Santa Claus
Santa Claus, like so many other American traditions, is a blend of many different cultures and
customs. The most prominent person in the shaping of today's Santa Claus was a real man...
St. Nicholas, a 4th Century bishop who lived in what is now Turkey. He was known for his
kindness and generosity particularly to children and the needy.
St. Nicholas did not like to be seen when he presented gifts, so the children of that time
were told to go to sleep quickly or he would not come.
A famous story about St. Nicholas, is about a poor man who had no money to give to his three
daughters on their wedding day. St Nick dropped bags of gold into the stockings which the girls
had left to dry by the fire. The sisters found the gold and ever since, children have hung up
stockings on Christmas Eve hoping they would be filled with presents by Christmas morning.
Legends of his unselfish giving spread all over Northern Europe. In Germany, he appeared as
Weihnachtsmann, in England as Father Christmas, and in France, as Pierre Noel, who left small
gifts in the children's shoes.
Santa Claus in America
Immigrants to America brought with them their various beliefs. In the 1600's, the Dutch brought
Sinterklaas (meaning St. Nicholas) to the colonies. In their excitement, many English-speaking
children said the name so quickly that Sinterklaas sounded like Santy Claus. After years of
mispronunciation, the name evolved into Santa Claus. In 1808, American author, Washington
Irving, created a new version of old St. Nick. This one rode over the treetops in a horse drawn
wagon "dropping gifts down the chimneys of his favorites." In 1822, Dr. Clemet Clarke Moore
wrote the poem, "Twas the Night Before Christmas" and substituted 8 tiny reindeer and a sleigh
for Irving's horse and wagon. It is Moore's description of Santa that was the inspiration for
artist Haddon Sundblom's drawings of the Santa we see in the Coca-Cola ads dating back to 1931.
St. Nicholas' evolution into today's Santa Claus is a wonderful example of the blending of
countless beliefs and practices from around the world.
History of the Nativity
The Christmas Nativity Scene is a retelling of the biblical account of the birth of Jesus.
St. Francis of Assisi created the first living nativity, with people dressed as Mary and Joseph
and the use of real animals, in 1224 to help him explain the birth of Jesus to his followers.
The practice of displaying nativities eventually spread to Germany in the 1600's. Traditionally,
the sets were displayed at the front of medieval churches and temples. Over time, artists began
carving these images into wood or making them out of straw, and when the nativity sets moved to
other countries like Italy, other materials were used such as stone and ivory. Immigrants from
Moravia, which was part of the present-day Czech Republic, brought the tradition to America when
they settled in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in the mid 1700s.
Nativity Sets from Around the World
In the story of nativity, the visit of the three wise men represents the global nature of the
birth of Jesus. In that same fashion, nativity sets from around the world celebrate this story
in their own unique manner. Talented artists and artisans from all over the globe use their
skills and a variety of readily-available materials to tell the story in terms of their own art
and culture. For example, in Ecuador it would be common to find a nativity scene crafted from
banana and woven palm leaves, whereas in Haiti you would probably find a nativity scene made
from recycled metal. A nativity from Spain might show gifts of chicken, watermelon, and a
food basket instead of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, while a set from Guatemala might include
llamas amongst the cattle and donkeys. Whatever differences there are in the depiction of
this popular story, one thing is certain, the nativity has been an important part of the holiday
season to people from all around the world.
Hanukkah
Hanukkah, also known as the festival of lights, is an eight-day Jewish festival beginning on the
eve of the 25th day of the ninth month of the Jewish year, usually occurring in late November or
December. The story of Hanukkah began more than 21 centuries ago when the Holy Land was ruled by
Antiochus IV, a Greek king who severely oppressed the Jews and sought to forcefully destroy their
religion and culture. Two groups opposed Antiochus IV, and against all odds, defeated his army
and reclaimed and rededicated the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. However, when the time came for the
re-dedication, there was very little olive oil left that had not been desecrated by the Greeks.
Oil was needed to keep the eternal flame lit in the Temple. There was only enough oil to burn for
one day. Miraculously, it burned for eight days, the time needed to prepare a fresh supply of oil
for the menorah. An eight day festival, Hanukkah, was declared to commemorate this miracle of the
oil and the re-dedication of the Temple.
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Gingerbread House
The gingerbread house became popular in Germany in the 19th century after the Brothers Grimm
published their collection of fairytales, which included the popular story, Hansel and Gretel.
Early German settlers brought this lebkuchenhaeusle (gingerbread house) tradition to the Americas.
Gingerbread houses never caught on in Britain as they did in North America, but they do exist in
other parts of Europe. In December 2001, bakers in Torun, Poland, attempted to beat the Guinness
Book of World Records for the largest-ever gingerbread house. It was made in Szczecin, Poland,
with 4,000 loaves of brick-shaped gingerbread measuring 11 1/2 feet high. It took a week to create
and used 6,000 eggs, a ton of flour, and 550 pounds of shortening. However, they lost to an
American team, headed by Roger Pelcher. In 2006, Pelcher's team beat their previous record
with a gingerbread house that contained 14,250 pounds of gingerbread, 4,750 pounds of icing
and more than a ton of candy decorations.
History of Gingerbread
Ginger, a spice from Indo-Malaysia, has been used since at least 2000 B.C. for cooking and
medical purposes, as it was thought to soothe upset stomachs and prevent colds. Gingerbread
first made an appearance in Europe in the 11th-century when it was thought that crusaders brought
ginger back for experimentation by cooks in wealthy homes. As ginger and other spices became
more affordable to the masses, breadcrumbs were added to a mixture of ingredients and gingerbread
was born. It was later fashioned into highly-decorative shapes, with different shapes having
different meanings. For example, the heart was used to ward off evil. Animals and birds were
used to signify autumn, and buttons and flowers signaled spring. In the 16th century, the
English replaced the breadcrumbs with flour, and added eggs and sweeteners, resulting in a lighter
product. The first gingerbread man is credited to Queen Elizabeth I, who impressed visiting
dignitaries by presenting them with one baked in their own likeness. The first gingerbread in
America is thought to have been brought over by Swiss Catholic monks who founded the St. Meinrad
Archabbey in Indiana in 1854. These monks gave gingerbread to the sick and baked it for holiday
celebrations.
Winter Solstice
The movements of the sun and moon were, and still are, used to define the seasons. Because
many beliefs followed the seasons, rituals were also celebrated around them. In the northern
hemisphere, the winter solstice is celebrated on December 21st. The winter solstice is when,
because of the earth's tilt, the northern hemisphere is leaning farthest away from the sun
causing the shortest number of sunlight hours on that day. Many ancient civilizations all
over the world such as Brazil, Egypt, Greece, and Rome performed solstice ceremonies. At their
root was an ancient fear that the failing light would never return unless humans
intervened with vigils or celebrations. In fact, in Scandinavia, the tradition of lighting the
Yule log was started because it was believed that the burning embers would help frighten away
evil spirits. The Celts also celebrated the solstice, particularly the Druids. The later are
believed to have built great architectural structures, such as Stonehenge and Newgrange, that
were perfectly aligned to observe and mark solstices and equinoxes.
Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa is a non-religious African-American holiday which celebrates family, community, and culture.
The seven-day festival begins December 26 and ends New Year's Day. The word "Kwanzaa"
means "first fruits" in Swahili.
Inspired by the civil rights struggles of the 1960s, Dr. Maulana Karenga, professor and chairman
of Black Studies at California State University, created Kwanzaa in 1966 as a way to bring African
Americans together as a community. He combined aspects of several different harvest celebrations,
such as those of the Ashanti and Zulu, to form the basis of Kwanzaa.
Each family celebrates Kwanzaa in its own way, which can include dances, songs, drums, storytelling,
and a traditional meal. On each of the seven nights, the family gathers and a child lights one of
the candles on the Kinara (candleholder), then one of the Seven Principles is discussed. These
principles focus on building and reinforcing the African-American community.
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