the concept of the american santa claus originated with st. nicholas, who was born in asia minor in 280 a.d. he was known as a kind, benevolent man; indeed made a saint because of his generosity.
为了纪念圣-尼古拉斯，按照欧洲传统，12月6日就是交换圣诞礼物的日子，也标志着圣诞假期开始。
in honor of st. nicholas, december 6 became the traditional day in europe for the exchange of christmas gifts and the beginning of the holiday season.
荷兰移民把他们关于赠送礼物的圣-尼古拉斯的形式带到了美国，他们的发音是“sinter klass”。美国人不习惯于荷兰发音，把他改为“santa claus”，这就是广受孩子们喜爱的、圣诞节标志性的圣诞老人。
dutch immigrants to the united states brought with them their version of the gift-giving st. nicholas, known as sinter klass. americans, unaccustomed to the dutch pronunciation, turned this into santa claus, who is beloved as a symbol of christmas by children of all ages.
