Information AboutSanta Claus |
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Santa Claus, also known as '''. The Dutch word for Santa Claus is ''Kerstman'' ("''Christmas man''"). Santa Claus has a suit that comes in many colors depending on the country. The most common depiction (red with white sleeves, collar, and belt) became the more popular image in the United States in the mid-to-late 19th century {Link without Title} . ORIGINS Early Christian origins , with his 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 substituted for Saint Basil (Agios Vasilis in Greek ), a 4th century AD bishop from Caesarea. Also, the Northern part of the Netherlands and a few villages in Flanders , Belgium, celebrate a near identical figure, Sint-Maarten ( Saint Martin Of Tours ). Germanic folklore , the wanderer.]] Prior to the Germanic peoples' Christianization , 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 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. 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. In many regions of Austria and former Austro-Hungarian Italy ( Friuli , city of Trieste ) children are given sweets and gift Saint Nicholas's Day (San Niccolò in Italian), in accordance with the Catholic calendar, December the 6th. An 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 ). Young men dressed as Krampus are still involved in the celebration of Saint Nicholas's Day in Kärnten (southern Austria) and Carnia (northeastern Italy). 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 fulfill 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 Imp s into helping him, thus becoming Santa Claus. 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 . Dutch folklore In the Netherlands Saint Nicolas (often called "De Goede Sint" — "The Friendly Saint") is now aided by helpers commonly known as Zwarte Piet ("Black Peter"). The folklore of Sain Nicalos has many parallels with the Germanic mythology. Saint Nicolas has many resemblances with Odin , like the beard, hat and spear (nowadays a staff). the cloth bag held by the servants to capture naughty children. Both Saint Nicolas and Odin ride white horses that can fly through the air. The white eight-legged steed of Odin is named Sleipnir . The letters made of candy given by the Zwarte Pieten to the children reminisce of the fact that Odin ‘invented’ the Run letters. The poems made during the celebration and the songs the children sing has to do with the fact that Odin was the god of the arts of poetry. On the origins of the helper there are various explanations. The oldest explanation is that the helpers symbolize the two ravens Hugin and Munin who informed Odin on what was going on. In later stories the helper depicts the defeated Devil . The devil is deafeted by either Odin or Odin's helper Nörwi , the black father of the night. Nörwi is usually depicted with the same staff of birch (Dutch: "roe") as Zwarte Piet. Another, more modern, story is that Saint Nicolas lilberated an Ethiopian boy slave called 'Piter' (from Saint Peter ) from a Myra market, and the boy was so gracious he decided to stay with Saint Nicolas as a helper. In Belgium Zwarte Piet is still called "Pieter baas", derived from 'Piter'. With the influx of immigrants to the Netherlands starting in the late 1950's, this story is felt by some to be racial. Nowadays Zwarte Piet has become a modern servant who have black faces because they climb through chimneys and get blackened by the Soot from the fire. The tools they held (cloth bag and staff of birch) are chimney cleaning tools. Until the second world war Saint Nicolas was only helped by one servant. When the Canadians liberated the Netherlands, they reinstated the celebrations of Sinterklaas for the children. Unaware of the traditions, the Canadians thought that if one Zwarte Piet was fun, several Zwarte Pieten is even more fun. Ever since Saint Nicolas is helped by a goup of Zwarte Pieten. 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. The Zwarte Pieten are roughly to the Dutch Saint Nicolas what the elves and reindeer are to America's Santa Claus. According to tradition, the saint has a Piet for every function: there are navigation Pieten to navigate the steamboat from Spain to Holland, or acrobatic Pieten for climbing up the roofs to stuff presents through the chimney, or to climb through themselves. Throughout the years many stories have been added, mostly made up by parents to keep children's belief in Saint Nicolas intact and to discourage misbehaviour. In most cases the Pieten are quite lousy at their job, such as the navigation Piet (Dutch "wegwijs piet") pointing in the wrong direction. This is often used to provide some simple comedy in the annual parade of Saint Nicolas coming to the Netherlands, and can also be used to laud the progress of children at school by having the Piet give the wrong answer to, for example, a simple mathematical question like 2+2, so that the child in question is (or can be) persuaded to give the right answer. Santa Claus, as known in the US (white beard, red and white outfit, etc.), is an entirely other person, called ''(de) Kerstman'' (trans. ''(the) Christmasman''. Although Sinterklaas is the predominant celebration in the Netherlands in December (36% of the population only celebrates Sinterklaas), Christmas is celebrated by a fifth of the Dutch population (21% celebrates only Christmas). 26% Of the Dutch population celebrates both. {Link without Title} 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 of Christmas Present" in Charles Dickens 's '' A Christmas Carol ''. The name ''Santa Claus'' is derived from ''Sinterklaas'', the Dutch name for the 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. See Also: Tomte depiction of Father Christmas riding on a Goat . Perhaps an evolved version of the Swedish Tomte .]] 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", Danish "julebuk" 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 1840s, the Tomte or Nisse 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'', (1809), 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 . 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 ''. Another popularization was L. Frank Baum 's '' The Life And Adventures Of Santa Claus '', a 1902 Children's Book . Much of Santa Claus's mythos was not set in stone at the time, leaving Baum to give his "Neclaus" (Necile's Little One) a wide variety of immortal support, a home in the Laughing Valley of Hohaho, and ''ten'' reindeer which could not fly, but leapt in enormous, flight-like bounds. Claus's Immortality was earned, much like his title ("Santa"), decided by a vote of those naturally immortal. Also established Claus's motives: a happy childhood among immortals. When Ak, Master Woodsman of the World, exposes him to the misery and poverty of children in the outside world, he strives to find a way to bring joy into the lives of all children, and eventually invents toys as a principal means. 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 or that Santa wears red and white because those are the Coca-Cola colors. In fact, Coca-Cola was not even the first Soft Drink company to utilize the modern image Santa Claus in its advertising – White Rock Beverages used Santa in advertisements for its Ginger Ale in 1923 after first using him to sell Mineral Water in 1915 .The White Rock Collectors Association, " Did White Rock or The Coca-Cola® Company create the modern Santa Claus Advertisement? ," whiterocking.org, 2001 (accessed January 19, 2007).White Rock Beverages, " Coca-Cola's Santa Claus: Not The Real Thing! ," BevNET.com, December 18, 2006 (accessed January 19, 2007). 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.'']] In 1889, the poet Katherine Lee Bate s created a wife for Santa, Mrs. Claus , in the poem "Goody Santa Claus on a Sleigh Ride." The 1956 popular song by George Melachrino , "Mrs. Santa Claus," helped standardize and establish the character and role in the popular imagination. 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. The concept of Santa Claus continues to inspire writers and artists, such as in author , the ninth and lead reindeer immortalized in a Gene Autry song, written by a Montgomery Ward copywriter. SANTA CLAUS IN POPULAR CULTURE In Poland , Santa Claus gives gifts on the 6th of December. On the Christmas Eve it is the Angel that brings presents, though. In Hungary , Santa Claus (Télapó or Mikulás) brings small gifts (usually candy and chocolate) during the night of the 6th of December and Little Jesus (Jézuska) brings the Tree as well as the presents on Christmas Eve . Santa is often dressed up in red. 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 and distribution facility, equipped with the latest manufacturing technology, and overseen by the elves with Santa and Mrs. Claus as executives and/or managers Nissenbaum, chap. 2; Belk, 87-100 . An excerpt from a 2004 article, from a supply chain managers' trade magazine, aptly illustrates this depiction: :Santa’s main Distribution Center is a sight to behold. At 4 million square feet, it’s one of the world’s largest facilities. A real-time Warehouse management system is of course required to run such a complex. The facility makes extensive use of task interleaving, literally combining dozens of DC activities (putaway, replenishing, order picking, sleigh loading, cycle counting) in a dynamic queue...the DC elves have been on engineered standards and incentives for three years, leading to a 12% gain in Productivity ...The WMS and transportation system are fully integrated, allowing (the elves) to make optimal decisions that balance transportation and order picking and other DC costs. Unbeknownst to many, Santa actually has to use many sleighs and fake Santa drivers to get the job done Christmas Eve, and the TMS optimally builds thousands of consolidated sacks that maximize cube utilization and minimize total air miles. {Link without Title} . Many Television Commercials , Comic Strip and other media 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. For instance, an early '' Bloom County '' story has Santa telling the story of how his elves went on Strike , only to be fired by Ronald Reagan and replaced by unemployed Aircraft Control personnel. CHRISTIAN OPPOSITION TO SANTA CLAUS See Also: Christmas controversies 's ''The Examination and Tryal of Father Christmas'' (1686), published shortly after Christmas was reinstated as a holy day in England . ''Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington, D.C.'']]Though some elements of Santa Claus have Christian origins, he has become a Secular representation of Christmas. As such, a number of Christian churches dislike the secular focus on Santa Claus and the materialist focus that present-receiving gives to the holiday. Such a condemnation of Santa Claus is not a 's ''The Examination and Tryal of Old Father Christmas ; Together with his Clearing by the Jury'' (1686) chap. 1 . Rev. Paul Nedergaard , a clergyman in Copenhagen , Denmark attracted controversy in 1958 when he declared Santa to be a "pagan Goblin " after Santa's image was used on fund raising materials for a Danish welfare organization Clar, 337 . One prominent religious group that refuses to celebrate Santa Claus, or Christmas itself, for similar reasons is the Jehovah's Witnesses {Link without Title} . A number of denominations of Christians have varying concerns about Santa Claus, which range from acceptance to denoucement. Most Christians believe that their own focus in the Christmas season should be placed on the birth of Jesus {Link without Title} and many would prefer this to be the focus of the festival in general , though attitudes to this vary according to country. In addition, some parents are uncomfortable about lying to their children about the existence of Santa. This is a concern which both Christians and non-Christians may have on the general basis that it is wrong to systematically lie to one's children. Christians are also often concerned that the lie suggests, when it is revealed, that Christianity is also a childish belief which one grows out of, thus providing a model for the critics of religion. Those with such concerns may tell their children that Santa Claus is just a sort of game, a "pretend" activity. Those whose objections are more to the materialist nature of the modern festival but still wish to participate in the festive gift-giving atmosphere of "Santa season" will shop for toys to donate to poor children on St. Nicholas 's Feast Day , December 6 . This is an opportunity to instill the Christian value of secret Charity , which Nicholas was known for. Although Feast Days are usually not acknowledged in Protestant denominations, this tradition has found acceptance there as well. NOTES REFERENCES
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Variations of Christmas around the world Related figures
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