St. Nicholas lived in what is South of Turkey now. He was a benevolent cleric, a patron of the poor, with some noble deeds which made him a "Saint" in the eyes of the common people. He even withstood Roman persecution as did many clerics of those times. However nothing would have prepared even him to be the Santa Claus of today, driving his sleigh loaded with gifts!!!

Santa and Pets

The elvish twinkle eyed and twinkle toed Santa can truly be attributed to cinema, literature, folklore and largely a poem by Clement Clark Moore "Twas The Night Before Christmas".

http://www.carols.org.uk/twas_the_night_before_christmas.htm

In the poem "Twas The Night Before Christmas", Clement Clark Moore first gave the names to the reindeers which drove Santa's Sleigh and made an image of a twinkle-eyed, pot bellied jovial gift giver. Santa and his reindeers have since been part of folk-lore being there to wash away trouble and sadness and bring joys to the lives of rich and poor children alike! How they came from the North pole is another story!

http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=35