Santa Claus - a being mythical: goes on the sky by deer, quite pagan elves and in general it related to Father Frost and other fantastic characters accompany it... And meanwhile, it conducts a sort of the present sacred! From Saint Nikolaus, the bishop from Mira who generally isn't connected in any way with Christmas... The tradition to give gifts from Santa Claus on December 25 appeared much later. But it is possible to find in Christmas customs much in common with Saint Nikolaus's holiday - Santa Claus's red clothes, emergence of gifts at night, a sock at a fireplace, red-white sugar candies in the form of the bent cane. In a number of the European countries the old tradition according to which gifts to children from Saint Nikolaus give on December 6 is still observed, and Christmas is simply celebrated by a festive family dinner. In Russia Saint Nikolay - one of the most esteemed sacred, the miracle man and the general defender. The orthodox church celebrates it on December 19