Kris Kringle is just another name for Santa Claus.. Just like good Ol'' St. Nick, Father Christmas and so on... Kris Kringle Country of Origin: Germany & America The figure of Santa Claus first begins to show up among the Pennsylvania Dutch in the mid 1820s in the form of Kris Kringle, or as he was also known, Belsnickle. Belsnickle is a derivative of the German "Pelz-nickle", which means "Furry Nicholas". Belsnickle would travel the Pennsylvania countryside ringing his bell looking for good children to give out his small gifts of cakes and nuts to. If Belsnickle came across a child who had not been behaving in the past year, he would warn the child to be good or else he might give them a smack with his rod.