The legend of Santa Claus comes from the life of a monk named St. Nicholas. He was born in the year 280 A.D. in Patara, near Myra in modern-day Turkey. The name Santa Claus evolved from Nick’s Dutch nickname, Sinter Klaas, a shortened form of Sint Nikolaas (Dutch for Saint Nicholas). Admired for how much he gave, St. Nicholas became the subject of many legends. It is said that he gave away everything he had to travel the countryside and help the poor and sick.