Santa Claus , also known as Father Christmas , Saint Nicholas , Saint Nick , Kris Kringle , or simply Santa , is a legendary figure [1] originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring gifts during the late evening and overnight hours on Christmas Eve to "nice" children, [2] and either coal or nothing to "naughty" children. [3] [4] He is said to accomplish this with the aid of Christmas elves , who make the toys in his North Pole workshop , and with the aid of flying reindeer who pull his sleig
The modern figure of Santa is based on folklore traditions surrounding Saint Nicholas , the English figure of Father Christmas , and the Dutch figure of Sinterklaas .
Santa is generally depicted as a portly, jolly, white- bearded man, often with spectacles , wearing a red coat with white fur collar and cuffs, white-fur-cuffed red trousers, red hat with white fur, and black leather belt and boots, carrying a bag full of gifts for children. He is commonly portrayed as laughing in a way that sounds like "ho ho ho". This image became popular in the United States and Canada in the 19th century due to the significant influence of the 1823 poem " A Visit from St. Nicholas ". Ca