History of Santa Claus
The History Of One Jolly And Benevolent North Pole Resident
He flies the skies in his sleigh pulled by magical reindeers led by Rudolph with his nose so bright that serves as a headlight through mist and snow-filled places. And he carries a big bad with endless depth, a perennial container of gifts for boys and girls who have been nice, not naughty, the whole year round. And despite being visibly, well, out-of-shape, he is perfectly capable of climbing down from the chimney hole and evading ash-filled logs and dirt as well as detection from the house folks to deliver his presents in socks made for such an occasion.
His name brings a smile to countless people, regardless of their age, for he, at one time, touched their lives in a way that no other person, mythical or real, can.
Indeed, Santa Claus has become a big part of our existence. He is timeless, as his myth has endured several generations and modern day sensibilities. Lets take a look at how his legend was born.
Time Of The Gods
Perhaps, the earliest roots that can be traced in pursuit of Santa Claus origin can be found in ancient personifications of gods. Whether they are Roman or Greek, gods like Odin, Zeus, Poseidon and even Hades have been conceived as elderly men with white temples and beards. Their bodies arent really sculpted like athletes, as they are perfectly representative of their senior years.
It is this idea of how the elderly gods looked like that gave shape to the image of Santa Claus throughout the latter years. Santa Claus, after all, is not only the personification of Christmas. He is also a god in his own right, a god of benevolence and generosity.
Of Saintly Origin
But the most factual history of the idea of Santa Claus came from a real person who is shrouded with legendary tales of his own, as well. St. Nicholas o Myra was always known for his kindness. He lived in the 4th Century in a place that is now known as Turkey.
In what could be the most famous tale about his legendary life, it is said that there were three Italian maiden whose father wasnt able to make ends meet. As a result, the father planned to sell one of her daughters to an old man. The night before the sale, St Nicholas caught wind of the same, and as a man of action, he sneaked into the premises of the Italian familys house that night and dropped three bags of gold in the chimney. Miraculously, the three bags of gold dropped straight into the three socks corresponding to the three sisters, which they have hung near the chimney to dry.
This tale evolved to what is now a common story every Christmas, of a man in red suit who parks his sleigh on the roof of every good childs house to leave his presents through the chimney shoot.
St. Nicholas was canonized a few years after his death, to honor the kindness and sympathy he has shown to the people of his time. He, in fact, has become the patron saint of benevolence, and the day of his death, Dec. 6, has coincidentally been marked as the start of the Christmas season.
From The World To The Americas
The commemoration of St. Nicholas deeds was celebrated throughout the world. Not even the Protestant Reformation, which called for the cessation of honors to saints which was condemned as idolatry, was enough to stop people from recalling the exploits of the popular holy man. His tale took many variations in the European territories, and some of them are even very close to the modern day retelling.
When people from all over the world started migrating to the Americas, they carried with them many traditions and cultural inclinations. Among them is the legend of St. Nicholas and the fond remembering of the same.
The modern day version of Santa Claus is a product of a mixture of tales from many cultures. Its a very fitting origin for a person who represents all the good that the Holiday brings.