Christmas and Santa Clause are Inseparable
Thinking of it Christmas is a universal festival of joy. Irrespective of language barriers in the East and West, this is celebrated with the same enthusiasm, which no other festival can match. Japanese, Chinese, Indian, African or the Arabian countries do have their own festivities in innumerable numbers and varieties, but none of them have this much of world fame as Christmas has. Though Christmas was started religiously to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ, 25th of December has become known with latest traditions of Santa Clause, or “Santa” in short for the Americans, as a day of love, friendship, and affection to be showered among people and rejoicing together.
More precisely, every Christmas is remembered till the next year, by this smiling old man with a white beard, clad in red and white cloth, carrying a sack on his shoulders, full of gifts – Santa Clause. Tracing the legend of Santa, you will come across a lot of stories, with no authentic proof, other than the common belief of people for generations, that the Lord give us presents on this happy occasion and we should be thankful to Him.
Most popular among them is – the Dutch tradition in New Amsterdam (
Behind these descriptions, there is the picture of Santa Clause by the world-famous painter of Thomas Nast, who took the basics of the popular Christmas Poem by Clement C. Moore – “A visit from St. Nicholas” – written as a family poem for his kids in 1823. That is how the present world comes to know of this great old man Santa and recognized instantly by the kids the world over, the latest decorations in dress and designs notwithstanding.
Interestingly, all the different cults of St. Nicholas or Santa bringing gifts to kids on the night of 24th , centers around love and affection and expression of warmth in Old Catholics; Christian and Pagan; Dutch; Scandinavian; English and German, though with minor variations. This mythical character is vividly remembered by one and all as a friend of the children to give away presents during the festive season.
In Greek Santa is known as Hagios Nikolos (Bishop of Myra); in China Santa is known as Shengdan Laoren; in England he is Father Christmas (of course with a longer coat and beard); in France popular as Pere Noel; in Germany he is Christindl, the Christmas Child; in Spanish countries, Costa Rica, Columbia and some parts of Mexico, kids recognize him as el Nino Jesus “the infant Jesus”, in Brazil and Peru the Christmas Santa is known as Papa Noel.
Father Christmas Santa is fondly called in
Dutch people still call him with latest changes – Sinter Klass; for the Russians he is the Grandfather Frost known as “ded moroz” and he is also famous as “Kris Kringle”, originating from the German term Christ Kind or Christ Child.
The so popular Christmas Santa is taking innumerable “avatars” in the media for advertising their products, on the eve of Christmas, and in the Internet he is very useful for the creativity of artists and animations to show him just as the right symbol of Merry Christmas. The message Santa propagates is very clear -“Love Thy Neighbor” and this is most ideal for netizens – the word population has been brought by the Internet as your next door neighbor. So why not send a Christmas Gift to your “net neighbor” with a picture of Santa?
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