American Culture and Santa Claus
Santa Claus has been delivering toys and creating cheer since the third century. Santa has been sharing his joy and spirit with Americans for a long time. When someone mentions the name Santa, the eyes of children light up. Santa has inspired the Americans, along with many others, to give, whether it be kindness or gifts. He has created thousands of traditions among millions of Americans. He has also made children of all ages lighter and happier. Santa is capable of filling a dull room with happiness in seconds with the mention of his name. Christmas gives children of all ages, races, and countries a reason to be happy and thankful for the life they live. Santa Claus is a timeless character that has positively influenced American culture.
Santa Claus made his first ap¬¬¬¬pearance in 280 A.D¬¬¬¬ better known as a monk named Saint Nicholas. He had become fully Americanized in 1823. Santa first hit the press in America in 1773 in an article called “St. A. Claus”. Santa then
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Santa made sure that children prayed and made good choices, depending on their religion. Many Dutch families used Sinter Klaas, another name for Santa Claus, as a way to keep their children good and for them and stay out of trouble. Kids must act on their best behavior during this time of year or they will get a lump of coal from Santa Claus, which means they were on the naughty list. During Christmas, there are plenty of charities that Americans donate to help the less fortunate. Another big charity that takes place during Christmas is with the Salvation Army. They are a charity group that raises millions of dollars to help others in need. That’s the kind of behavior that happens when Santa is in town (National Geographic, “From St. Nicholas to Santa”) (Heiligenstein, “The School of