New! Saint Nicholas - Christmas Holy Card #24 – The Original Santa Claus – pack of 10/100/1000

The original Santa Claus is St. Nicholas. Santa means Saint, and Claus is a short version of Nicholas. He was a 4th Century bishop in Asia Minor (Turkey), known for his kindness and generosity. Reportedly, he helped three sisters who were so poor they couldn't get married because they had no dowery. St. Nicholas threw three bags of gold, or apples of gold, into the window of their house-or some say down their chimney. That's where the idea of Santa traveling down chimneys comes from.

It was the giving of gifts-along with his Feast Day being in December-that allowed his story to transform into the red-suited Saint (Santa) Claus we now associate with Christmas. He died December 6, 343 AD, and his Feast Day is widely celebrated as a holiday in its own right

This lovely Victorian picture was made by Heinrich Leflter, an Austrian Catholic primarily known as a set-designer, but also the artist of many beautiful Art Nouveau illustrations. (sources: vaticannews.va and britannica.com)

This is from our December 2025 Holy Card of the Month mailing, which you can find at our main shop as Etsy does not allow subscriptions. See address in the copyright notice below.

Available in quantities of 1000 for serious distribution. Contact us for higher quantities.

Thank you for your interest in our Catholic Art project.

Sue and John Johnson

St Mary's, Lincoln, Nebraska

Image Restoration © www.CatholicArtAndJewelry.com

“In order to communicate the message entrusted to her by Christ, the Church needs art.” – Pope St. John Pual II, Letter to Artists, April 4, 1999