Midsummer ( Summer solstice,Litha ) hot and peak light and life which is why the green man is frolicking around at this time.