| ST. NICKAs the story goes, Jolly ol' Saint Nicholas | | | | original idea for stocking stuffing came from kids |
| was a real guy from Myra in the country of | | | | leaving carrots and turnips in their shoes for |
| Turkey. He was a 4th Century bishop made | | | | Santa's horse or donkey, long before he was |
| famous when he heard the story of three Italian | | | | known to have reindeer. Santa would gratefully |
| maidens whose families had fallen on hard times. | | | | take the snacks for his stead and replace them |
| Their father couldn't afford to have all three of | | | | with treats for the giving children.CANDIED |
| them get married, so he was considering selling | | | | CANEThe red and white striped holiday pacifier |
| one of the daughters into slavery to pay for the | | | | has been around for several centuries. Parents |
| other two to have weddings. Well, as you can | | | | have long been giving their children white sugar |
| imagine that's a pretty bad deal for anyone and | | | | sticks to keep their yaps shut, then in the 1670's |
| St. Nick decided to help the family out. One night | | | | an industrious German choirmaster bent the sticks |
| he snuck up on their roof and secretly tossed | | | | to resemble shepherd staff. With their somewhat |
| three bags of gold down the chimney. With his | | | | holy interpretation, as Jesus was the Good |
| gift all three daughters were able to get married | | | | Shepherd, and convenient hook shape for hanging |
| and his generosity became famous. He became | | | | on tree branches, the candy became a favorite |
| the patron saint of children, orphans, sailors, | | | | Christmas tree decoration. When turned upside |
| students, pawnbrokers, thieves and the countries | | | | down, the hook is big "J", a fitting symbol for Big |
| of Russia and Greece.SANTA'S GOT A BRAND | | | | J.Over time, the candy adopted its peppermint |
| NEW BAGOver time the legend of St. Nicholas | | | | flavor and familiar stripes. Peppermint is similar to |
| grew and the feast of St. Nicholas celebrated on | | | | hyssop, which was used for ancient purification |
| December 6th, the day he died. St. Nicholas' | | | | and sacrifice rituals. The traditional candy cane has |
| eternal retirement as Santa Claus evolved over | | | | three small red stripes and one large one. The |
| several centuries as the legend of St. Nicholas | | | | most common interpretation states the three |
| was carried over to surrounding countries. Dutch | | | | small ones represent the Holy Trinity and the |
| and German settlers brought the basic ideas of | | | | larger one reminds us of God. Another versions |
| what would become Santa Claus to the New | | | | states that the three small stripes represent our |
| World. The Dutch had Sinterklaas and the | | | | own sins while the larger symbolizes Christ's |
| Germans had Pelsnickel and Christkindl and both | | | | Passion. Green is the color of giving and a green |
| celebrated the feast of St. Nicholas. The idea of | | | | stripe is sometimes added to represents Jesus is |
| naughty and nice seems to come from Pelsnickel | | | | God's gift to us.KISSY FACEBy definition, |
| would bring rewards to the good and punishment | | | | mistletoe is an aerial evergreen parasitic plant that |
| to the wicked. The Dutch version of Santa lived in | | | | has no roots of its own and lives off the tree it |
| Spain, rode a white horse and traveled with six to | | | | attaches itself to. Doesn't sound so romantic does |
| eight black men who helped him deliver gifts. Over | | | | it?Well, centuries ago, Druids respected mistletoe |
| the centuries, this slowly changed to characters | | | | as a sacred plant with spiritual and medicinal |
| who were far more politically correct. The men | | | | healing qualities. Much fanfare went into collecting |
| became Telatubby-type rainbow colored helpers. | | | | the plant and they used a special gold dagger to |
| This was combined with Scandinavian Yuletide | | | | harvest it. A Norse myth tells the story of a |
| tradition of gifting giving elves and presto, Santa | | | | Balder, the god of light, who was shot down by |
| now had a legion of toy building elves to bring joy | | | | an arrow crafted from a branch of mistletoe. |
| to the world.The modern version of Santa Claus | | | | Earth and heaven wept for his death and for |
| quickly took shape with American writers during | | | | three days each element tried in vain to bring |
| the holiday season.In 1808, Washington Irving | | | | Balder back to life. It was his mother, Frigga who |
| created the idea of a pipe smoking Santa with a | | | | restored but not before her fallen tears were |
| broad-rimmed hat riding over the tree-tops in | | | | transformed into the white berries of the |
| horse-drawn wagon dropping gifts down chimneys | | | | mistletoe. From then on she decreed that no |
| to all his favorite kids.In 1822, Dr. Clement Clark | | | | harm would fall to anyone under the mistletoe and |
| Moore left the longest lasting impression of the | | | | they shall receive only a kiss of love.O' |
| jolly ol' man with his story, "A Visit from St. | | | | CHRISTMAS TREEIn the 4th Century AD, the |
| Nicholas", better known as "The Night Before | | | | Roman Church decided Christmas should officially |
| Christmas". He established that Santa lived in the | | | | be celebrated on December 25th. By doing this |
| Artic with a flying sleigh pulled by eight reindeer. | | | | some of the pagan customs of the Roman |
| He described Santa as having 'a broad face, and a | | | | Saturnalia were absorbed as it was celebrated at |
| little round belly, that shook when he laughed like a | | | | that same time of year. During Saturnalia people |
| bowl full of jelly."Thomas Nast illustrated covers | | | | feasted, exchanged gifts and decorated their |
| for Harper's Weekly in the late 1800's and by | | | | homes with lamps and evergreen shrubs. The |
| request of President Lincoln was commissioned to | | | | food and presents were fine with the Church, but |
| create a special Christmas picture for the cover. | | | | the evergreen stuff was just too pagan for them |
| This started an annual tradition for Nast who used | | | | at it was forbidden. For centuries the battle over |
| the opportunity to mould Santa to his liking. Nast | | | | festive home decoration ensued. In the 16th |
| created the standard Santa suit, his home at the | | | | Century John Calvin forbade the observance of |
| North Pole and the image of him pouring over a | | | | Christmas and Easter and in 1659 it was against |
| list of naughty or nice.By the 1850, Nast's new | | | | the law in Massachusetts to celebrate Christmas |
| version of Santa began appearing in American | | | | anywhere else but in church. It wasn't fully |
| department stores. Santa's image evolved with | | | | embraced until the mid-nineteenth century by |
| each new holiday season. The modern image of | | | | England's Prince Albert allowing for Christmas and |
| Santa was firmly solidified by artist Haddon | | | | the home decoration of Christmas trees to be |
| Sundblom in 1931, when he created an annual | | | | fully accepted.Today it is customary for nearly |
| Santa campaign for Coca-Cola.RUDOLPHIn 1939, | | | | everyone to have a Christmas tree in their |
| Robert May, an advertising writer for the | | | | homes, regardless of strong religious affiliations. |
| Montgomery Ward department store created the | | | | 2004 marks the 72nd Annual lighting of the |
| marketing idea of Rudolph the Red-nosed | | | | Rockefeller Christmas Tree.ROCKEFELLER |
| Reindeer. Montgomery Ward distributed 2.4 million | | | | CENTERThe annual Christmas tree at Rockefeller |
| copies of the story booklet in its first year of | | | | Center is usually a Norway Spruce. They usually |
| release. May had suffered considerable financial | | | | have a life span of 80 to 110 years and grow |
| strife, his wife had died of a terminal illness and in | | | | about a foot a year. The desired dimensions are a |
| 1947 the department store signed over the | | | | minimum of 65 feet tall and 35 feet wide. 75 to |
| copyright of Rudolph to him. May's brother-in-law | | | | 100 feet tall are preferred. The trees are located |
| soon after wrote the lyrics for the song, 'Rudolph | | | | in the Northeastern part of the United States. It |
| the Red-Nosed Reindeer'. Gene Autry was the | | | | takes all of two minutes to cut it down by |
| first to record the song in 1949 and it went on to | | | | requires 20 people and a 280-ton all-terrain |
| becoming the second best selling song of all time, | | | | hydraulic crane to handle the tree. Once in place it |
| second only to 'White Christmas'. The famous | | | | is transported via a custom built telescoping |
| Rudolph Christmas special was created in 1964 | | | | flatbed truck to New York City.CHRISTMAS |
| and remains a classic to this day.WE THREE | | | | LIGHTSAfter centuries of repression, Christmas |
| KINGSGold, frankincense and myrrh - precious | | | | became a legal holiday in 1859 in the state of |
| metal and gum resins, that's what the three wise | | | | Massachusetts. Soon the rest of the United |
| men brought to the baby Jesus on his birthday. | | | | States followed and in 1882 Thomas Edison |
| These were rare and special gifts, things you | | | | struck upon the idea of electric Christmas lights. |
| wouldn't normally be able to get your hands on, | | | | By 1912, outdoor Christmas tree lights had |
| especially if you were an infant even if you're dad | | | | become common in Boston. After the first World |
| was the creator of the known universe. | | | | War, the lights caught on Europe and by the |
| Everybody knows what gold is and I'm guessing | | | | mid-20th Century they had become widespread |
| the guy who brought it was the town favorite, so | | | | and a well-established part of the holiday cheer. |
| what about frankincense and myrrh? Frankincense | | | | These days it is the inciting moment that marks |
| is hardened tree sap from the Boswelia tree. | | | | the holiday season with the sight of the first |
| Myrrh is also hardened tree sap from the Miphora | | | | Christmas lights of the year.CELEBRITY |
| tree family. They both are used as incense and | | | | CHRISTMASHere's the scene, a reenactment of |
| commonly found in the country of Somalia.An | | | | the nativity starring Samuel L. Jackson, Hugh |
| interesting note, nothing in the Bible states how | | | | Grant and Graham Norton as shepherds, David |
| many wise men showed up bearing gifts. Gaspar, | | | | and Victoria Beckham as Joseph and Mary, British |
| Melchior and Balthasar are commonly referred to | | | | Prime Minister Tony Blair, The Duke of Edinburgh |
| has the names of the wise men, but these | | | | and President George W. Bush as the Three Wise |
| names don't appear in the Bible either. The | | | | Men, Kyle Minogue as the Angel and J.C. playing |
| number three is reference to the three types of | | | | himself as an infant. It's not a movie, but this |
| gifts presented. Also there is no mention of the | | | | year's Madame Tussaud's Celebrity Nativity scene |
| wise men riding camels or being kings. There is | | | | now on display in London. We'll leave it to you to |
| further evidence that the men showed up | | | | find what's wrong with that picture.To read more |
| sometime after the actual birth as the source info | | | | articles by Chad, visit the American Pop Culture |
| in Matthew 2:11 states, "And when they were | | | | Encyclopedia at: American Pop Culture |
| come into the house, they say the young child | | | | Encyclopedia. |
| with Mary his mother, and fell down, and | | | | If you would like to read this article, or others |
| worshipped him..." Hmmm, it seems by this time | | | | like it, on American Pop Culture Encyclopedia, |
| Mary had a home and Jesus a young kid, instead | | | | please visit: Merry Christmas! |
| of an infant in a stable.STOCKING STUFFERSThe | | | | |