2017年圣诞节作文800字：圣诞老人的由来

TheoriginalSantaClaus,St.Nicholas,wasbornintheancientsoutheasternTurkishtownofLyciaearlyinthefourthcentury.Hisgenerositywaslegend,andhewasparticularlyfondofchildren.WeknowthisprimarilythroughRomanaccountsofhispatronageofyouth,whicheventuallyledtohisbecomingthepatronsaintofchildren.ThroughouttheMiddleAges,andwellbeyond,hewasreferredtobymanynamesnoneofthemSantaClaus.
　　ChildrentodaywouldnotatallrecognizetheSt.NickwhobroughtgiftstoEuropeanchildrenhundredsofyearsagoexceptperhapsforhiscascadingwhitebeard.Hemadehisroundsinfullred-and-whitebishop'srobes,completewithtwinpeakedmiterandcrookedcrozier.Hewaspulledbynofleetfootedreindeer,butcoaxedinindolentdonkey.AndhearrivednotlateonChristmasEve,butonhisChristianfeastday,December6.Thegiftsheleftbesidethehearthwereusuallysmall:fruit,nuts,hardcandies,woodandclayfigurines.
　　DuringtheProtestantReformationofthesixteenthcentury,St.NicholaswasbanishedfrommostEuropeancountries.Replacinghimweremoresecularfigures,whoingeneralwerenotatcenterstageatthatpointinhistory..TheDutchkepttheSt.Nicholastraditionalive.Astheprotectorofsailors,St.NicholasgracedtheprowofthefirstDutchshipthatarrivedinAmerica.AndthefirstchurchbuiltinNewYorkCitywasnamedafterhim.TheDutchbroughtwiththemtotheNewWorldtwoChristmasitemsthatwerequicklyAmericanized.
　　InsixteenthcenturyHolland,childrenplacedwoodenshoesbythehearththenightofSt.Nicholas'sarrival.Theshoeswerefilledwithstraw,amealforthesaint'sgiftladendonkey.Inreturn,Nicholaswouldinsertasmalltreatintoeachclog.InAmerica,theshoewasreplacedwiththestocking,hungbythechimney.
　　TheDutchspelledSt.NicholasSaintNikolass,whichintheNewWorldbecameSinterklass.laterchangedtoSantaClaus.