Santa Claus started with a real person, Saint Nicholas, a minor saint from the fourth century. Nicholas' reputation for generosity and kindness gave rise to legends of miracles he performed for the poor and unhappy. In the Middle Ages, devotion to Nicholas extended to all parts of Europe, but eventually faded in all the Protestant countries of Europe except Holland, where his legend persisted as Sinterklaas (a Dutch variant of the name Saint Nicholas). Dutch colonists took this tradition with them to New Amsterdam (now New York City) in the 17th century. Sinterklaas was adopted by the country's English-speaking majority under the name Santa Claus, and his legend of a kindly old man was united with old Nordic folktales of a magician who punished naughty children and rewarded good children with presents.