The Real Story of Santa ClausThe Real Story of Santa Claus

Santa Claus is a genuine icon of popular culture - a secular figure taking a central place at the heart of a religious celebration. Yet, very few people know the story of his origin. This program traces the evolution of modern day Santa Claus from a strange myth that combined ancestral pagan rites with the legend of a Turkish Saint, St. Nicholas, who became a patron Saint of many European cities and a protector of children. Every year, on December 6, he would parade the streets, giving away sweets and gifts to the good kids. In the Netherlands, he was named Sinterklaas. The settlers brought him to America with them. In the 1800s, in New Amsterdam, later renamed New York City, two poets and a caricaturist invented the modern Santa Claus. In later years, he was even exploited by the Nazis. The video looks at the good side and the dark side of Santa over the years and across countries.