The name “Santa Claus” first appeared in the late 1600s, when the Dutch people settledin North America, and their Christmas traditions were adoptedby English colonists. Over the next 200 years, Santa appeared in many different ways. In fact, before the 1900s, Santa didn’t have any standard image. Sometimes, he was tall and skinny, often wearing a bishop’s hat or animal fur. Santa was picturedwearing green or tanrobesjust as often as a red coat. By 1881, an image of Santa as a big, jolly man in a red coat became well-known thanks toThomas Nast, who is also known as the “Father of the American Cartoon.”
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