- By Aditi Priya Singh
- Wed, 18 Dec 2024 02:03 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Who Is Santa Claus?: Scientists have recently unveiled the real face of Santa Claus. He is the historical bishop who influenced the idea of contemporary Santa. As reported by the New York Post, this incredible recreation occurred 1,700 years after the saint's demise by examining data from his skull. Scientists successfully "forensically recreated" the real face of Saint Nicholas of Myra, whose love for giving gifts inspired the story of Father Christmas.
In the pictures posted on Instagram by the study's lead author, Cicero Moraes, the saint is shown with a wide forehead, slender lips, and a circular nose. According to the outlet, Mr. Moraes stated that the 3D images depict his face as both "gentle" and "strong."
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Who Was Santa Claus?
Santa Claus is widely known as a monk named St. Nicholas from several centuries ago. It is believed that Nicholas was born in A.D. 280 in Patara, close to Myra in present-day Turkey. St. Nicholas became the focus of numerous stories due to his highly esteemed kind nature and generosity. It is claimed that he donated all of his ancestral properties and roamed the countryside helping the poor and ill people. Over the years, Nicholas’s fame grew, and he became recognised as the guardian of children and sailors. He died on December 6, AD 343 in Myra and was interred in his cathedral church. Nicholas's death date was traditionally seen as fortunate for making significant purchases or for marrying in Europe. By the Renaissance (a period of European cultural movement), St. Nicholas had become the most well-known saint across Europe.
History Behind Celebrating Christmas
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Christmas is celebrated on December 25 and is recognised as both, a holy religious celebration and a global cultural event. For two thousand years, people all around the world have been recognising it with customs and rituals that are both spiritual and non-spiritual. The origins of Christmas are diverse, considering pagan festivities, the Christian adaptation of a Roman festival and the date marking Jesus' birth.
Before Christianity, pagans celebrated the winter solstice through feasting, singing and dancing to celebrate the return of longer days and sunlight. Meanwhile, The Roman church started observing Christmas on December 25 in the 4th century under Constantine, the initial Christian emperor, likely to destroy pagan customs.
Jesus Theory Behind Celebrating Christmas On December 2025
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And the most popular theory behind celebrating Christmas is recognising the birth of Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible does not indicate when Jesus was actually born, which is the reason church leaders chose December 25 to celebrate the winter solstice and attract non-Christian followers. One theory proposes that the date was chosen because it occurs nine months after March 25, the Roman date of the spring equinox, when Mary (mother of Jesus Christ) learned she would become a mother.
