As St. Nicholas’ popularity grew across Europe, he was given nicknames such as the Dutch term Sinterklaas. This was a term of endearment and a form of the words Sint Nikolaas, the Dutch translation of Saint Nicholas.
In the late 1700’s Sinterklaas was featured in a New York newspaper article that reported about Dutch families and their observation of the St. Nicholas day of feast. Over the next century various images of Sinterklaas were created in publications, some showing him with a blue three cornered hat and yellow stockings, others with a broad brimmed hat and a pipe, all with similar depictions of the saint bestowing gifts and food on families.
Washington Irving, the American author who wrote Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, helped to popularize the legend of St. Nicholas and Sinterklaas when he wrote that St. Nicholas was the patron saint of New York. The name Sinterklaas slowly became Americanized and became Santa Claus over time.
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