Where did he come from, this jolly man in a soft red suit and flowing white beard? Sure, we all know he's not real. But for someone who's not real, he's definitely everywhere you look this time of year.

You see his likeness on wrapping paper and rooftops, in store windows and t.v. ads. You hear songs about him on the radio and at your friend-next-doors.

In the malls, little children — on best behaviour — wait patiently to have their pictures taken on his wide and welcome lap.

"Hi, Santa," they smile when it's finally their turn. It won't matter if this year's model looks a little different than last year's. If they've been taught that Santa is real, they'll go to any lengths to believe.

On the other hand, many families will have nothing to do with Santa at all. They consider him at best a distraction, at worst an affront to the truth of Christmas.

And they certainly have good cause to feel that way.

It seems that year after year we see more of Santa and less of Jesus in our public celebration of Christmas. Each winter we grit our teeth as we read of legal challenges to nativity scenes at city halls and carols at public schools. Some school districts have even declared war on the word itself — Christmas. After all, that might remind people why it all began.

Perhaps that's why Santa's hit the big time. People long for tradition and custom, and he's around to fill the void. And, boy, can he produce the profits. Companies make big bucks from his image — that's why we see it everywhere.

Still, Santa does hold a special place in the hearts of many people. And so we wonder.

Humanism and commercialism aside, what is the truth about Santa Claus? Where did he come from? How did we get him here?

The truth is there once was a person whose generosity was so unique he became a legend. Here is what we know of him: Nicholas was born in the small town of Patara in 280, A.D. His parents were wealthy, and people of faith.

As a child, Nicholas was devoted to God. It is said that he fasted every Wednesday and every Friday.

His mother and father died while Nicholas was still quite young. From that time, he dedi­cated his life to Christian service.

Many tales are told of his generosity. One famous painting shows him secretly leaving a bar of gold in the home of a poor man with three daughters. In those days, women needed dowries to offer their husbands; otherwise they remained unmarried.

Nicholas's gift made it possible for these three maidens to wed. Much of his generosity was like that — humble good deeds done in secret. It is said that he begged on behalf of the poor. He sometimes disguised himself to bring presents to those in need. His goodness did not go unrecognized. The citizens of Myra elected him bishop. During the persecutions, he was captured, tortured, and imprisoned. He was finally released when Constantine became Emperor of Rome. From that time until his death in 314 A.D., Nicholas continued to give and to serve.

You may be wondering how we got from the very real Saint Nicholas (because he was even­tually called a saint), to the Santa Claus we know today.

This is a good example of how stories change over time, so much it becomes hard to remember how they began.

In Holland, a custom grew of celebrating December 5^th, the eve of St. Nicholas's birthday. Even today, Dutch families have parties, give gifts, and feast on sweets, awaiting a visit from St. Nicholas. He comes dressed as a bishop, in red velvet robes, long white beard, and miter (a bishop's pointed hat).

Before going to bed that night, children leave their shoes by the fireplace. They are hoping St. Nicholas will return, slide down the chimney, and fill the shoes with goodies while they sleep.

Sound familiar? That's because when the settlers from Holland arrived in New York in the 17^th century, they brought St. Nicholas with them.

Over the next few centuries, the way he appeared in art or poetry changed, until he became the Santa Claus we see today.

Nowadays, commercial exploitation of the Santa Claus image has made many Christians uncomfortable enough to wish he'd disappear. They feel strongly that our cus­toms about Santa Claus take away from the real meaning of Christmas.

Perhaps the Dutch have the right idea. They keep the gift giving and merriment of St. Nicholas's Eve separate from the celebration of Christ's birth. Christmas is a day for church and carols, family and feasting.

In America, at some point, we began to mix it all together. But we can keep from getting mixed up ourselves.

We don't need to wipe out Santa Claus. We just need to remember who he was — a man who served so well and gave so much that people never forgot him. A man who lived a Christlike life, thinking of others more than himself.

He serves only as a reminder of the greatest gift of all — God's only Son. Knowing his story, what do you think? Wouldn't Saint Nicholas be the first to say: Jesus Is The Reason For The Season.