From: someone@anywheret.net   
      
   "Neil"  wrote in message news:6van4c51dhke15c2ub510m962nkikq8jg5@4ax.com...   
      
   > The Latin for "Saint" is "Sanctus".   
      
   Classic Latin origin, I should have said Spanish, or Hispanic, or Latino,   
   and Santa is the feminine version of Santo...an interesting name for "The   
   Man With All The Toys".   
      
   > Santa comes from the dutch "Sinter Klaas" which is the name they gave   
   > to the guy who brought all the presents.   
      
   The earlier Dutch name  was "Sante Klaas", and in the movie "Miracle On 34th   
   St", he was even called Santy, or Santie, or Sante Claus. But with so many   
   town names in the USA, particularly in the state of California, starting   
   with Santa rather than Santo, it was probably a natural development to   
   ascribe the Santa prefix to Nicholas of Myra, the real Santa Claus, even   
   though for the longest time, he was known exclusively as Saint Nicholas or   
   Saint Nick, but it couldn't have required much, particularly from those   
   Americans who had connections to Spanish culture, to start calling him Santa   
   Nicholas...and from there, just drop the beginning part of his name, "Nich,   
   or Nick", to come up with Santa Claus.   
      
   > December 6th is his "Saint"   
   > day, and that is when some places give presents.   
   > Studied Latin for 4 years at High School, comes in handy sometimes!   
   > Neil   
      
   That's his feast day in most Western countries.   
      
   Ouisie   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)