Shaman:  over 10,000 years ago

There is a belief that shaman leaders and Winter Solstice celebrations of tribes long ago were the roots of future Santas &Christmas traditions. Among his tribal duties at Winter Solstice, a shaman was required to return the sun, (with a bit of magic!); punish the bad & reward the good; and lead celebrations with feasting and gift giving in honour of/or to appease the many pagan gods. Christianity redirected some of these rituals to honour the belief in one God.
Some characters who may be considered descendants of early shamans would be: Germany’s scary ‘Knecht Ruprecht’; and ‘Pelznickel’; and ‘La Befana’, the beloved Christmas witch of Italian households.