As we near closer to Christmas, one figure sticks out to us as a global society.
Santa Claus. Father Christmas. Saint Nicholas.
The legendary figure can be traced back to the Christian bishop and gift giver, St. Nicholas of the third and fourth centuries as well as an nearly similar story of by a folklore of Saint Basil of Caesarea, whom took care of the poor and underprivileged of the time. The Folklore can be traced back to the Greek Orthodox and the Byzantine Christians of the fourth century.
The Santa Claus we know today has the features of both St. Nicholas and Basil of Caesrea with his gift giving to children of the world as well as helping those whom are poor and underprivileged.
During medieval times, the Germanics believed that Odin, the father of Thor, was closely resemble that to Santa Claus before their Christianization.
Around the time of Christmas, theories have said that Odin would come down from the skies during the Germanic hoilday called Yule (hince the Yule Logs), in which was a giant hunting party through the sky; anyway, Odin would come down on a eight-legged animal called Sleipnir whom can jump a great distance in a single bound, (thanks to Sleipnir, we came up with Santa flying around the world on eight reindeer).
Odin’s apperence was to have a long beard and was a “Yule Figure”.
Kid’s during this time would leave out boots filled of straw, carrots, or even sugar for Sleipnir. Common belief was if they did this, Odin would rewards these kid’s with gifts and/or candy.
Countries like Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and parts of France still do this; but since Christianization, the image of Odin has been replaced with St. Nicholas.
In Dutch folklore, “Sinterklaus” as Santa Claus is called, is depicted as a older man whom is in serious matter with white hair and a long, full beard. He wears a long red cape or chasuble over a traditional white bishop’s alb and sometimes red stola, dons a red mitre, and holds a gold-coloured crosier.
Sinterklaus is celebrated on December 6th in many of the countries with the giving of gifts.
In Scandinavian folklore, “Nisse” is said to be short, bearded man dressed in gray clothes and a red hat and arrives 13 days before December 24th from the moutains on a Yule Goat. Thanks to influences during the 19th century of Nisse, Norway and Sweden replace the Yule Goat, Finland still has the Yule Goat as part of their tradition and in Iceland, 13 Yule lads that came from the folklore and not from the Christian tradition come from the mountains 13 days before December 24th to give presents.
^Nisse riding in on a Yule goat.^
In Britian and North American, the figures of St. Nicholas and Sinterklaus have been combined to created Father Christmas, or Santa Claus, during the 18th and 19th centuries; with the term “Santa Claus” being coined in 1773 in America from Sinterklaus.
In 1821, the book A New-year’s present, to the little ones from five to twelve, Santa Claus is said to come to homes on a reindeer sled, bringing gifts to children. With 1823’s poem “T’was the night before Christmas”; Santa Claus exploded onto the scene with Santa Claus arriving by reindeer, going down a chimney and having a bag of toys.
His figured looked like that of a joyous, white-bearded man with glasses wearing a red suit with white cuffs and collar in american culture with a “belly that shook like jelly”.
In 1866 was when it was said that Santa Claus lived in the North Pole through the poem, Santa Claus and His Works, with a shop full of elves to help him create toys, with Mrs. Claus showing up on the scene in 1889.
In 1902’s The life and Adventures of Santa Claus” mentions Santa Claus’ immortality, the mention of his reindeer that could not fly, but leap, giant distances in a single bound.
By 1948, we were introduced to Ruldolph the Rose-Nose Reindeer, Santa’s ninth reindeer that is said to help guide Santa through his long, exhausting journey around the world.
In 2012, we celebrate these traditions either in the old fashion ways or via parades, writing letters to Santa, so on and so forth as part of a heart-warming tradition of giving and not receiving To look out for those whom might be in need instead of keeping for ourselves.
As the song goes, “You better not pout, you better not cry…Santa Claus is coming to Town”.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Nicholas
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