by Natalie, age 9 from Syracuse, asks St. Nick how his name traveled from the Netherlands to New York.
A Letter to St. Nick from Natalie in Syracuse, New York
Dear St. Nick, my name is Natalie and I am nine years old. I live in Syracuse, New York, and my teacher said your name has Dutch roots right here in our state, so I have questions:
- Are you exactly the same as Santa Claus, or is there a difference?
- Do you bring presents to children who remember you?
- Do you carry a staff like a shepherd?
- Do you come down the chimney?
- Do you come on December 6th, not Christmas?
- Do you have helpers?
- Do you have reindeer?
- Do you wear a bishop’s robe with a cross on it?
- Is this just a shorter, friendlier name for Saint Nicholas?
- Were you a real person who lived in Turkey long ago?
- Geography: St. Nick’s story spread to America largely through Dutch settlers in New York. What was New York City’s original Dutch name?
- Social Studies: How did the Dutch tradition of Sinterklaas evolve into the shortened English nickname Santa Claus once it reached America?
Sincerely, Natalie
St. Nick Writes Back
Are you exactly the same as Santa Claus, or is there a difference?
Mostly the same these days, Natalie, since St. Nick has become a shortened, friendly nickname most people use interchangeably with Santa Claus.
Do you bring presents to children who remember you?
I try to bring gifts to every child, though I always smile a bit extra when a family still remembers my original story.
Do you carry a staff like a shepherd?
In my older, more historical depictions, yes, a simple staff was part of my look, tied to my early life as a caring bishop.
Do you come down the chimney?
Chimney, yes, following the same beloved tradition shared by most Santa Claus stories.
Do you come on December 6th, not Christmas?
My original feast day is December 6th, though the shortened St. Nick name is now used just as often around Christmas Eve itself.
Do you have helpers?
Yes, a cheerful team helps me prepare for the busy holiday season, much like the modern Santa Claus story.
Do you have reindeer?
Reindeer, yes, pulling a sleigh through the night sky, borrowed from the fuller modern Santa Claus tradition.
Do you wear a bishop’s robe with a cross on it?
In my earliest, more historical portraits, yes, a bishop’s robe marked with a cross was part of my traditional look.
Is this just a shorter, friendlier name for Saint Nicholas?
Exactly right, St. Nick is simply a shorter, friendlier way of saying Saint Nicholas, popularized especially in America.
Were you a real person who lived in Turkey long ago?
Yes, my story traces back to the real historical Saint Nicholas, a bishop who lived in what is now Turkey many centuries ago.
Geography: St. Nick’s story spread to America largely through Dutch settlers in New York. What was New York City’s original Dutch name?
My story spread widely through Dutch settlers who arrived in New York, a city that was originally called New Amsterdam before the English renamed it.
Social Studies: How did the Dutch tradition of Sinterklaas evolve into the shortened English nickname Santa Claus once it reached America?
The Dutch name Sinterklaas was gradually shortened and reshaped by English speaking settlers and neighbors in early America until it became the more familiar Santa Claus. My own nickname, St. Nick, followed a similar path, showing once again how names can shift and simplify as stories travel between cultures and languages.
