Show he was W a dutch boy christmas was celebrated long before santa claus was ever thought of ills prototype was the dutch boy bishop st nicholas who on december 5 used to go round punishing little children who did not say their prayers and rewarding those who did gradually he was changed from a boy into a jovial old man while the sledge and reindeer are modern additions actually santa claus was unknown in england a hundred years ago the dutch founders of new york introduced him to america and england borrowed him from the states london tit bits magazine |