the concept of the american santa claus originated with st. nicholas, who was born in asia minor in 280 a.d. he was known as a kind, benevolent man; indeed made a saint because of his generosity.
為了紀念聖-尼古拉斯，按照歐洲傳統，12月6日就是交換聖誕禮物的日子，也標誌著聖誕假期開始。
in honor of st. nicholas, december 6 became the traditional day in europe for the exchange of christmas gifts and the beginning of the holiday season.
荷蘭移民把他們關於贈送禮物的聖-尼古拉斯的形式帶到了美國，他們的發音是“sinter klass”。美國人不習慣於荷蘭發音，把他改為“santa claus”，這就是廣受孩子們喜愛的、聖誕節標誌性的聖誕老人。
dutch immigrants to the united states brought with them their version of the gift-giving st. nicholas, known as sinter klass. americans, unaccustomed to the dutch pronunciation, turned this into santa claus, who is beloved as a symbol of christmas by children of all ages.