<P> Under the Marxist--Leninist doctrine of state atheism in the Soviet Union after its foundation in 1917, Christmas celebrations--along with other religious holidays--were prohibited as a result of the Soviet antireligious campaign . The League of Militant Atheists encouraged school pupils to campaign against Christmas traditions, among them being Santa Claus and the Christmas tree, as well as other Christian holidays including Easter; the League established an antireligious holiday to be the 31st of each month as a replacement . </P> <P> In his book Nicholas: The Epic Journey from Saint to Santa Claus, writer Jeremy Seal describes how the commercialization of the Santa Claus figure began in the 19th century . "In the 1820s he began to acquire the recognizable trappings: reindeer, sleigh, bells," said Seal in an interview . "They are simply the actual bearings in the world from which he emerged . At that time, sleighs were how you got about Manhattan ." </P> <P> Writing in Mothering, writer Carol Jean - Swanson makes similar points, noting that the original figure of St. Nicholas gave only to those who were needy and that today Santa Claus seems to be more about conspicuous consumption: </P> <P> Our jolly old Saint Nicholas reflects our culture to a T, for he is fanciful, exuberant, bountiful, over-weight, and highly commercial . He also mirrors some of our highest ideals: childhood purity and innocence, selfless giving, unfaltering love, justice, and mercy . (What child has ever received a coal for Christmas?) The problem is that, in the process, he has become burdened with some of society's greatest challenges: materialism, corporate greed, and domination by the media . Here, Santa carries more in his baggage than toys alone! </P>

When did the story of santa claus come about