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Santa Claus or Santa Klaus

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A corrupt contraction of Sankt Nikolaus (Sankʹni kolausi.e. St. Nicolas), the patron saint of children. The vigil of his feast is still held in some places, but for the most part his name is now associated with Christmas-tide. The old custom used to be for someone, on December 5th, to assume the costume of a bishop and distribute small gifts to “good children.” The present custom is to put toys and other little presents into a stocking or pillow-case late on Christmas Eve, when the children are asleep, and when they wake on Christmas morn each child finds in the stocking or bag hung at the bedside the gift sent by Santa Claus. St. Nicholasʹ day is December 6. The Dutch Kriss Kringle.

 

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Entry taken from Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, edited by the Rev. E. Cobham Brewer, LL.D. and revised in 1895.

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Sans Culottes (French, without trousers)
Sans Culottides
Sans Peur et Sans Reproche
Sans Souci (French)
Sanscara
Sansfoy [Infidelity]
Sansjoy [Without the peace of God]
Sansloy [Irreligion]
Sansonetto (in Orlando Furioso)
Santa Casa (Italian, the holy house)
Santa Claus or Santa Klaus
Saophron
Sapphics
Sappho of Toulouse
Saracen Wheat (French, Blé-sar-rasin)
Saracens
Saragoza
Saraswati
Sarcasm
Sarcenet
Sarcenet Chidings