Good news, you're not lying when you tell your kids that Santa Claus is real. But bad news, Santa is actually dead, and archaeologists may have just discovered his grave.
But don't let that bum out your Christmas. According to AL.com, a team of archaeologists may have just discovered the grave of St. Nicholas. He was the inspiration for what would one day become Santa Claus. They were working at the Church of St. Nicholas in Demre, Turkey, when they made the discovery.
Pediatrician and Episcopal priest Dr. Foster Eich believes it is possible that the discovery is St. Nicholas.
"It's very possible," Eich said. "The story is that crusaders stole his body from the church in Myra, where he was the bishop, and took it to Bari in Italy. You can see, supposedly, his grave in Bari, Italy."
Santa Is Dead, Long Live Santa
The team discovered a coffin while excavating the site. This may hold the body of St. Nicholas. The final resting place for the patron saint of children has long been a mystery among scholars. Many historians believe St. Nicholas served as a basis for Santa Claus
"This is what we should tell children about Santa Claus," Eich said. "He was bishop of Myra, in what's eastern Turkey, then the Greek-speaking Roman Empire. He was born in 280 A.D."
"Children had a lot of problem saying St. Nicholas," Eich said. "St. Nicholas is a little hard to say. Children started simplifying it to Santa Claus."
"The image, the picture of him we have is from Clement Moore," Eich said. "He had a man working on his farm who was Dutch. The description fits his farmhand. Moore rode down in a sleigh to pick up some things and on the way home he thought up the poem. The poem is called, 'A Visit from St. Nicholas.' Nowhere in it does Moore call him Santa Claus. Clearly, we are talking about the same person."
