Christmas century, Saint Nicholas was well known in the Netherlands, and the practice of gift-giving in his name spread to other parts of central and southern Europe. At the Reformation in 16th–17th-century Europe, many Protestants changed the gift bringer to the Christ Child or "Christkindl", corrupted in English to Kris Kringle, and the date of giving gifts changed from December 6 to Christmas Eve. The modern popular image of Santa Claus, however, was created in the United States, and in particular in New York. The transformation was accomplished with the aid of notable contributors including Washington Irving and the German-American cartoonist
Dylan Thomas The trip also resulted in Thomas recording his first poetry to vinyl, which Caedmon Records released in America later that year. One of his works recorded during this time, "A Child's Christmas in Wales", became his most popular prose work in America. The original 1952 recording of "A Child's Christmas in Wales" was a 2008 selection for the United States National Recording Registry, stating that it is "credited with launching the audiobook industry in the United States". In April 1953 Thomas returned alone for a third tour of America. He performed a "work in progress" version of "Under Milk Wood",