The Community and Events that Created Santa Claus

[I thought this repost from last December might be interesting to share with your friends as we enter the Christmas season…]

Christmas is a multi-billion dollar consumer-spending "tradition". It’s the ultimate excuse to buy. Unfortunately, the originally intended meaning of Christmas gets lost in this annual shopping frenzy. Nonetheless, it is a marketing marvel to see how the Santa Claus "Brand" developed.

Here is the story of players and events that solidified Santa Claus and Christmas traditions. (Adapted with permission from Lee Krystek, curator at Unmuseum.org):