Santa Claus: The Wild, Messy, Surprisingly Metal Origin Story

Every December, the internet revives its favorite Christmas myths—and Santa Claus is right in the crossfire. Was he invented by Coca-Cola? Is he really Kris Kringle? Why does he have so many names? And what’s up with those weird paintings of St. Nick standing next to naked children in a barrel?

Let’s untangle the chaos—and uncover the real history behind the world’s most famous gift-giver.

No, Coca-Cola Didn’t Invent Santa

The Coke myth won’t die, but it’s wrong.
Coca-Cola’s 1930s ads popularized the modern red-suit Santa, but they didn’t create him. Their illustrator, Haddon Sundblom, was inspired by the 1822 poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” (aka ’Twas the Night Before Christmas)—which had already locked in Santa’s twinkly eyes, rosy cheeks, round belly, sleigh, and reindeer.

Coke boosted Santa’s brand—but didn’t build it.

Moore’s Poem Made Santa Jolly—but Also Tiny

Clement Clarke Moore didn’t invent Santa, but he definitely changed him. His poem describes St. Nick as:

“A right jolly old elf”
The driver of a miniature sleigh
Pulled by eight tiny reindeer

Based on the text alone, he was roughly… two feet tall. An adorable, jelly-bellied elf. Not the mall Santa you're picturing.

But even Moore wasn’t starting from scratch—he was drawing from older legends about St. Nicholas.

Yes, Santa Claus Is (Sort of) Based on a Real Person

To meet the earliest version of Santa, you have to go back to the 300s, in the Roman Empire.

St. Nicholas of Myra, a real historical bishop, became famous for miracle stories told centuries after he died. Whether you believe the myths or not, they turned him into a legend.

According to popular tales, he:

Saved three girls from being sold into prostitution
Calmed a storm at sea
Saved innocent soldiers from execution
Fought a demon-possessed tree
Slapped a heretic at the Council of Nicaea
Stayed extremely, aggressively chaste
And oh yeah—resurrected three children who were murdered and pickled by an evil butcher

That last one is why medieval artists kept drawing St. Nick next to… tiny naked children in a tub. (They were supposed to be kids. Medieval painters just weren’t great at proportions.)

This imagery spread across Europe and cemented Nicholas as the saint who protects children (in a wholesome way).

When the legend reached the Netherlands, St. Nicholas became Sinterklaas… eventually morphing into Santa Claus.

Santa vs. Kris Kringle: The Rivalry You Didn’t Know About

Here’s the twist: Santa and Kris Kringle weren’t always the same guy.

St. Nicholas = Catholic tradition (gifts on Dec. 6)
Christkindl = Protestant version created by Martin Luther (gifts on Dec. 25)

Christkindl—literally “Christ Child”—was meant to replace St. Nicholas during the Reformation. Think baby angel delivering gifts instead of a jolly bishop.

But when German immigrants brought Christkindl to the U.S. and met Dutch settlers celebrating Sinterklaas… the two traditions melted together.

Christkindl → Kris Kringle → another name for Santa Claus

The rivalry ended not with drama, but with a merger. Extremely on-brand for American holiday culture.