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OT The historic roots of Santa Claus



I just read the history of Santa Claus at yahoo news and thought it 
apropos for the season 
to share it with you all.   I print it below.

Also, whilst touring with the great British fingerstyle/altered tuning 
acoustic guitarist, 
Martin Simpson,  he told me that once, touring in Japan, during the 
Christmas season (some 
Japanese really get into the Christmas spirit as a kind of exotic 
experience from what I've heard)   he 
saw a decoration  in a window that had Santa Claus hanging, crucified on a 
Cross.............whooooaaaaa!

Okay, here's my irreverant Christmas card to this wonderful list.
Merry Christmas to all of you, whether you celebrate or not......


love,   Rick

*********
THE HISTORICAL ROOTS OF SANTA CLAUS (an eye opening read)

In ancient times our ancestors found it difficult to deal with the harsh 
Winter season... obviously with 
out the modern comforts we all enjoy. A mild Winter was always something 
they longed for, and 
often tried to appears the forces of Nature with various religious 
activities. The Pagan Vikings would 
dress someone up to represent Old Man Winter, and then make him as welcome 
as possible. The 
British eventually adopted this custom, and after the advent of 
Christianity, called him Old Father 
Christmas. He was welcomed into each household to enjoy all the Feasting 
and festivities. He was 
plied with Mead and food to try and keep him in a good mood. It was hoped 
that these activities 
would make for a mild Winter and a good Spring. Much later, this ancient 
Pagan figure, was confused 
with Santa Claus, and today most think of them as one in the same. 
Actually "Santa Claus", as he is 
most commonly known, started out as a Christian Monk who died in 345 CE. 
and who eventually 
gained sainthood. Needless to say, he eventually became more popular than 
"the Christ" and was 
burned in effigy by the French clergy, in the middle part of the 20th 
century! Finally, in 1969 CE, 
Pope Paul VI demoted him in non-saint status! Today, the fat, jolly, red 
suited Old Man is actually an 
invention of the Coca-Cola Company. Strange, but true! In 1931, Coca-Cola 
hired an artist to 
redesign Santa Claus for their Winter advertising campaign.. Red and white 
are the official colours of 
Coca-Cola, hence the Old Man's new outfit. Since that time, the look of 
Santa Claus has been carved 
in stone. 

Years ago Father Christmas or Old Man Winter, would appear in green, 
purple, blue, blue-black or 
even brown, often trimmed with brown, black or white furs. Sometimes even 
covered head to toe in 
fur skins. But no more! True to Corporate America's goal's, now all see 
him as the fat jolly man in 
the red suit, with lots of goodies for everyone. 

Before Clement Moore write his famous poem in 1822, Father Christmas 
travelled by foot or by giant 
White horse (Sleiper? - Odin's eight legged horse). But Moore, a very 
learned man and professor of 
Literature, changed all of that forever when he introduced the idea of 
reindeer pulling Santa's sleigh. 
This was not done on a casual whim, but came from an ancient Finnish 
legend about "Old Man 
Winter". The Ancient Finns belied that Old Man Winter drove the reindeer 
down the mountains, into 
the lowlands each year with the coming of the cold (food source?). Moore 
grafted part of this Finnish 
legend onto the existing Farther Christmas. Why eight reindeer? Some 
scholars have speculated that 
the professor was having some fun with the general populace by perking up 
his tale with a scholarly 
reference to Odin, who rides an eight legged horse. As well known author, 
Desmond Morris has 
stated: 

"Odin's horse carried the god around when, clad in a large cloak and hat, 
he set out to meet his 
people, dispensing rewards and punishments as they were due. There are 
clearly elements there 
suggesting that Odin was a precursor of the Farther Christmas-Santa Claus 
figure, and it may have 
amused Moore to incorporate at least one Odin feature in his new 
creation". So again we find that 
much of what we consider to be strictly a Christian phenomenon... is 
again, based in Pagan reality

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