He's been to your place dozens of times, but have you ever taken the time to really get to know Santa Claus? Time to check your Santa Claus IQ.
These days, it seems that you can't have a Christmas without Santa Claus. The man in red is almost everywhere this season from TV commercials to malls, and finally sliding down your chimney on Christmas Eve. It wasn't always this way, though.
Legend has it that Santa Claus become strongly associated with Christmas in the 1800s. Washington Irving's "A Knickerbocker's History of New York" portrayed St. Nicholas, a beloved Christian figure, as a jolly gift giver. In 1823, the poem "A Visit From St. Nicholas" mentioned his iconic red suit. reindeer team and prodigious belly. Beginning in 1866, political cartoonist Thomas Nast drew the images of Santa Claus we still know today.
How much do you know about Santa Claus? Take the quiz below and then share your Santa Score in comments.
John Shabe, who has been known to impersonate Santa from time to time, can be reached via jshabe@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter, and find NJ.com on Facebook.