Santa Claus’s history with Coke (the soda, to be specific) stems from the 1920s, when designs similar to the ones created by Thomas Nast made their appearances in advertisements for the soft drink.

But how did Santa become the holiday's figurehead? Here's a history lesson on ol' Saint Nick. Santa Claus' origins date back to about 280 A.D. when St. Nicholas was born, the History Channel reports.

A Candid History. He says he's never seen Santa portrayed in quite this way, but Santa Claus has been shape-shifting in our popular imagination for hundreds of years, taking on new meaning — and ...

Our modern conception of the character of Santa Claus goes decidedly easy on what through most of his history, was one of his core functions: Not just lauding kids with gifts, but actively taking ...