Coolness

How did the image of Santa Claus arise, analogues of which are found in many national cultures? An old legend says that when the cold weather came, the inhabitants of one northern village brought an abundance of fruits to the forest to appease the evil spirit who rules over frost and the souls of dead. People followed this custom because otherwise there would be an alternative, which was the biggest nightmare for all the inhabitants.
But what if some year turned out to be a bad harvest?