Santa’s appearance and backstory came from a man named St. Nicholas, who was a Christian bishop.

According to “35 Facts You Didn’t Know About Christmas” from etonline, Santa Claus comes from St. Nicholas, a Christian bishop living in Turkey in the fourth century A.D. St. Nicholas had inherited a great deal of wealth and was known for giving it away to help the needy. Historically, the well-known reason we give presents at Christmas is to symbolize the gifts given to baby Jesus by the three wise men. But it may also stem from the Saturnalia tradition that required revelers to offer up rituals to the gods. In the past, Because of its roots in pagan festivals, Christmas was not immediately accepted by the religious. In fact, from 1659 to 1681, it was illegal to celebrate Christmas in Boston. Intriguingly, the look of Santa Claus we have today was created at an 1804 meeting of the New York Historical Society, where member John Pintard handed out wooden cutouts of jolly old St. Nick in front of stockings filled with toys. Though Santa Claus has worn blue and white and green in the past, his traditional red suit came from a 1930s ad by Coca Cola. In a survey of 100 random Morton East students, only 7 students said they knew who Santa originated from.

“I think the meaning of Christmas is for friends and family to demonstrate their love for each other through gifts, food, and getting absolutely wasted,” senior in journalism class Lynn Galvez said.

Some people believe that Christmas comes from Jesus birth.

“The purpose of celebrating Christmas is to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Christmas is now celebrated all over the world as a time for friends and family to get together and exchange gifts, as to show appreciation for each other,”  said Esther Gonzalez, mother of a student.

There are others that don’t believe in Santa Claus, but believe it comes from Saint Nicholas.

“All my siblings are older than me and don’t believe in Santa Claus, neither do I. We always open gifts first and then eat breakfast on Christmas day. I believe Christmas comes from Christ, like when he was born. But as for Santa Claus, my mom told me time ago that Saint Nicholas delivered presents to the poor kids, so I believe that’s where Santa’s legend began and has continued since then,” sophomore student Manuel Alvarado said.