St. Nicholas made his first inroads into American popular culture towards the end of the 18th century, when Dutch families had gathered to honor the anniversary of his death in 6th of December. But in early America Christmas wasn’t much like the modern holiday. It was celebrated as a kind of outdoor, alcohol-fueled, rowdy community blowout. Everything changed in the beginning of 19th century, thanks to several who strove to make Christmas a family celebration—by reviving and remaking St. Nicholas.
Washington Irving, with his pipe-smoking Nicholas soaring over the rooftops in a flying wagon, delivering presents to good girls and boys and switches to bad ones, Clement Clarke Moore with jolly Santa riding a sleigh driven by eight familiar reindeer and Thomas Nast with jolly, chubby, grandfatherly face of Santa, gave base of the new image of Santa.