Difference between revisions of "Santa Claus"

From Conservapedia
Jump to: navigation, search
(Replacing page with 'SANTA IS REAL!!!!!')
m (Reverted edits by Kieran4 (Talk) to last version by CSGuy)
Line 1: Line 1:
SANTA IS REAL!!!!!
+
[[Image:Thomas Nast Santa Claus.JPG|300px|right|thumb|Santa Claus, by Thomas Nast]]
 +
[[Image:Christmas Eve 1862.jpg|thumb|'''Christmas Eve 1862.''' Nast shows the wife and husband thinking of each other on Christmas Eve. The illustrations in the top corners show Santa visiting homes and military camps.]]
 +
: ''This article is about the American legendary secret Christmas gift-giver. For the real man behind this legend, see [[Saint Nicholas]].''
 +
 
 +
'''Santa Claus''', or simply "Santa", is an [[United States of America|American]] popular cultural icon, probably of [[Holland|Dutch]] origin. He has been a regular staple of the American observance of [[Christmas]] for about two centuries or more, and exported to prominence in much of the world.
 +
 
 +
== Origins ==
 +
The ultimate basis of Santa Claus is [[Saint Nicholas]], the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] [[Bishop]] of [[Myra]]. In the ninth century AD, coincident with the [[Muslim]] invasion and re-invention of [[Rome|Roman]] [[Asia Minor]] as the [[Ottoman Empire]], the bones of Saint Nicholas were transported to [[Europe]]. The many legends about this bishop--including a persistent legend about the "[[manna]]" coming from his body after his death--fostered the growth of new legends of Saint Nicholas being somehow larger than life.
 +
 
 +
[[Holland|Dutch]] settlers in [[New Amsterdam]] brought with them the tradition surrounding this new legend of Saint Nicholas, whom they called ''Sinter Klaas'' in their language (and still do today).<ref name=Santa>Anonymous, "[http://www.lnstar.com/mall/main-areas/santafaq.htm Santa Claus Facts, Origins, and Fun Tidbits]," ''Lone Star Internet'', 2006. Retrieved April 16, 2007</ref> With the British takeover of [[New Netherland]] by troops loyal to the then-incumbent [[Duke of York]] (hence the name [[New York]]), this mythical character gained a new name: Santa Claus.
 +
In the early nineteenth century, at least three prominent Americans contributed to the Santa Claus legend we know today:
 +
 
 +
# [[Washington Irving]]
 +
# [[Clement Moore|Clement C. Moore]], author of ''[[The Night Before Christmas]]''<ref name=TNBC>Clement Clarke Moore, "[http://www.lnstar.com/mall/main-areas/Night_B_Xmas.html The Night Before Christmas (A Visit by St. Nicholas)]," 1823. Retrieved April 16, 2007, from [http://www.lnstar.com/mall/main-areas/santafaq.htm Santa Claus Facts, Origins, and Fun Tidbits]</ref>
 +
# [[Thomas Nast]], the famous [[cartoon]]ist, who, in 1881, drew the classic [[portraits|portrait]] of Santa Claus that survives today. (The image of Santa was progressively elaborated by illustrator Thomas Nast, who depicted a rotund Santa for Christmas issues of Harper's magazine from the 1860s to the 1880s.)
 +
 
 +
== Features of the Santa Claus Legend ==
 +
[[Image:Santa Claus 2.gif|right]]
 +
The hallmarks of the legend of Santa Claus include:
 +
# A village located at the [[North Pole]], containing a toy factory and other facilities for the production and distribution of toys via a sled driven by flying reindeer.
 +
# An uncanny ability to know whether any child has been "good" or "bad," typically in the form of a list of all children, appropriately catagorised. The means by which this is achieved is rarely elaborated on.
 +
# Rewards for the good, and punishment for the bad. Traditionally, the good children receive toys and the bad lumps of coal. Due to the unfamiliarity of a lump of coal to modern children, some variations substitute other undesirable gifts.
 +
# A requirement for belief: Santa is said to deliver only to those who believe in him. Non-believers get nothing.
 +
# Secret comings and goings to make deliveries, via the chimney. In homes without fireplaces, some flexibility is required.
 +
# Placement of small candies and similar "party favors" in children's stockings. Children are encouraged to leave a gift in return on Christmas eve - tradition dictates a mince pie, a glass of sherry, and one or more carrots for the reindeer.
 +
# Accomplishment of all this order fulfillment and delivery on one night of the year: the night of December 24-25.
 +
 
 +
== External links ==
 +
 
 +
*[http://www.the-north-pole.com/history/ History of Santa Claus]
 +
*[http://www.moroni10.com/Jesus-santa.html How the Claus Stole Christmas], Kelly Bingham, ''The Signpost'', Nov 30, 2005
 +
 
 +
== References ==
 +
<references/>
 +
 
 +
[[Category:Culture]]

Revision as of 14:34, December 21, 2008

Santa Claus, by Thomas Nast
Christmas Eve 1862. Nast shows the wife and husband thinking of each other on Christmas Eve. The illustrations in the top corners show Santa visiting homes and military camps.
This article is about the American legendary secret Christmas gift-giver. For the real man behind this legend, see Saint Nicholas.

Santa Claus, or simply "Santa", is an American popular cultural icon, probably of Dutch origin. He has been a regular staple of the American observance of Christmas for about two centuries or more, and exported to prominence in much of the world.

Origins

The ultimate basis of Santa Claus is Saint Nicholas, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Myra. In the ninth century AD, coincident with the Muslim invasion and re-invention of Roman Asia Minor as the Ottoman Empire, the bones of Saint Nicholas were transported to Europe. The many legends about this bishop--including a persistent legend about the "manna" coming from his body after his death--fostered the growth of new legends of Saint Nicholas being somehow larger than life.

Dutch settlers in New Amsterdam brought with them the tradition surrounding this new legend of Saint Nicholas, whom they called Sinter Klaas in their language (and still do today).[1] With the British takeover of New Netherland by troops loyal to the then-incumbent Duke of York (hence the name New York), this mythical character gained a new name: Santa Claus. In the early nineteenth century, at least three prominent Americans contributed to the Santa Claus legend we know today:

  1. Washington Irving
  2. Clement C. Moore, author of The Night Before Christmas[2]
  3. Thomas Nast, the famous cartoonist, who, in 1881, drew the classic portrait of Santa Claus that survives today. (The image of Santa was progressively elaborated by illustrator Thomas Nast, who depicted a rotund Santa for Christmas issues of Harper's magazine from the 1860s to the 1880s.)

Features of the Santa Claus Legend

The hallmarks of the legend of Santa Claus include:

  1. A village located at the North Pole, containing a toy factory and other facilities for the production and distribution of toys via a sled driven by flying reindeer.
  2. An uncanny ability to know whether any child has been "good" or "bad," typically in the form of a list of all children, appropriately catagorised. The means by which this is achieved is rarely elaborated on.
  3. Rewards for the good, and punishment for the bad. Traditionally, the good children receive toys and the bad lumps of coal. Due to the unfamiliarity of a lump of coal to modern children, some variations substitute other undesirable gifts.
  4. A requirement for belief: Santa is said to deliver only to those who believe in him. Non-believers get nothing.
  5. Secret comings and goings to make deliveries, via the chimney. In homes without fireplaces, some flexibility is required.
  6. Placement of small candies and similar "party favors" in children's stockings. Children are encouraged to leave a gift in return on Christmas eve - tradition dictates a mince pie, a glass of sherry, and one or more carrots for the reindeer.
  7. Accomplishment of all this order fulfillment and delivery on one night of the year: the night of December 24-25.

External links

References

  1. Anonymous, "Santa Claus Facts, Origins, and Fun Tidbits," Lone Star Internet, 2006. Retrieved April 16, 2007
  2. Clement Clarke Moore, "The Night Before Christmas (A Visit by St. Nicholas)," 1823. Retrieved April 16, 2007, from Santa Claus Facts, Origins, and Fun Tidbits