Santa Claus, or Father Christmas, has a long association with the festive season. The original inspiration was a monk named St Nicholas, who was born in 280AD. The monk’s fabled generosity led to more modern characterisation, popularised in Victorian times. It is often falsely claimed that his famous red suit was down to Coca-Cola advertising, but in fact depictions of a red-suited Santa were seen in the late 19th century. Coca-Cola only started using the character in the 1930s.
