Santa Claus (NYC, 1773)

[Wilson Gray]

On Sep 17, 2004, at 12:27 AM, Bapopik at AOL.COM wrote:

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> Subject:      Santa Claus (NYC, 1773)
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> (OED)
> Santa Claus
> Orig. U.S.
>
> [a. Du. dial. Sante Klaas (Du. Sint Klaas), Saint Nicholas: see
> NICHOLAS.]
>
>     a. In nursery language, the name of an imaginary personage, who is
> supposed, in the night before Christmas day, to bring presents for
> children, a stocking being hung up to receive his gifts. Also, a
> person wearing a red cloak or suit and a white beard, to simulate the
> supposed Santa Claus to children, esp. in shops or on shopping
> streets. Also transf., fig., attrib., and ellipt. as Santa.
>   Now virtually synonymous with Father Christmas.
>
>   1773 N.Y. Gaz. 26 Dec. 3/1 Last Monday the Anniversary of St.
> Nicholas, otherwise called St. A Claus, was celebrated at
> Protestant-Hall. 1808 Salmagundi 25 Jan. 407 The noted St. Nicholas,
> vulgarly called Santaclausof all the saints in the kalendar the most
> venerated by true hollanders, and their unsophisticated descendants.
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------
>
> A friend at work teaches a class on New York City history. He's
> inviting guest lecturers and the first guest lecturer is me.
>
> It's all about "giving something back," so I'm going to tell the class
> that all their work will be ignored for twenty years, their co-ops are
> going bankrupt and they're losing their homes, their parents will die
> of long and painful illnesses, all their children will have autism,
> and they'll spend the rest of their lives adjudicating New York City
> parking tickets in a little room without air. Maybe not.
>
> He told me that he's now doing the Dutch period in New York, so here
> is the Dutch New York OED antedating of "Santa Claus." It appears to
> be the same New York item, dated two days earlier in the Connecticut
> Journal?
>
>
> (EARLY AMERICAN NEWSPAPERS)
> December 24, 1773    Connecticut Journal
> New-York, December 20
>
> Headline: New-York, December 20;
> Paper: Early American Newspapers;   Date: 1773-12-24;   Iss: 323;
> Page: [3];
>
> Last Monday the Anniversary of St. Nicholas, otherwise called _St. a
> Claus_

This spelling appears to imply the pronunciation, "Sainta Claus," and
not "Santa Claus." On the other hand, old maps show that Braintree, in
Massachusetts, was once spelled "Brantry."

-Wilson Gray

>  was celebrated at Protestant-Hall, at Mr. Waldon's, where a great
> Number of the Sons of that ancient Saint celebrated the Day with great
> Joy and Festivity.
>