Saluting santa Claus

Saluting santa Claus – Giclee Print
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Santa Claus Savings Bank

santa Claus Savings Bank – Wall Decal
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Article by Peter Boxall

The original idea of santa Claus, (or father christmas in Britain, or Papa Noël in France, etc.) came from St. Nicholas. He was a very pious fellow, born in Lycia, Turkey, in the early 4th century. After his parents died, he totally dedicated his life to Christ and joined a Lycian seminary.

It’s been said that he performed miracles of the same magnitude as Jesus. One example that was particularly memorable was the raising of his arms to still a violent storm at sea. This prompted the people to name him the patron saint of sailors.While still quite young, Nicholas was appointed bishop of Myra, in Asia Minor. He became famous for his generosity, especially towards children.

That image has obviously survived the ages. But it didn’t impress the Roman emperor of that time, who threw him in prison. And there he stayed for many years until a new emperor, Constantine, came into power.

Constantine was a Christian, and freed Nicholas, who became a member of Rome’s first Church council in 325. St. Nicholas died on December 6, 342, but his name lived on. He was named the patron saint of Sicily, Greece and Russia, as well as the patron saint of all children.

During his productive days, St. Nicholas used to ride from town to town on a donkey, converting people to Christianity, and helping the poor, especially the children. On December 6th, his Christian feast day, he’d leave gifts beside the hearth: fruit, nuts, candies, and wood and clay figurines. These were more practices that have been adopted by the modern-day santa Claus.

The Dutch were the only ones to hold onto the St. Nicholas tradition. They put an image of him on the prow of the first Dutch ship to sail to America. They also named the first church built in New York City after him. They brought a couple of other traditions with them, too.

Back in the 16th century, the Dutch put clogs by the hearth on the night St. Nicholas was to come to leave gifts. They filled the wooden shoes with straw, to feed his donkey. St. Nicholas would leave a small gift in the clog in return.

It was also the Dutch name for St. Nicholas that eventually became santa Claus. The Dutch called St. Nicholas “Sint Nikolass”, which got changed to the Americanized version, “Sinterklass”. When the English took control of New Amsterdam in the 17th century, Sinterklass was Anglicized to santa Claus.One aspect of St. Nicholas that’s really changed is his appearance. He was a tall, slender man and, although he did have a long white beard, that was about the only physical resemblance he had to the jolly, big-bellied santa Claus of today.

There were two things that aided in his conversion – a poem and a cartoon. We really are influenced by the media, and that’s a good example of it. One of the most famous poems ever written is “The Night Before Christmas”, by Dr. Clement Clarke Moore. He wrote it for his children, and kept it within the family because he didn’t want his peers, all classical scholars, to know he’d “stooped so low” as to write a simple children’s poem.

However, a “friend” took a copy of the poem and submitted it to a newspaper. It was quickly picked up by a magazine, and soon became published all across America. The description of Santa Claus in the poem gradually influenced people’s image of him.The other influence that changed Santa’s physical appearance was a series of cartoons by Thomas Nast, a cartoonist for “Harper’s Weekly”. From 1863-1886, Nast published a series of cartoons involving Santa Claus and his activities. They showed him during the year, making games & toys, checking on children’s behavior, and receiving children’s “wish lists”. They also depicted him as increasingly roly-poly.

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Santa Claus Pictorial Review

santa Claus Pictorial Review – Framed Giclee Print
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A Merry christmas, santa Claus

A Merry christmas, santa Claus – Framed Giclee Print
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Children Talking to santa Claus

Children Talking to santa Claus – Photographic Print
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Santa & Mrs. Claus Stand In

santa & Mrs. Claus Stand In – Stand Up
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Santa Claus Babies

santa Claus Babies – Art Print
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Wood statuette, ‘Balinese santa Claus’

Wayan Rendah depicts santa Claus in traditional Balinese style, carving the rotund figure from suar wood. Santa’s eyes crinkle with mirth as he laughs out loud. A sack slung across his shoulder is empty, but homes everywhere are filled with the gifts he has delivered.
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Article by Lynn Jebbia

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, <a href=”http://www.acadiawreath.com<christmas wreaths, christmas ornaments, nativity scenes, stockings, cookies and Santa Claus and his elves make the holidays special for everyone.

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