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Over the Christmas season, Santa's image is everywhere, but do we really understand the history and origin of one of the biggest traditions? When the kids inevitably ask, “Who is Santa?” what do we say?
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Santa Claus, the jolly, portly fellow dressed in fur-trimmed crimson clothes and sporting the long white beard, is unique to America. Other cultures have a long history of gift-bringers, but Santa in the United States has a special identity, the result of melding religious symbolism, Old World lore, and Dutch folktales. And, of course, he also requires more than a dash of whimsy. That was supplied by a talented storyteller, was enhanced by an unlikely poet, and was made visible by a couple of artists, all working independently. Let us contemplate that, and if afterward you remain a skeptic wh...