How did St. Nicholas transform into 'Santa Claus'?

- Future Science - KR Chowdhury

Na Taal means that when Christmas begins, Santa Claus, an old man with a white beard, dressed in red clothes and a red hat, floats before your eyes. Recently the Santa Claus character was inspired by, or can be said to be, who was like Santa Claus in real life. Archaeologists have also discovered the tomb of Saint Nicholas. After the remains of an ancient church were discovered in Turkey, the tomb of St. Nicholas has been discovered. which was submerged due to rising sea levels in the Mediterranean during the Middle Ages. Where is the tomb of Saint Nicholas. Another modern church was built on top of the foundations of the ancient basilica to protect that tomb, archaeologists recently excavated a mosaic and stone structure from the former sanctuary. Archaeologists' research led them to the final resting place of St. Nicholas, due to today's modern church. Who was Saint Nicholas, who inspired the character of Santa Claus? What is the relationship between Christmas and Santa Claus? How did St. Nicholas transform into 'Santa Claus'?' Children may not ask such questions, but it is natural for inquisitive people and scholars to ask such questions.

The Byzantine Church : An Early Study

Thanks to recent research, historians have come to know that Saint Nicholas lived in Turkey. His last days were also spent here. Other specimens of Christianity have also been found beneath the clay and silt deposits.' A Byzantine church, a place of worship for Christians built between the 5th and 12th centuries, around a statue of Saint Nicholas, today stands on the foundations of the ancient church. While conducting an electronic survey of the church site in 2017, researchers came to know about the presence of an ancient church. A survey of electronic equipment found that 'two distinct types of difference were observed between ground level and church flooring. But careful not to damage the ancient Byzantine church, he excavated, wanting to collect specimens for his own research. The flooring of the ancient church on which St. Nicholas walked was also found during excavations.

The head of the Provincial Cultural Heritage Preservation Board in Antalya, Osman Eravsar, told the Demiroren news agency last week: 'The first church sank as the water level of the Mediterranean Sea rose. A few centuries later, a new church was built on the foundations of the old church.' According to one note, the Byzantine church suffered extensive damage during the eighth and ninth centuries but was later restored. The local institution records that 'Constantine IX in AD 1043 and AD. It was rebuilt in 1862 by Tsar Nicholas-I. A tower was added to this structure by Tsar Nicholas-I. Then there was a terrible flood in the Damre river, and the church was submerged.' The remains of the church were buried in silt brought down by the water and the river. This place was rediscovered again in 1956. Since 1982, this place has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list.

Saint Nicholas: Bishop of Myra

In the fourth century St. Nicholas became the bishop of Myra. But during this period Christians were being persecuted by the Roman Emperor Diocletian. Within a short time he was arrested and thrown in jail. Then action was taken against him. In time he was released under the rule of Constantine the Great. According to ancient records, he was given Bhumi Samadhi in Myra's temple. By the sixth century, the church had become known as the Church of St. Nicholas. But no one knew the exact location of his grave? This mystery was unwittingly associated with St. Nicholas. Earlier it was believed that AD In 1087, the 1,674-year-old relics of Saint Nicholas were smuggled to Bari, Italy by Italian traders. His relics, preserved in the Basilica of St. Nicholas at Bari, were then given to churches around the world.

Although Turkish archaeologists suggest that 'the bones that were smuggled to Italy belonged to another unnamed priest', researchers now believe that 'at the time of his death in 343 AD, St Nicholas was buried in the church of Demre, where he lay undisturbed until the 11th century. were asking for rest.' This church in Turkey has become a pilgrimage site for many pilgrims who want to pay homage to Saint Nicholas. A picture of St. Nicholas as Danveer Karna emerges from folk tales. Some of the miracles performed by St. Nicholas and his practice of secretly giving gold to the needy became famous. In Tuk, the life Saint Nicholas lived, inspired the modern character of Santa Claus. St. Nicholas secretly placed coins in the boots of children and the poor. This tradition is followed on the 6th of December, the National Feast Day of Turkey. 6th December is also celebrated as Saint Nicholas Day in the world. In the sixth century, St. Nicholas was popularized as 'Father Christmas'.

Birth of 'Sinterklaas'

Full credit goes to the Dutch people of the Netherlands for giving birth to today's fictional Santa Claus. In the Americas, when the Dutch arrived, they referred to St. Nicholas as 'Sinterklaas', as it is pronounced in Dutch. The name later became corrupted to 'Santa Claus'. Between the 12th and 15th centuries, Santa Claus became popular as an angel bringing gifts to children. Later in Christianity, with the beginning of the Protestant Reformation, the popularity of Santa Claus began to decline in Northern Europe. Children and families in the Netherlands, however, did not deny Santa Claus, a noble figure who gave gifts. He introduced 'Sinterklaas' to the new 'New Amsterdam' colony established in the Americas. That led to the death of the German incarnation of Santa Claus, like Gift A2. Finally, the kindly and genial 'Sinterklaas' re-emerged in the folk psyche in the form of Santa Claus. The current modern depiction of Santa Claus is based on images drawn by cartoonists for Harper's Weekly in 1863.

In Washington Irving's 1809 book 'Knickerbocker's History of New York', the pipe-smoking Nicholas was first depicted climbing the roof in a flying wagon, delivering gifts to good girls and boys and hating the bad ones. Washington Irving's book, however, was written to parody Netherlands culture. A subsequent anonymous illustrated poem in 1821, The Children's Friend, went a long way in shaping the modern Santa and associating him with Christmas. In 1822, Clement Clarke Moore wrote a poem called 'A Visit from St. Nicholas'. Which is known today as 'The Night Before Christmas'. For his six children, he added a poem about the unintentional incident of Santa Claus. The following year, the poem was published anonymously. After the poem was published, the jolly and spirited Santa Claus was modernized, riding on a sled driven by eight familiar reindeer. In today's language, this form of him has gone viral all over the world.

'Santa Claus' : The Modern Avatar

By the 19th century, Santa Claus was being depicted in different clothes and in miniatures. Before the Russian Revolution, 'Grand Father Frost (Dead Moro)' like the Russian version of Santa Claus was popular and prevalent in the USSR. As Joseph Stalin's star began to shine, 'Grand Father Frost's' luster began to wane. There came a time when the Russian Communist Party banned the celebration of Christmas and Santa Claus, the gift-bringer. A similar effort was made in Poland and Bulgaria after World War II. Russia considered introducing a secular version of Santa Claus, represented by a blue-coat 'Grand Father Frost'. But his attempt failed. But, with the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1989, the Christians who settled there again embraced their ancient heritage, heritage and splendor.

In 1912, an actor named Leedham Bentock played the role of Santa Claus for the first time in a film called Santa Claus. Two future films were made by BBC TV called 'Real Face of Santa'. Historian Gary Bowler has written a book called 'Santa Claus: A Biography'. Initially 'Santa Claus' was famous in green clothes. An advertising campaign run by Coca-Cola in the 1930s featured Santa Claus in red clothes to reinforce Coca-Cola's red color identity. The advertisement was illustrated by American cartoonist and illustrator Hayden Sundblom. The 'Santa Claus' depicted in the advertisement by Sundblom was a partially white-bearded gentleman. Who wore a red outfit with white fur trim, black boots and a soft red hat. In the 1940s and 50s, Pepsi Cola also used Santa Claus for advertising. Since then, Santa's red and white attire has become an icon among children and the public.