The Story and History of The Official Santa Dollar: Putting Santa on his Own Official Money

Santa Claus' Origins - How Did the Story of Santa Claus Originate? 

Today we know Santa as a Jolly Old man wearing red who rides in a sleigh pulled by magical flying reindeer and visits all nice children every Christmas Eve while delivering gifts. The Santa of today has become so popular and ingrained in our culture that stories of his origins have attained mythical status, where many stories and legends exist regarding his identity and origins, where he lives and how he came to be the gift giving patron we all know and love today. However, the actual legend of this iconic figure can be traced all the way back to around the year 280 AD in Europe, to a real man named St Nicholas.

The Legend of St Nicholas, the Real Santa Claus

Over a thousand years ago a man named St Nicholas was said to live in a part of Europe which is now modern day Turkey. St Nicholas the man was an actual Saint of the Catholic church and is said to have dedicated his life to serving the needy. According to legend, St Nicholas donated all his inherited wealth over the course of his life to those in need and even spent a good portion of time traveling the countryside making stops to help the poor and sick. Several tales of St Nicholas’ generosity spread throughout the land and he became renowned as the protector of children and sailors. Eventually, the popularity of St. Nicholas rose to such a level that around the time of the Renaissance, St. Nicholas had become the most popular saint in Europe and had especially gained notoriety in Holland.  Eventually passing away on December 6^th, this day was celebrated for many years to come as an annual feast was held every year on the anniversary of this date and this day also became considered a lucky day to get married or to make a significant purchase.

The name Santa Claus actually comes from St Nicholas’ Dutch nickname, Sinter Klaas, a shortened form of Sint Nikolaas which is the Dutch translation of St Nicholas.

Santa Claus Arrives on American Shores

Tales of Santa Claus first emerged on American shores with the arrival of Dutch settlers to New York with Dutch immigrants having been documented in the newspaper as having gathered together to honor the anniversary of the death of St Nicholas.

Sinter Klaas stories began to spread more widely through a book entitled “The History of New York” where St Nicholas was described as being the patron Saint of New York.

As stories of Sinter Klaas grew, many different legends surrounding his character began to be established. Some of these legends include elements of the iconic imagery of Santa we know today with a stockings filled with toys and hanging gifts over the fireplace.

‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’ and Santa Claus Goes Mainstream

Santa Claus really took the main stage with the arrival of Clement Clarke Moore’s “Twas the Night Before Christmas” in 1822. Originally written for his three daughters, the poem soon gained popularity and became mainstream, spreading the legend of Santa Claus worldwide. It’s within this poem that the traditional image of Santa Clause began to take shape, having been described as a portly old elf who traveled by a mini sleigh led by 8 reindeer. Political Cartoonist Thomas Nast took the descriptions of Santa in his ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’ poem and drew a portrait of his interpretation of Santa. It was through Nast’s interpretation the modern version of Santa which gave Santa the iconic look we know today, as a portly gentleman, wearing red with white fur, sporting a white beard and holding a sack laden with toys for children.  It was Moore who also added to the legend by including interpretations of the North Pole, Santa’s Elves and Mrs Claus.

The Inspiration Behind Santa Dollar Bills and Santa Money

Inspired by the original legend of giving set forth by St Nicholas. here at Holiday Dollar Bills we wanted to create a true 'pay it forward' Christmas gift to keep the tradition of Saint Nicholas and the true spirit of Christmas alive. With the symbol of money often associated with excess and greed, we intended to change that narrative by attaching the timeless symbol of Santa Claus to money which would serve as a reminder of the potentiality to use that Santa Money for good. Each time a Santa Dollar is transacted, the recipient would be inspired to use the money wisely by putting it towards a good cause. If we all keep this inspiration in our hearts the Spirit of Giving and Christmas will stay with us all year round. 

Santa Dollar Bills and Christmas Money With Their Own Unique Christmas Giving Story

In the tradition of Clement Moore's "Twas the Night Before Christmas" amongst many other timeless Christmas poems and stories, it was important for the Holiday Dollar Bills Company to also offer a unique story to continue to spread the Christmas Spirit for years to come. This is why each Santa Dollar as well as each of the other Christmas dollars offered by the Holiday Dollar Bills Company comes with its own unique short poem with a sweet Holiday message at its core. The poem of the Santa Dollar represents the true value behind gift giving on Christmas and what you can do to play your part and ensure the spirit of Christmas is never lost and can transcend the dates of Christmas to last the entire year. 

Christmas Traditions in the United States Today and The Official Santa Dollar Bill

Santa Dollar Bills: The Official Dollar of Christmas

Lovingly crafted by the Holiday Dollar Bills company, our magical SANTA CLAUS DOLLAR is real USD and can be spent anywhere US currency is accepted. The portrait of our Santa Money is made in the same intaglio style engraving as official presidential portraits and we also offer several different styles of Santa Claus to fully capture the magic and myth of the iconic man in red. Our Santa Claus seal is die cut to the exact measurements of the portrait section of the US dollar and printed in the highest possible quality for a crisp image which mimics the texture and feel of an actual dollar bill.

Adding to Christmas Lore and the Rest of the Holiday Themed Christmas Dollar Bills

And there's more to get excited about. Holiday Dollars offers a range of other Christmas characters on dollars, featuring Official Christmas Currency for children and adults.