There is a man that comes to visit young girls and boys all over the world every Christmas Eve, some call him St. Nicholas, Father Christmas, and Santa Clause. No matter what he is called, he is a global iconic figure, dating all the way back in 280 AD (St. Nicholas). Many people celebrate this iconic figure along with Christmas, children will make out a list of goodies they want Santa to bring them on Christmas and wait for the magical sleigh pulled by reindeers to stop by their house. How did this bishop take his devotion in his faith and his generosity to one famely become such as global sensation of a whimsical jolly man? This is how the modern day holly jolly Santa with a red outfit pulled by reindeers on Christmas so many years ago …show more content…
In Middle Age art, St. Nicholas was described as a tall, thin, bearded man. The red suit and white beard worn was similar to the bishop’s vestments. The American Santa was popularized my dutch settlers coming to New York telling stories of a man, after hearing stories of Sinter Klaas a department store dresses a man up as the dutch described him, he wore blue three-cornered hat, red waistcoat, and yellow stockings to a man wearing a broad-brimmed hat and a giant pair of Flemish trunk hose (3). John Pintard was a member of the New York Historical Society, he distributed woodcuts of St. Nicholas at the society's annual meeting, they would be cravings of Santa images and stockings hanging from the fireplace filled with toys and fruit. (3) People came from all over to see the life size Santa. Santa didn't gain the plump and chubby look until the American poem from the 19th century, “Twas The Night Before Christmas”. This is when he gained the signature outfit of the red suit with white trim too. The reason they gave him the plump appearance is so the children would see him as more friendly and they would have nothing the fear (2). Santa grew even more popular, the Salvation Army started dressing some of the people up as Santa so they would be able to afford the free Christmas meals they handed out. From here the popularity of Santa grew across the
St Marie was born in the year 1872, in the town Nazareth,Israel.When her mother died while birthing the ninth child, her father had to move to find work She was adopted by a village family When she was 15, she had been entered into the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary. She had took the name Marie Amandine. She worked as a nurse in France Then she worked at a mission hospital and a orphanage Saint Marie was also known as “The Laughing Foreigner” Saint Marie was the patron saint of laughter. Her Joyfulness seemed to gain the esteem of the chinese.
Dr. Seuss's original fable is a simple story told with a great moral that criticizes the commercialization of Christmas. The original story features an “Ebenezer Scrooge” type creature that lives up the mountains outside "Whoville." The Grinch indulges himself in the annual ritual of spoiling everyone's festivities with a series of nasty pranks. This particular year however he plans to sabotage the holiday season by dressing as Santa Claus, clim...
Evidently, myths have become the culprit of traditions. That being said, the contemporary and ancient myths of Santa Claus and Krampus can only be understood by determining the elements that devise their entireties. Both narratives involve elements of opposition, trickery, mythemes, repetition, symbols, and ritualistic processes all of which support the structure of each holiday myth and tradition. Overall, the individual elements facilitate a valid, detailed compare and contrast analysis when examining the myths of Santa Claus and Krampus in a North American culture.
Saint Christopher, the patron saint of travelers and children, is one of the most popular yet mysterious saints of the Catholic Church. Though considered a saint. Saint Christopher is not in the official canon of the saints, and not much is really known about him. It is theorized that Saint Christopher was actually a martyr named Reprobus who was beheaded in the third century.
Is Santa truly a secular figure or is he a religious one? This has been a long-standing argument. However, instead of viewing Saint Nick as either secular or religious, it would be more beneficial to examine him as a figure consisting of both religious and secular elements. It is true that the contemporary Santa Claus may be more associated with secular concepts, such as consumerism, but it is also crucial to emphasize the origins of the jolly old man. He is the product of Western Christianization. It is thought that he was created from a combination of the historical figure of Saint Nicholas, a Christian saint, who was known for giving gifts, and the fictional character of Father Christmas from British folklore (CITE). Santa Claus can be viewed
Of all religious holidays that have been adopted by secularists, one of the most popular would be Christmas, originally meant to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ. With the exact date of Jesus' birth unknown during ancient times, Christmas was initially assigned to January 6th, but was changed to December 25th under the influence of the winter solstice (Nothaft 903). Peculiarly however, is the universal celebration of Christmas al...
Media has a huge impact on the influence of icons. Santa, being a very well known public figure can easily be manipulated through film, with different directors’ views of how the old man should be portrayed. The movies, typically made to bring joy during the holiday season, have very opposing views of Santa Claus ranging from the “jolly fat man,” to the “tatted sergeant.” These differences are clearly displayed in the films “Miracle on 34th Street,” “Bad Santa,” and “Rise of the Guardians.”
Christmas was originally supposed to be a celebration of the birthday of Jesus Christ. Modern historians suggest that Christ was actually born sometime in April, but that is hardly the point; the point is that a day on which to celebrate his birth and life was needed, and so one was chosen. During the season surrounding this holiday -- especially since it coincided with that of other, similar holidays -- it was thought right to honor Jesus by acting as he did, i.e., in a kind, generous, and forgiving manner. Out of this sprung the custom of giving gifts to loved ones on this holiday.
...ch out only for themselves, we lose sight of what Christmas is truly about. Forgetting the being of Santa Claus only makes us slight the kindness on which this holiday is based. Not believe in Santa! You may as well not believe in the very gifts laid under the tree on Christmas morn. Without your faith, Santa Claus would be nonexistent. There would be no yearning in your soul to give of yourself to others, no example to follow. Thank God, Santa Claus exists and exists forever, lightening the heavy heart as the sight of the snow blankets the soul and defines the heart of childhood.
... Religious Customs, History, Legends, and Symbols from around the World; Supplemented by a Bibliography and Lists of Christmas Web Sites and Associations. Detroit, Mich: Omnigraphics, 2003. Print.
Saint Bernadette Soubirous or Saint Bernadette of Lourdes was born on January 7, 1844, from Occitan, France. She died at the age of thirty-five on April 16, 1879, which eventually became her feast day. Saint Bernadette is considered to be part of the “Incorruptibles.” Incorruptibility is the belief that prevents the normal decomposition of human bodies after death which represents as a sign of a person’s holiness. Her early life began as a frail young child who grew up in a humble family but suffered in poverty.
The life of Saint Thomas More is very interesting and throughout this paper more details will be presented. Briefly, he was born in London in February 7, 1477. His father, John More, had a legal profession and advised Thomas to follow his career. When Thomas was 12, he was appointed as a page of Cardinal John Morton, Archbishop of Canterbury. He began to study law in the Canterbury College in Oxford, but then moved to London.
Despite the fact that the idea of giving presents developed from St. Nicholas in the fourth century, the first characters that resemble our modern day Santa developed in the seventeenth century A.D. We acquire these figures from the English and the Dutch. Although this man is not the same as the modern Santa Claus, it is evident that these are his origins. “When the Dutch lost control of New Amsterdam to the English in the seventeenth century, Sinterklaas gradually became anglicized into Santa Claus and acquired some of the features of the English Father Christmas” (Myers 321).
Dutch children would put shoes by the fireplace for St. Nicholas or "Sinter Klaas" and leave food out for his horse. He'd gallop on his horse between the rooftops and drop candy down the chimneys into the children's shoes. Meanwhile, his assistant, Black Peter, was the one who popped down the chimneys to leave gifts behind. Dutch settlers brought the legend of Sinter Klaas to North America -- where we came to know him as Santa Claus. Clement Clarke Moore first described the “jolly old elf” with his sleigh drawn by reindeer, in the poem "The Night Before Christmas.
To begin with people think red is a Christmas color because it is the color of Santa’s suit, “Red is also the color of Bishops robes. These would have been worn by St.