The original Santa Claus was St. Nicholas ... In 1809, Washington Irving wrote a history of New York in which he introduced “Sinter Klaas” to America as a kindly saint who arrived at people ...

Santa Claus’s history with Coke (the soda, to be specific) stems from the 1920s, when designs similar to the ones created by Thomas Nast made their appearances in advertisements for the soft drink.

"This story in particular, it really kind of humanised him for me and made him a far more interesting character than I think he's normally portrayed," says University of Winchester's Brian Thornton.

given New York’s history until 1664 as a Dutch colony and the ongoing presence of Dutch settlers in that area. This Dutch background is key because Santa Claus is in fact a borrowing into ...