Lynn Jebbia asked:


The idea of Santa Claus and the gift of giving associated with him is said to have originated in Asia Minor which is now Turkey with St. Nicholas in 300 A.D. There really isn’t any historical documentation that tells us a lot about him. There are many legends that surround him. It is said that he was a wealthy man whose parents died and left him a fortune which he gave away to the poor and needy. Legends say that he often went out at night disguised in a hooded cloak, to leave gifts of money, clothing or food.

He was very religious and became a monk and eventually became bishop of the city of Myra. A well known St. Nicholas story is that he saved three poor sisters from being sold into slavery and prostitution by their father by providing them a dowry so they could be married. Eventually, as his popularity grew along with the legends, he became known as the protector of children and sailors. He earned sainthood status and had a basilica built over his tomb.

St. Nicholas isn’t the only early tradition tying winter holidays with giving that eventually evolved into Santa Claus. The Saxons in Britain around 600 A.D. dressed an actor in a pointed cap, cloak and ivy and called him King Frost. They then extended kindness and gentleness to him in hopes that the approaching winter would be kind and gentle to them. Around 800 A.D. the Vikings believed that their main god, Odin, dressed up as a sage with a long white beard in December and visited earth to distribute gifts to the needy. The Viking followers of Odin changed the portrayal of Saint Nicholas from having a short, dark beard to a long white beard. The Germans had a character they called Winterman who dressed in furs and skins and these characteristics were also added to the portrayal of St. Nicholas.

Over time the European Christians started giving gifts to needy children on the anniversary of St. Nicholas’s death calling it Saints Feast Day. The Dutch nickname used for Saint Nicholas was “Sinter Klaas” which stood for Sint Nikolaas. Children speaking English pronounced this name as “Sainty Claus” and eventually it changed to Santa Claus.

Washington Irving, an American writer, described Santa as a jolly Dutchman who wore baggy pants and rode over the treetops in a horse drawn wagon, smoking a pipe, dropping gifts down chimneys. The first truly American version of Santa Claus emerged in the famous poem “The Night Before Christmas” which was written by Clement C. Moore in 1821. This poem was originally called “A Visit from St. Nicholas”. Moore described Santa Claus as the “jolly old elf, dressed all in fur with a round belly” and mentions eight reindeer for the first time as well as their names.

The image of Santa Claus and the myths surrounding him continued to evolve over time to the modern day characterization we all know as jolly old St. Nicholas who arrives on his sleigh, with Rudolph the Reindeer leading the way on Christmas Eve delivering gifts down chimneys for the delight of children everywhere. Christmas trees,

Veronica

C A Mc Craw asked:


The true story of Santa Claus remains one of the biggest mysteries of all time. Stories and legends of this jolly, red-clad symbol of kindness and Christmas cheer have been passed around for centuries in countries all over the world. Some believe Santa Clause has his roots in Christianity while some believe that he was really based on the mythological god, Odin. Others think that he was invented by the Coca Cola companies in the early 1900s to sell more pop.

Below are a few different explanations for the history of Santa Clause.

Early Christianity One story of Santa Claus, or St. Nicholas as he is often referred to, says that he was a Christian bishop named Saint Nicholas of Maya. As this account has it, Saint Nicholas was a bishop who gave wedding dowries to poor women, allowing them to catch husbands and avoid lives of prostitution. This Saint Nicholas can still be seen on German holy cards.

Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands In Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, Santa Claus is thought to be based on the Norse god Odin (or Woden), god of wisdom, war and death. Legend was that Odin would throw a party around Christmastime for other gods and dead warriors, and that he would ride to the party on his horse, Slepnir. Children in these countries leave straw, carrots or sugar in their shoes for Odins flying horse, which are replaced with treats or gifts during the night.

Austria and Italy Early folk tales in southern Austria and northwest Italy tell of a holy man who reforms a hideous child-eating monster. As the story goes, there was a large demon, covered in furs (known as Belsnickle, or Furry Nicholas) that snuck into homes at night to kill village children violently and stuff them up the chimney, or drag them away to be eaten later. A saint traps the demon with magic shackles, forcing him to bring the children toys and candy instead, to make up for how many of them he ate. In some stories, the demon persuades imps and other creatures to help him, similar to Santas elves, and in others, he chooses to go back to Hell instead.

Britain The Brits rendition of Santa Claus, dating back to the 17th Century, is most similar to ours. Santa, or Father Christmas, was a bearded man in a green, fur-lined robe, that starred in the Charles Dickens story, A Christmas Carol, as the Ghost of Christmas Present  no pun intended.

Early America America, called the melting pot of modern civilization, is also the melting pot of Santa Claus mythology. British, Dutch and early American influences came together to give us the Santa Claus that most of us are familiar with today: the jolly old man, distributing gifts yearly with the help of his entourage of elves and reindeer. The Coca Cola/Santa Claus myth stems from when companies in the early 1900s, like White Rock Beverages and Coca Cola began using Santas image to promote their productsand of course, his distinctive red and white colors didnt help dispel the rumor.

The only thing were really sure of is that Santa Claus was not invented by Coca Cola, as the urban legend states. But no matter where the real Santa hails from, what he stands for remains the same throughout every country: kindness, goodness and the generous, giving spirit associated with Christmas.

Source: www.wikipedia.com



Joselyn

Bernadette Dimitrov asked:


One of the greatest highlights of Christmas is Santa Claus whose legend turned him into a magical kind-hearted, noble, and generous “good fairy Godfather” today!

Santa was originally a Bishop who after his death became the legendary Saint Nicholas. Here is something that you may be surprised to know. He was Greek and Greek speaking! He is believed to have been born around 280 AD in Patara near Myra. Originally Saint Nicholas was the Christian Bishop of Myra (today known as Turkey). Back in those days Myra was predominantly populated with Greeks. The Turks didn’t arrive until the 11th century AD. This Bishop was a generous and kind-hearted man, devoted particularly to children. In 340AD after his death in Myra it is said that sailors stole his remains and took them to Bari, Italy where he remains today in the beautiful Basilica of Saint Nicholas specially built to house him. Medieval people believed relics of Saints had healing powers and every church had a store of them. The sailors increased his popularity in Europe with stories of his kindness and generosity which lead to increased devotion with stories of miracles.

St Nicholas became so popular, loved and adored by the people that he was honored as the patron Saint of just about everything! He was indeed the national Saint of Greece and Russia where churches were named in the thousands after him. Known by his red cape, flowing white beard and Bishop’s miter he also become the patron Saint:

- in Greece of sailors

- in France of lawyers

- in Belgium of children and travelers

In other lands he was patron of merchants, judges, paupers and just about everything else you can think of!

An official church holiday was created in St Nicholas’ honor some time around the 12th century. This was a time when thousands of churches across Europe were dedicated to him. A Feast Day in his honor on the 6th of December become the official day of his celebration and is the day of the anniversary of his death. In the early days of celebrations it was considered lucky to make large purchases or to get married on his Feast Day! Traditionally the day was honored each year with celebrations and marked by gift giving and charity.

How did his name transform from Saint Nicholas to Santa Claus? Some say it started from the Dutch naming of him. After the Reformation, European followers of Saint Nicholas dwindled but the legend was kept alive in Holland. Dutch children have a magical tradition where they excitedly leave their wooden shoes by the fireplace and “Sinterklaas” would reward good children by placing treats in their shoes. The Dutch colonists brought this fun tradition with them to America in the 17th century where the spelling of his name “Sint Nikolaas” was eventually and affectionately transformed to “Sinterklaas”. Hence the Anglican name “Santa Claus” emerged which is now the most popular name he is known by today! However others suggest the Anglican name comes from the Germans. As “Santa” is said to have come from the word “Saint” and “Claus” is an abbreviation for the name Nicholas in Germany.

What did he look like? Originally he appeared in Bishop’s robes holding a Bishop’s miter. When first arrived in America Santa didn’t look like the figure we know today. He was a thin, sad faced old man wearing a fur-trimmed knee-length coat. Santa’s back in the old days were usually dressed in blue, green or black with no red and white we see today in sight! It was by the mid 1850’s that the red and white fat jolly version we know today gained popularity.

The American image of Santa Claus developed from the Dutch austere Sinterklaas; a bishop in a red bishop’s costume who rode a white horse. Washington Irving in his comic “History of New York” is said to be the first to describe him as plump and jolly. The evolution of the image of Santa Claus continued in 1823 with the publication of the famous poem by Clement C Moore “A Visit From Saint Nicholas”.

In England by the mid 19th century Santa was a fat, red faced, jovial character who wore glasses and a crown of holly on his head. He appeared almost always tipsy accompanied by a steaming bowl of punch with either a glass of punch or ale in his hand. We know that around the world Santa has been depicted in many shapes and forms including the most popular being tall and thin or short and fat.

How did he become so famous? A transformation onto paper leads the way! Dr Clement C Moore (an Episcopal Minister) in 1822 described Santa Claus as a benevolent plump jolly man in a red suit. He originally wrote the famous poem “A Visit from Saint Nicholas” for his 3 daughters after an inspirational moonlight sleigh ride home from the market after buying a Christmas turkey. It was not published for another 20 years. Then fame didn’t take long to spread to children and adults around the world. It was much loved for its sense of fun and magic. This poem helped to popularize the idea of Santa Claus visiting on Christmas Eve.



Jaylyn

funnysam2006 asked:


I want to know if anyone , especially those who celebrate Christmas also follow the example of Santa Claus and help others ? What kind of help do you give ?
To cincinnati, Iam not mis-representing Santa Iam just mentioning those qualities associated with him and being helpful to others is one.

you are saying that the help comes only to those who have also been good.

Dulce

Jessica Cander asked:


He is a figure known the world over, an endorsement for gift giving, the winter holiday season and cookie eating. At times he is called Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas or Kris Kringle and is arguably the most famous heavyset celebrity – well at least to precede Elvis Presley. Yes, he is the loveable, enduring and jolly old chap we call Santa Claus. In 1897 one little girl from Manhattan, at the urging of her father, took it upon herself to ask the New York Sun Newspaper once and for all if the man in the red suit was the real deal.

Countless numbers of letters are written to newspapers all around the world each year, and few if any, will ever see a moment of fame beyond the readership of their respective dailies. However, over a hundred years ago a simple letter comprised of only the words, “I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, “If you see it in The Sun, it’s so”. Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?” would go on to become one of the most enduring symbols of North America’s take on Christmas.

One day in September 1897 (historians speculate that the question arose not in December as one might expect, but in September, because this would have been shortly after the new school year had commenced and children would have already been turning their attention to Christmas) young Virginia O’Hanlon approached her father, Dr. Philip O’Hanlon (who worked for a coroner’s office), with the sort of innocence only the very young are able to possess. She likely asked in a small but inquisitive voice if the rumours of her school chums were correct, was Santa Claus fake? Now not knowing for sure how tense the air got in the room at that moment when Mr O’Hanlon’s only child asked him to debunk or concur with the tale of St. Nick, we can only assume that he did not have the heart to break the truth to her himself. And so the letter (and its reply) that would go to become almost as much a symbol of the Christmas season as Santa himself was born.

Off Virginia went to write a letter at her father’s suggestion, which she mailed herself, to the New York Sun newspaper where its answer was assigned to an ex-civil war correspondent turned newspaper editorial writer by the name of Francis Pharcellus Church. Story has it that Mr Church was not exactly jumping for joy at the assignment, but he took the child’s letter back to his desk and proceeded to write one of the most stirring tributes to Christmas that has ever graced the pages of any newspaper.

Perhaps it was the atrocities of war he had witnessed firsthand, perhaps it was his own desire to believe in Father Christmas, or perhaps it was exactly what he would have said had anyone asked him if Santa was real, but that day Francis Church wrote an earnest, dramatic and nearly poetic response to Miss O’Hanlon’s query. In no short terms he assured her that indeed Santa Claus, or at the very least the unshakable spirit and message of Saint Nicholas’s image were as real as anything else on earth.

Though at the time it ran in the New York Sun it was but the seventh editorial on its page, this candid, lively and touching response would go on to find its way into the hearts and Christmases of millions of people, spanning many generations since the 1890s.

In fact both the letter and its answer are reprinted in oodles of newspapers around the globe every year, a modern tribute and testimony to Virginia’s, Francis Church’s and Santa Claus’s contribution to the timeless beauty, wonder and magic of Christmas.



Brenton