»» Santa Claus Relatively New for Italians
Did you know the Santa Claus legend originates from Southern Italy? The bones of St. Nicholas, bishop lived in the Lycia region of the Roman Empire, died in A.D. 343, are buried in Bari.
St. Nicholas was also revered for acts of generosity, in particular for his anonymous gift-giving to children. From that, St. Nicholas was associated with the tradition of the gifts to children. He became the patron saint of many cities across Christian Europe, became Sankt Nikolaus in Germany and then Santa Claus.
However, Santa Claus’ tradition is relatively new for Italians.
Babbo Natale, so Santa Claus is called in Italy, in bearing gifts has a strong competitor in the Befana, — Epiphany, the Magi feast day, on January 6, a more ancient and popular tradition for Italians.
