As impressive as our courier services are at Fleet Couriers, no one can outpace the ultimate delivery driver, Santa Claus. We’re all familiar with the image of a man in a red suit driving a sleigh full of toys pulled by flying reindeer. But where did that image come from? If you were to describe it outside of the context of Christmas, Santa would seem like a bizarre and impossible character.
As strange as it may seem, we can trace everything about today’s Santa Claus back to older traditions.
Origins in European Folklore
Most people know that Santa has his origins in stories about St. Nicholas, who was the bishop of Myra (in modern-day Turkey) in the third century A.D. Stories about Nicholas highlight his generosity, featuring multiple instances of him leaving money and food in people’s shoes, dropping them down the chimney, or tossing them through an open window. The popularity of stories about St. Nicholas grew over the centuries and eventually merged with other local folktales. In Scandinavia, Holland, Belgium, and Luxembourg, St. Nicholas became inseparable from another character called Sinterklaas, who dropped presents down chimneys while flying over rooftops on his magical horse. By the 19th century, Sinterklaas and St. Nicholas were thought of as the person.
From Horses to Reindeer
But if Sinterklaas rode on a horse, how did reindeer get involved? For that part of the image, we’ll have to travel across the Atlantic to New York in 1812. Washington Irving (of “Sleepy Hollow” fame) wrote A Complete History of New York, which included a description of St. Nicholas “riding over the tops of trees, in that self-same wagon wherein he brings his yearly presents to children.” You’ll notice there’s no mention of what’s pulling the wagon. The image of reindeer pulling the sled first appeared in a small book for children printed by William Gilley in 1821. This book included an illustration, which is likely the first depiction of Santa Claus with reindeer.
A Visit from St. Nicholas
Finally, we come to the poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” often known by its first line, “Twas the night before Christmas,” by Clement C. Moore. In that poem, all the images we now associate with Santa Claus came together, including the eight reindeer and their names. Moore published that poem in 1823, but it is still a feature of many Christmas decorations and celebrations today.
Courier Services That Keep Up with Santa
Santa Claus may just have the edge over us, but we do our best. Our team of drivers and dispatchers will ensure that your packages arrive safely and on time.