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[[Image:Thomas Nast Santa Claus.JPG|300px|right|thumb|Santa Claus, by Thomas Nast]]

[[Image:Thomas Nast Santa Claus.JPG|300px|right|thumb|Santa Claus, by Thomas Nast]]

[[Image:Christmas Eve 1862.jpg|thumb|'''Christmas Eve 1862.''' Nast shows the wife and husband thinking of each other on Christmas Eve. The illustrations in the top corners show Santa visiting homes and military camps.]]

[[Image:Christmas Eve 1862.jpg|thumb|'''Christmas Eve 1862.''' Nast shows the wife and husband thinking of each other on Christmas Eve. The illustrations in the top corners show Santa visiting homes and military camps.]]

: ''This article is about the American legendary secret Christmas gift-giver. For the real man behind this legend, see [[Saint Nicholas]].''

: ''This article is about the Christmas gift-giver. For the saint, see [[Saint Nicholas]].''

'''Santa Claus''', or simply "Santa", is an [[United States of America|American]] popular cultural icon, probably of [[Holland|Dutch]] origin. He has been a regular staple of the American observance of [[Christmas]] for about two centuries or more, and exported to prominence in much of the world.

'''Santa Claus''', or simply "Santa", is an [[United States of America|American]] popular cultural icon. He has been a regular staple of the American observance of [[Christmas]] for about two centuries or more, and as well as much of the world.

== Origins ==

== Origins ==

# [[Thomas Nast]], the famous [[cartoon]]ist, who, in 1881, drew the classic [[portraits|portrait]] of Santa Claus that survives today. (The image of Santa was progressively elaborated by illustrator Thomas Nast, who depicted a rotund Santa for Christmas issues of Harper's magazine from the 1860s to the 1880s.)

# [[Thomas Nast]], the famous [[cartoon]]ist, who, in 1881, drew the classic [[portraits|portrait]] of Santa Claus that survives today. (The image of Santa was progressively elaborated by illustrator Thomas Nast, who depicted a rotund Santa for Christmas issues of Harper's magazine from the 1860s to the 1880s.)

== Features of the Santa Claus Legend ==

== Features of Santa Claus ==

[[Image:Santa Claus 2.gif|right]]

[[Image:Santa Claus 2.gif|right]]

The hallmarks of the legend of Santa Claus include:

The hallmarks of the legend of Santa Claus include:

# A village located at the [[North Pole]], containing a toy factory and other facilities for the production and distribution of toys via a sled driven by flying reindeer.

# A village located at the [[North Pole]], containing a toy factory and other facilities for the production and distribution of toys via a sled driven by flying reindeer.

# An uncanny ability to know whether any child has been "good" or "bad," typically in the form of a list of all children, appropriately catagorised. The means by which this is achieved is rarely elaborated on.

# An uncanny ability to know whether any child has been "good" or "bad," typically in the form of a list of all children, appropriately categorized.

# Rewards for the good, and punishment for the bad. Traditionally, the good children receive toys and the bad lumps of coal. Due to the unfamiliarity of a lump of coal to modern children, some variations substitute other undesirable gifts.

# Rewards for the good, and punishment for the bad. Traditionally, the good children receive toys and the bad lumps of coal.

# A requirement for belief: Santa is said to deliver only to those who believe in him. Non-believers get nothing.

# A requirement for belief: Santa is said to deliver only to those who believe in him. Non-believers get nothing.

# Secret comings and goings to make deliveries, via the chimney. In homes without fireplaces, some flexibility is required.

# Secret comings and goings to make deliveries, via the chimney. In homes without fireplaces, some flexibility is required.