Making a list, checking it twice 🎅

Old Saint Nick sat by the warm fire, his bones feeling the cold, they were especially grumpy when the winter season awakened. The snow elves were not as jolly around this time of year, they had to work three times as hard to keep the cold weather constant as the reindeers needed the extra icy wind for traction. Nick did his best to comfort and encourage them.

Tonight though, he had the daunting task of tackling the list of faithful, missing, hiatus-ing, naughty and nice Vocal folks. As he hemmed and hawed over the stories, his mind all a muddle, for he could not believe the devilish and impish stunts which they had pulled this year. This holiday season, he decided, he would be especially nice to the ones who worked quite hard and seemed to not have been included in the Vocal spotlight.

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How old is Santa 🎅? You may ask.

For that answer we had to go way back in time to ask his mum.

Santa's mum, Mrs. Claus, lived in a cozy little cottage nestled in the snowy hills of NorthPoleLand. Santa loved his mum dearly and is always careful to check in with her regularly, even when he's busy, she told us proudly. But lately, he'd noticed she wasn't quite herself. She was happy to have us stop by while she waited for Santa to bring her medicine.

As to the answer of his age...The quick answer, said the senior Mrs. Claus, is that Santa Claus is 1,754, 0 months, 14 days, 23 hours and 17 minutes old! (And there's even more to that long answer if you keep reading!)

How did the tradition of Santa Claus start?

The answer arrives anon...But first: A Christmas tale from the Hood.

It has been 60 years since Black boxer Sonny Liston in a Santa hat, sat on the cover of Esquire, shocking readers and advertisers, and many anos' since record producer Teddy Vann and his daughter Akim created the enduringly endearing Christmas song “Santa Claus Is a Black Man.”

Black Santa has been around for a really long time. He can now be found in Disney Christmas parades and suburban Southern lawns. He is still very much a minority figure, though, subject to occasional pushback from those who contend that, as TV personality Megyn Kelly put it in 2013, 'Santa just is White'!

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Santa Claus | History, Christmas, North Pole, Legend, & Facts ...

The legend of a jolly red man who gives presents to children on Christmas Eve is based on the German and Dutch traditions of St Nicholas — a real-life bishop from ancient Greece.

Legend states that Nicholas had a giving spirit and traveled the countryside helping those less fortunate and the sick. Nicholas's parents were wealthy and left the bulk of their estate to him when they died. Nicholas, who always had the spirit of giving, took his inheritance and gave to those less fortunate and lived a life of humility.

The Dutch are also credited with transporting the legend of St. Nicholas (Sinterklaas) to New Amsterdam (now New York City), along with the custom of giving gifts and sweets to children on his feast day, December 6.

St Nicholas and Sinterklaas

St Nicholas was credited with a wide variety of miracles. According to one story, he resurrected three youths after they'd been murdered and pickled in a barrel by an innkeeper.

The story of Father Christmas and the French butcher, also known as Père Fouettard, is about Saint Nicholas's encounter with an evil butcher who kills three children:

The Dark origins

Three children are lost while foraging for food and end up at a butcher's shop. The butcher welcomes them in, gives them food and a place to sleep, and then cuts them into pieces and puts them in a barrel of salt. Years later, Saint Nicholas visits the butcher and asks for a piece of salted meat. The butcher's face turns pale, and Saint Nicholas blesses the barrel and opens it, releasing the children.

The consequences

The butcher repents and becomes Père Fouettard, Saint Nicholas's partner who punishes children who misbehave. Père Fouettard is often depicted wearing a long, dirty robe and carrying a whip, and he gives children coal or turnips and potatoes.

Naughty list?

In another tale, he met a poor man who was on the brink of selling his own daughters into slavery. Under the cover of darkness, the saint anonymously threw three bags of gold down the chimney to provide dowries for the girls. The gold landed in their stockings, which were drying by the fire.

What is the true story of Saint Nicholas. Who is St. Nicholas?

Bishop Nicholas became known throughout the land for his generosity to those in need, his love for children, and his concern for sailors and ships. Under the Roman Emperor Diocletian, who ruthlessly persecuted Christians, Bishop Nicholas suffered for his faith, was exiled, imprisoned and placed in solitary confinement. He was released after the accession of Constantine.

Santa Was in Prison and Jesus Got the Death Penalty – Mother ...

Should Christians allow their children to believe in Santa ...

Many Christians don't allow their kids to believe in Santa Claus. One concern they have is that belief in Santa would distract from the real focus of the season, namely, Jesus' birth. Other Christians hold to a different view. They think it’s okay to allow their kids to believe in Santa Claus without doing so in such a way that will distract from their faith.

How Coca-Cola changed Santa Claus?

In 1931, Coca‑Cola commissioned illustrator Haddon Sundblom to paint Santa for Christmas advertisements. Those paintings established Santa as a warm, happy character with human features, including rosy cheeks, a white beard, twinkling eyes and laughter lines. Well, he could have been black, yellow or green.

Which animal helped Santa before reindeer?

Long ago, before reindeer were able to fly and the North Pole became synonymous with Christmas, Santa Claus had a guild of gators that would guide his sleigh through the swamps, bayous, rivers and oceans on Christmas Eve so he could deliver gifts to all the boys and girls. I am quite sure that Santa sprinkled magic dust to prevent them from dining on him.

Does a Santa Claus need insurance?

Santa Claus Insurance - Get a Quote - XINSURANCE

Santa Claus Insurance is liability coverage designed for individuals who portray Santa Claus during holiday events. It provides protection against potential accidents, claims, and lawsuits that may occur while performing your duties as Santa. Santa Claus Liability Insurance is a must-have.

Does Santa have a child?

Does Santa have any children? Although Santa and Mrs Claus almost never have children in any of their many depictions, there is at least one Christmas Burlesque musical from 1892 that features Kitty Claus, the daughter of Santa.

Then again, maybe all the elves are his children.

The Christmas elf appeared in literature as early as 1850 when Louisa May Alcott completed, but never published a book titled Christmas Elves. The image of the elves in the workshop was popularized by Godey's Lady's Book, with a front cover illustration for its 1873 Christmas issue, showing Santa surrounded by toys and elves with the caption "Here we have an idea of the preparations that are made to supply the young folks with toys at Christmas time".

The origins of the elf are said to have been derived from Norse mythology, which refers to the álfar, also known as huldufólk 'hidden folk'. The elf character is most likely to have combined this Norse legend with other Scandinavian and Celtic cultures and myths regarding elves, fairies and nature spirits. In various regions of Europe there were similar supernatural beings that can be connected to elves, such as kobolds from Germany and house spirits named brownies in Scotland. In Medieval Europe, elves were seen as nefarious and were often linked to demons. Wiki.

Bah Humbug. Let Christmas be merry!

Happy holidays.

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