Information AboutSanta Claus |
For other uses, see Santa Claus (disambiguation) . Santa Claus, '''Saint Nicholas''', '''Saint Nick''', '''Father Christmas''', '''Kriss Kringle''', '''Santy''', or simply '''Santa''' is a giving figure in various cultures who distributes presents to children, traditionally on Christmas Eve . Each name is a variation of '' Saint Nicholas '', but refers to ''Santa Claus''. Father Christmas is a well-loved figure in many countries and predates the "Santa Claus" character. Many little children are led to believe that Santa Claus is real and he is "in spirit". "Father Christmas" is similar in many ways, though the two have quite different origins. Using 'Santa' in places that predominantly call him 'Father Christmas' is often viewed as an Americanism and is quite rare, although they are generally regarded as the same character. Father Christmas is also present instead of "Santa" in Armenia ("Gaghant Baba"), Denmark ("Julemanden"), Italy ("Babbo Natale"), Brazil ("Papai Noel"), Czech Republic ("Ježíšek"), Portugal ("Pai Natal"), Romania ("Moş Crăciun"), Germany ("Weihnachtsmann" or "Nikolaus"), Ireland ("Daidí na Nollag"), France and French Canada ("Le Père Noël"), Spain and Mexico ("Papá Noel"), Afghanistan ("Baba Chaghaloo"), Iraq and South Africa ("Goosaleh"). OVERVIEW Santa is a variant of a European Folk Tale based on the historical figure Saint Nicholas , a Bishop from the region that is now present-day Turkey , who gave presents to the poor. This inspired the mythical figure of Sinterklaas , the subject of a major celebration in the Netherlands and Belgium , Germany (where his alleged date of death, December 6 , is celebrated the evening before on December 5 ), which in turn inspired both the myth and the name of Santa Claus (actually a mispronunciation of the Dutch word "Sinterklaas" by the English settlers of New Amsterdam (later renamed New York )), in those countries '''Saint Nicholas''' is celebrated as a distinct character with a religious touch, '''Santa Claus''' is also celebrated on Christmas eve. He forms an important part of the Christmas tradition throughout the Western World and Japan and other parts of East Asia . In many Eastern Orthodox traditions, Santa Claus visits children on New Year's Day and is identified with Saint Basil whose memory is celebrated on that day. Depictions of Santa Claus also have a close relationship with the Russian character of '' Ded Moroz '' ("Grandfather Frost"). He delivers presents to children and has a red coat, fur boots and long white beard. Much of the iconography of Santa Claus could be seen to derive from Russian traditions of ''Ded Moroz'', particularly transmitted into western European culture through his German folklore equivalent, ''Väterchen Frost''. Conventionally, Santa Claus is portrayed as a kindly, round-bellied, merry, bespectacled white man in a red coat trimmed with white fur (perhaps remotely derived from the episcopal vestments of the original Bishop Nicholas), with a long white Beard and green or white Gloves . On Christmas Eve, he rides in his Sleigh pulled by flying Reindeer from house to house to give presents to children. To enter the house, Santa Claus comes down the Chimney and exits through the Fireplace . During the rest of the year he lives together with his wife Mrs. Claus and his Elves manufacturing Toys . Some modern depictions of Santa (often in advertising and popular entertainment) will show the elves and Santa's workshop as more of a processing and distribution facility, ordering and receiving the toys from various toy manufacturers from across the world. His home is usually given as either the North Pole , in northern Canada , Korvatunturi in Finnish Lapland , Dalecarlia in Sweden , or Greenland , depending on the Tradition and country. Sometimes Santa's home is in Caesarea when he is identified as Saint Basil . Since most activities associated with Santa Claus are extraordinary, such as delivering presents to ''all'' of the believing children in one night, keeping track of where every believing child lives, how he squeezes down chimneys, how he enters homes without chimneys, how he delivers presents without tripping motion detectors if the Christmas tree is not in the same room as the fireplace, why he never dies, how he makes reindeer fly, and how he survives in the cold at the North Pole, " Magic " is usually used to explain his actions. ORIGINS The modern Santa Claus is thought to be a composite character made up from the merging of quite separate figures. Ancient Christian origins , with his Crozier and Miter , as he appears on a German Holy Card .]]The first of these is Saint Nicholas Of Myra , a 4th century AD Christian Bishop of Myra in Lycia , a province of Byzantine Anatolia , now in Turkey. Nicholas was famous for his generous gifts to the poor, in particular presenting the three impoverished daughters of a pious Christian with Dowries so that they would not have to become Prostitutes . He was born at Patara , province of Lycia, Asia Minor . He was very religious from an early age and devoted his life entirely to Christianity. In Europe (more precisely The Netherlands , Belgium , Austria and Germany ) he is still portrayed as a bearded Bishop in canonical robes. The Relic s of St. Nicholas were transported to Bari in southern Italy by some enterprising Italian Merchant s; a Basilica was constructed in 1087 to house them and the area became a Pilgrimage site for the devout. Saint Nicholas became revered by many as the Patron Saint of seamen, merchants, Archers , children, prostitutes, Pharmacists , Lawyers , Pawnbroker s, prisoners, the city of Amsterdam and of Russia . In Greece , Saint Nicholas is sometimes substituted for Saint Basil (Agios Vasilis in Greek ), a 4th century AD bishop from Caesarea. Also, a few villages in West Flanders , Belgium, celebrate a near identical figure, Sint-Maarten ( Saint Martin Of Tours ). {Link without Title} Germanic folklore , the wanderer.]] Prior to the Germanic peoples' Conversion to Christianity, Germanic folklore contained stories about the god Odin (Wodan), who would each year, at Yule , Have A Great Hunting Party accompanied by his fellow gods and the fallen warriors residing in his realm. Children would place their boots, filled with Carrots , Straw or Sugar , near the chimney for Odin's flying Horse , Sleipnir , to eat. Odin would then reward those children for their kindness by replacing Sleipnir's food with gifts or Candy chap. 9, esp. 171-173 . This practice survived in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands after the adoption of Christianity and became associated with Saint Nicholas. Children still place their straw filled shoes at the chimney every winter night, and Saint Nicholas (who, unlike Santa, is still riding a horse) rewards them with candy and gifts. Odin's appearance was often similar to that of Saint Nicholas, being depicted as an old, mysterious man with a beard. (Other features, like the absence of one eye, are not found in Saint Nicholas.) This practice in turn came to America via the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam prior to the British seizure in the 17th century, and evolved into the hanging of socks or Stockings at the fireplace. Another early folk tale, originating among the Germanic Tribes , tells of a holy man (sometimes Saint Nicholas), and a Demon (sometimes The Devil , Krampus , or a Troll ). The story states that the land was terrorized by a monster who at night would slither down the chimneys and slaughter children ( Disembowel ling them or stuffing them up the Flue , or keeping them in a sack to eat later). The holy man sought out the demon, and tricked it with blessed or magical Shackles (in some versions the same shackles that imprisoned Christ prior to the Crucifixion , in other versions the shackles were those used to hold St. Peter or Paul Of Tarsus ); the demon was trapped and forced to obey the saint's orders. The saint ordered him to go to each house and make amends, by delivering gifts to the children. Depending on the version, the saint either made the demon fulfil this task every year, or the demon was so disgusted by the act of good will that it chose to be sent back to Hell . Yet other versions have the demon reform under the saint's orders, and go on to recruit other Elves and Imps into helping him, thus becoming Santa Claus. In an alternate Dutch version, the saint is aided by Moorish slaves, commonly typified as Zwarte Piet ("Black Peter"). Some tales depict Zwarte Piet beating bad children with a rod or even taking them to Spain ( Formerly Ruled By The Moors ) in a sack. Another form of the above tale in Germany is of the '' Pelznickel '' or ''Belsnickle'' ("Furry Nicholas") who visited naughty children in their sleep. The name originated from the fact that the person appeared to be a huge beast since he was covered from head to toe in Furs . Modern origins made for Charles Dickens 's Novel '' A Christmas Carol '' (1843).]]Pre-modern representations of the gift-giver from church history and folklore merged with the British character Father Christmas to create the character known to Britons and Americans as ''Santa Claus''. Father Christmas dates back at least as far as the 17th century in Britain, and pictures of him survive from that era, portraying him as a well-nourished bearded man dressed in a long, green, fur-lined robe. He typified the spirit of good cheer at Christmas, and was reflected in the "Ghost Engine of Christmas Present" in Charles Dickens 's '' A Christmas Carol ''. The name ''Santa Claus'' is derived from ''Sinterklaas'', the Dutch name for the mythical character based on St. Nicholas. He is also known there by the name of Sint Nicolaas which explains the use of the two fairly dissimilar names Santa Claus and Saint Nicholas or St. Nick. Sinterklaas wears clothing similar to a bishop's. He wears a red miter (a liturgical headdress worn by bishops and abbots) with a 'golden' cross and carries a bishop's staff. The connection with the original bishop of Myra is still evident here. He rides a white horse over rooftops and his helpers climb down chimneys to deposit gifts (sometimes in children's shoes by the fireplace). Sinterklaas arrives from Spain on a Steamboat and is accompanied by 'Zwarte Piet', his negroid helpers. depiction of Father Christmas riding on a Goat . Perhaps an evolved version of the Swedish Tomte .]]Presents given during this feast are often accompanied by poems, sometimes fairly basic, sometimes quite elaborate pieces of art that mock events in the past year relating to the recipient (who is thus at the receiving end in more than one sense). The gifts themselves may be just an excuse for the wrapping, which can also be quite elaborate. The more serious gifts may be reserved for the next morning. Since the giving of presents is Sinterklaas's job presents are traditionally not given at Christmas in the Netherlands, but commercialism is starting to tap into this market. In other countries, the figure of Saint Nicholas was also blended with local folklore. As an example of the still surviving Pagan imagery, in Nordic Countries there was the Yule Goat (Swedish ''julbock'', Norwegian "julebukk", Finnish ''joulupukki''), a somewhat startling figure with horns which delivered the presents on Christmas Eve. A straw goat is still a common Christmas decoration in Sweden, Norway and Finland. In the 1840's, the farm Gnome in Nordic folklore started to deliver the Christmas presents in Denmark , but was then called the "Julenisse", dressed in gray clothes and a red hat. By the end of the 19th century this tradition had also spread to Norway and Sweden (where the "nisse" is called '' Tomte ''), replacing the Yule Goat. The same thing happened in Finland, but there the more human figure retained the Yule Goat name. American origins immortalized Santa Claus with an illustration for the January 3 , 1863 , issue of '' Harper's Weekly ''.]] In the British colonies of North America and later the United States , British and Dutch versions of the gift-giver merged further. For example, in Washington Irving 's ''History of New York'', Sinterklaas was Americanized into "Santa Claus" but lost his bishop's apparel, and was at first pictured as a thick-bellied Dutch sailor with a pipe in a green winter coat. Irving's book was a Lampoon of the Dutch culture of New York, and much of this portrait is his joking invention. Modern ideas of Santa Claus seemingly became after the publication of the Poem " A Visit From St. Nicholas " (better known today as "The Night Before Christmas") in the Troy, New York , ''Sentinel'' on December 23 , 1823 . The poem is ascribed to Clement Clarke Moore , although there is some question as to his authorship. In this poem Santa is established as a heavyset individual with eight reindeer (who are named for the first time). Santa Claus later appeared in various colored costumes as he gradually became amalgamated with the figure of Father Christmas, but red soon became popular after he appeared wearing such on an 1885 Christmas Card . Still, one of the first artists to capture Santa Claus' image as we know him today was Thomas Nast , an American Cartoonist of the 19th century. In 1863, a picture of Santa illustrated by Nast appeared in '' Harper's Weekly '' (it is believed the inspiration for his image came from the Pelznickle). Another popularization came in 1902 in '' The Life And Adventures Of Santa Claus '' by L. Frank Baum , author of '' The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz ''. labels featuring Santa Claus give a seasonal twist to these Coca-Cola bottles.]]Images of Santa Claus were further cemented through Haddon Sundblom 's depiction of him for The Coca-Cola Company 's Christmas advertising. The popularity of the image spawned Urban Legend s that Santa Claus was in fact invented by Coca-Cola. Nevertheless, Santa Claus and Coca-Cola have been closely associated. {Link without Title} The image of Santa Claus as a benevolent character became reinforced with its association with charity and Philanthropy , particularly organizations such as the Salvation Army . Volunteers dressed as Santa Claus typically became part of Fundraising drives to aid needy families at Christmas time. for Volunteers Of America on the Sidewalk of street in Chicago, Illinois , in 1902. He is wearing a mask with a beard attached. ''DN-0001069, Chicago Daily News negatives collection, Chicago Historical Society.'']] Some suspect that the depiction of Santa at the North Pole reflected popular opinion about industry at the time. In some images of the early 20th century, Santa was depicted as personally making his toys by hand in a small workshop like a craftsman. Eventually, the idea emerged that he had numerous elves responsible for making the toys, but the toys were still handmade by each individual elf working in the traditional manner. By the end of the century, the reality of mass mechanized production became more fully accepted by the Western public. That shift was reflected in the modern depiction of Santa's residence—now often humorously portrayed as a fully mechanized production facility, equipped with the latest manufacturing technology, and overseen by the elves with Santa and Mrs. Claus as managers Nissenbaum, chap. 2; Belk, 87-100 . Many Television Commercials depict this as a sort of humorous business, with Santa's elves acting as a sometimes mischievously disgruntled workforce, cracking jokes and pulling pranks on their boss. Santa Claus continues to inspire writers and artists, such as in author Seabury Quinn 's 1948 Novel ''Roads''. Other additions to early ideas of Santa include Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer , the ninth and lead reindeer immortalized in a Gene Autry song, written by a Montgomery Ward copywriter. Other possible origins American Mycologist Jonathan Ott suggests that many of the modern features attributed to Santa Claus may somehow be derived from those of the Kamchatkan or Siberian Shaman . Apparently, during the ''midwinter festival'' (holiday season) in Siberia (near the North Pole), the shaman would enter a Yurt (home) through the ''shangrak'' (chimney), bringing with him a sack of Fly Agaric mushrooms (presents) to give to the inhabitants. This type of mushroom is brightly colored red and white, like Santa Claus, though the relevance of this is questionable. The mushrooms were often hung (to dry) in front of the fireplace, much like the Stockings of modern-day Christmas. Furthermore, the mushrooms were associated with reindeer who were known to eat them and become intoxicated. Reindeer are also associated with the shaman, and like Santa Claus, many people believed that the shaman could fly. {Link without Title} SANTA CLAUS RITUALS in 1929. ''DN-0090223, Chicago Daily News negatives collection, Chicago Historical Society.'']]Several rituals have developed around the Santa Claus figure that are normally performed by children hoping to receive gifts from him. Christmas Eve rituals In the United States and Canada, the tradition is to leave Santa a glass of Milk and Cookie s; in Britain and Australia , he is sometimes given Sherry and Mince Pies instead. British, Australian and American children also leave out a Carrot for Santa's reindeer, and were traditionally told that if they are not good all year round, that they will receive a lump of Coal in their stockings, although this practice is now considered archaic. Children following the Dutch custom for ''sinterklaas'' will "put out their shoe" — that is, leave hay and a carrot for his horse in a shoe before going to bed — sometimes weeks before the ''sinterklaas avond''. The next morning they will find the hay and carrot replaced by a gift; often, this is a Marzipan Figurine . Naughty children were once told that they would be left a ''roe'' (a bundle of sticks) instead of sweets, but this practice has been discontinued. Letter writing Writing letters to Santa Claus has been a Christmas tradition for children for many years. These letters normally contain a Wishlist of toys and assertions of good behavior. Some Social Scientists have found that boys and girls write different types of letters. Girls generally write more Polite , longer (although they do not request more), and express the nature of Christmas more in their letters than in letters written by boys. Girls also request gifts for other people on a more frequent basis Kim, and Kim, 20-21 . Many ). (This postal code, in which zeroes are used for the letter "O" is consistent with the alternating letter-number format of all Canadian postal codes.) Sometimes children's charities answer letters in poorer communities or from children's hospitals in order to give them presents that they would not otherwise receive. In Britain it is tradition to burn the Christmas letters on the fire so that they would be magically transported by the wind to the North Pole however this tradition is dying out in modern times with few people having true open fires in their homes. Through the years Santa Claus of Finland has received over eight million letters. He gets over 600,000 letters every year from over 150 countries. Children from Great Britain, Poland and Japan are the busiest writers. The Finnish Santa Claus lives in Korvatunturi but Santa's Official Post Office is situated in Rovaniemi at the Arctic Circle . His address is this: Santa Claus, Santa Claus Village, FIN-96930 Arctic Circle, Finland. Websites and e-mail 's ''Weather Bureau Topics'' with "Santa Claus" streaking across a weather and NORAD's website. Many local Television Stations in the United States and Canada likewise track Santa Claus in their own Metropolitan Areas through the stations' Meteorologists . Many other websites are available year-round that are devoted to Santa Claus and keeping tabs on his activities in his workshop. Many of these websites also include E-mail addresses, a modern version of the postal service letter writing, in which children can send Santa Claus e-mail. Songs for "Santa Claus' Galop" ( 1874 ) by composer Charles Kinkel .]]Over the years, Santa Claus has inspired several Songs and even Orchestral works. As early as 1853, Louis Antoine Jullien composed an orchestral piece titled ''Santa Claus'' which premiered to mixed reviews in New York that year 213 . More popular, well-known songs about Santa Claus (mostly sung by children) include: "Santa Claus" in shopping malls , Canada . Having arrived at the Eaton's department store, Santa is readying his ladder to climb up onto the building.]] Santa Claus is also a costumed character who appears at Christmas time in taken. The area set up for this purpose is festively decorated, usually with a large Throne , and is called variously ''"Santa's Grotto "'', ''"Santa's Workshop"'' or a similar term. In America the most notable of these is the Santa at the flagship Macy's store in New York City - he arrives at the store by sleigh in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on the last float, and his court takes over a large portion of one floor in the store. Essayist David Sedaris is known for the Satirical Diary he kept while working as an elf in the Macy's display, which he later published. If and when a shop or party Santa is discovered to be an imposter by an observant youngster, a common way out is to simply admit that he is not the real Santa, but helping him at this time of year. Most young children seem to already understand this, as the "real" Santa would be extremely busy around Christmas time. SANTA CLAUS ON FILM '']]Probably the only other place where Santa Claus makes as many appearances as in the malls is on the big screen. (1985), Jonathan Taylor Thomas in '' I'll Be Home For Christmas '' (1998), and Ed Asner in '' Elf '' (2003). Later films about Santa vary, but can be divided into the following themes. Origins in film Some films about Santa Claus seek to explore his origins. They explain how reindeer fly, where elves come from, and other questions children have generally asked about Santa. Two '' (1970) by Rankin/Bass with Mickey Rooney as the voice of Kris reveals how Santa delivered toys to children despite the fact that Burgermeister Meisterburger had forbidden children to play with them and '' The Life And Adventures Of Santa Claus '' (1985), based on L. Frank Baum 's 1902 children's book of the same name, in which Santa is reared by mythical, magical creatures and is granted Immortality by them. None of these films focus on Santa Claus's saintly origins. Questioning and believing '']]Another genre of Santa films seek to dispel doubts about his existence. One of the first films of this nature was titled ''A Little Girl Who Did Not Believe in Santa Claus'' (1907) and involves a well-to-do boy trying to convince his poorer friend that Santa Claus is real. She doubts because Santa has never visited her family because of their poverty. '' was the real-life editor and is played by Charles Bronson in the film. '' The Polar Express '' (2004), based on the children's book of the same name, also deals with issues and questions of belief as a magical train conducted by Tom Hanks transports a doubting boy to the North Pole to visit Santa Claus.[http://www.factmonster.com/spot/santa4.html] Santa as a hero Some less-than-serious films feature Santa Claus as a ( Tilda Swinton ). Succession of Santas One genre of movies suggest that Santa Claus is not historically a single individual but a succession of individuals. The feature film '') is an African American woman destined to become the next Santa Claus. She too is reluctant to take on the role. In '' The Hebrew Hammer '' (2003), the role of Santa Claus is traditionally passed down from father to son. The system is disrupted when the reigning Santa is murdered by his son, Damian, who then uses the position to attack the competing holidays of Hanukkah and Kwanzaa . Impostor Santas '']]Several films have been created which explore the consequences should an '' (1972) movie and later remade as episode 1.2 and directed by Robert Zemeckis for the HBO series of the Same Name . Both were inspired by the Tales From The Crypt Comic Book . {Link without Title} CHRISTIAN OPPOSITION TO SANTA CLAUS 's ''The Examination and Tryal of Father Christmas'' (1686), published shortly after . Some parents are uncomfortable about lying to their children about the existence of Santa. Some parents worry that their children might think that if they were deceived by their parents about Santa Claus, parents might also be deceiving them about the existence of God. While these viewpoints do not represent the majority of Christians, their comments have drawn the attention of critics such as the fictional Landover Baptist Church , whose website satirizes and Parodies this viewpoint. {Link without Title} CHRISTMAS GIFT-BRINGERS AROUND THE WORLD ''See also: Christmas Worldwide '' Europe and North America in the northern Netherlands, in November 2005.]] -era Ded Moroz on a New Years postcard.]] Dutch woman in Blackface costume and Afro wig as Zwarte Piet, Sinterklaas's helper.]] Throughout Europe and North America, Santa Claus is generally known as such, but in some countries the gift-giver's name, attributes, date of arrival, and even identity varies. Latin America Santa Claus in Latin America is generally referred to with different names from country to country. East Asia People in East Asia, particularly countries that have adopted Western cultures, also celebrate Christmas and the gift-giver traditions passed down to them from the West. Central Asia Africa and the Middle East Christians in Africa and Middle East who celebrate Christmas generally ascribe to the gift-giver traditions passed down to them by Europeans in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Descendants of colonizers still residing in these regions likewise continue the practices of their ancestors. {Link without Title} Oceania REFERENCES SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS |