Tomorrow, 6 December, is St Nicholas’ Day and the St Nicholas Center in Holland states, ‘The true story of Santa Claus begins with Nicholas.’

St Nicholas was born in the third century in the village of Patara, then part of Greece but now on the southern coast of Turkey. He spent his life as a priest and then as Bishop of Myra giving to families in need, preferring to do so unseen and often under cover of the darkness of night-time.

After his death on 6 December AD 343, his fame spread throughout Europe. He was adopted as patron saint of Greece and Russia, as well as of sailors, children, orphans, spinsters and pawnbrokers – and also of thieves, interestingly.

Festivities to mark St Nicholas’ Day came to represent the beginning of Christmas and in many countries on St. Nicholas' Eve children would set out food for the saint, straw for his horses and schnapps for his attendant and the next morning good children would find presents waiting for them. In some countries – Holland, Germany, parts of Italy – St Nicholas still does the rounds today and so tonight many children in Europe will be setting out shoes and boots to be filled with sweets and gifts.

‘Father Christmas’ and ‘Santa Claus’ are names used interchangeably here in the UK. Santa Claus is said to come from ‘Sinterklaus’, the Dutch name for St Nicholas but in England we’ve long had our own Father Christmas. The Vikings’ god Odin would ‘appear’ in December with his long white beard and wearing a hooded cloak carrying gifts for the poor, and other gods, Thor and Saturn in particular, began to have an influence on the winter visitor’s appearance, so soon he came decorated with ivy and holly.

In 1808 America’s author Washington Irving described Santa as a ‘jolly Dutchman... who wore baggy breeches,’ and in his 1822 poem ‘A Visit from St Nicholas’ – more usually known as ‘The Night Before Christmas’ – Clement Clarke Moore was able to tell us that Santa Claus has reindeer, and ‘a broad face, and a little round belly, that shook, when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly.’

In the 1860s the German-born American cartoon artist, Thomas Nast, and the poet George P Webster were further able to reveal that not only did Santa distribute presents but that he also made the toys, that his jacket was trimmed with fur – and he lived in the North Pole.

Round about that time our Father Christmas, who had been wearing green up until then, had a make-over and Victorian Christmas cards began showing him dressed in his new suit – of red.

But in 1925 American newspapers dropped a bombshell – they said Santa couldn’t live in the North Pole because reindeer can’t survive there. However, two years later the Finnish people released the news that Father Christmas lives in Lapland.

There has always been giving around Christmas-time or during the winter season, whether it’s the church giving to the poor or a seasonal visitor distributing presents to the children.

So, for all the children who will be putting out their boots and shoes tonight, I wish St Nicholas fair weather and a good journey.

As for our Father Christmas – whether he’s Holland’s and Germany’s and Italy’s St Nicholas or our own original Winter Visitor – he has a little more time to get ready for Christmas Eve.

Although I’m still not sure about this home in Lapland business. I’ve heard reports of wonderful visits to his grotto there, but I’ve always sent my letter to Santa to the North Pole. So perhaps he is there, and collects his reindeer on route on the 24th.  After all, it is magic...

(Father Christmas has been rather too busy to pose for a photo and suggested arrow734’s picture from Flickr instead.)