Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle and just plain Santa are all originally based on the fourth-century Greek bishop Saint Nicholas. He is known as the gift-giver of Myra.
The stocking stuffer story came from "Michael the Archimandrit's Life of Saint Nicholas". There is the story of Saint Nicolas who wanted to pay it forward to a man who had three daughters but had lost all his money. He could not possibly pay their dowries and they would be forced to go into "other employment".
Nicholas decided to help this family, but in secret. He went at night time and threw a bag of gold coins into the window. The father used that as the dowry. When the first daughter got married Nicolaus did the same thing and threw a bag of gold coins into the window so the second daughter could get married.
After the second daughter got married the father noticed the pattern and stayed up all night waited for the mysterious giver. Then he saw Nicholas was the gift giver. Nicholas then ordered him to keep this a secret.
Well I guess he couldn't keep a secret well or maybe one day one of his daughters told the story or it became a legend. The story evolves through the "Night Before Christmas Poem" and then just explodes. Somehow this story of gift giving evolved into a fat man on a magic reindeer sled giving gifts to every good boy and girl in the world and giving lumps of coal to boys and girls that were bad. He retired far away from the beautiful Greek Mediterranean and runs a nonprofit toy manufacturing facility near the North Pole.
I'm not sure what the modern kid thinks of Santa but there is no end to the story telling built on this character, but here's is a twist to the "Old Saint Nick Up on the Housetop ." It's a new new arrangement by Julien Neel. This version is all acapella sung by one man in four parts.
See if you can notice the changes in this Version.
I think that I hear eight tiny reindeer
Coming my way with Santa's sleigh
Up on the housetop reindeer pause
Out comes dear old Santa Claus
Down through the chimney with lots of toys
All for the little ones' Christmas joys
Ho ho ho Who wouldn’t go
Ho ho ho Who wouldn’t go
Up on the housetop click click click
Down through the chimney with good Saint Nick
First comes the stocking of little Nell
Oh dear Santa fill it well
Give her a dolly that laughs and cries
One that can open and shut its eyes
Hey Santa up so high how'd you get those deer to fly
Up on the housetop brick by brick
Down through the chimney with good Saint Nick
Out of your big bag won't you take
Lots of toys for little Jake
Please Santa fill his every wish
I-phone cash and Nintendo Switch
Ho Ho Ho There goes little Saint Nick down the chimney
Quick quick quick
Oh there he goes up on the housetop
I think that I hear eight tiny reindeer
Please Santa come up top this year
Did you catch all the changes and why he calls this an "Original arrangement"?