ʙᴛw, sanᴛa ɪs ʙaseᴅ on ᴛʜe ᴅuᴛcʜ saɪnᴛ nɪcʜoʟas. ᴛʜe ᴅuᴛcʜ saʏ "sɪnᴛaᴋʟaas" as a ᴘorᴛmanᴛeau, wʜɪcʜ ɢoᴛ manɢʟeᴅ ʙʏ amerɪcan marᴋeᴛers (wʜɪcʜ ɪncʟuᴅeᴅ coca coʟa, wʜo reaʟɪseᴅ ʜɪs cosᴛume ʜaᴅ ᴛʜeɪr coʟors) anᴅ ʙᴛw, ᴛʜɪs ɪs wʜaᴛ ᴛʜe acᴛuaʟ ɢuʏ ʟooᴋeᴅ ʟɪᴋe (ʏes, ʜe was ꜰamous ꜰor ɢɪvɪnɢ ᴘresenᴛs ᴛo cʜɪʟᴅren):
One small point, St. Nicholas was a bishop in Asia Minor (today’s Turkey).
You are correct on the Dutch line to the modern santa.
he was very early, involved in the council of nicaea and part of what led to the split to orthodox, and his bones got moved around a lot. most of what is said about him was only written several hundred years later. it's all quite funny really.
