Merry Christmas to One and All!

ST. NICKAs the story goes, Jolly ol' Saint Nicholasoriginal idea for stocking stuffing came from kids
was a real guy from Myra in the country ofleaving carrots and turnips in their shoes for
Turkey. He was a 4th Century bishop madeSanta's horse or donkey, long before he was
famous when he heard the story of three Italianknown 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 ofwith treats for the giving children.CANDIED
them get married, so he was considering sellingCANEThe red and white striped holiday pacifier
one of the daughters into slavery to pay for thehas been around for several centuries. Parents
other two to have weddings. Well, as you canhave long been giving their children white sugar
imagine that's a pretty bad deal for anyone andsticks to keep their yaps shut, then in the 1670's
St. Nick decided to help the family out. One nightan industrious German choirmaster bent the sticks
he snuck up on their roof and secretly tossedto resemble shepherd staff. With their somewhat
three bags of gold down the chimney. With hisholy interpretation, as Jesus was the Good
gift all three daughters were able to get marriedShepherd, and convenient hook shape for hanging
and his generosity became famous. He becameon 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 countriesdown, the hook is big "J", a fitting symbol for Big
of Russia and Greece.SANTA'S GOT A BRANDJ.Over time, the candy adopted its peppermint
NEW BAGOver time the legend of St. Nicholasflavor and familiar stripes. Peppermint is similar to
grew and the feast of St. Nicholas celebrated onhyssop, 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 overthree small red stripes and one large one. The
several centuries as the legend of St. Nicholasmost common interpretation states the three
was carried over to surrounding countries. Dutchsmall ones represent the Holy Trinity and the
and German settlers brought the basic ideas oflarger one reminds us of God. Another versions
what would become Santa Claus to the Newstates that the three small stripes represent our
World. The Dutch had Sinterklaas and theown sins while the larger symbolizes Christ's
Germans had Pelsnickel and Christkindl and bothPassion. Green is the color of giving and a green
celebrated the feast of St. Nicholas. The idea ofstripe is sometimes added to represents Jesus is
naughty and nice seems to come from PelsnickelGod's gift to us.KISSY FACEBy definition,
would bring rewards to the good and punishmentmistletoe is an aerial evergreen parasitic plant that
to the wicked. The Dutch version of Santa lived inhas no roots of its own and lives off the tree it
Spain, rode a white horse and traveled with six toattaches itself to. Doesn't sound so romantic does
eight black men who helped him deliver gifts. Overit?Well, centuries ago, Druids respected mistletoe
the centuries, this slowly changed to charactersas a sacred plant with spiritual and medicinal
who were far more politically correct. The menhealing 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 Yuletideharvest it. A Norse myth tells the story of a
tradition of gifting giving elves and presto, SantaBalder, the god of light, who was shot down by
now had a legion of toy building elves to bring joyan arrow crafted from a branch of mistletoe.
to the world.The modern version of Santa ClausEarth and heaven wept for his death and for
quickly took shape with American writers duringthree days each element tried in vain to bring
the holiday season.In 1808, Washington IrvingBalder back to life. It was his mother, Frigga who
created the idea of a pipe smoking Santa with arestored but not before her fallen tears were
broad-rimmed hat riding over the tree-tops intransformed into the white berries of the
horse-drawn wagon dropping gifts down chimneysmistletoe. From then on she decreed that no
to all his favorite kids.In 1822, Dr. Clement Clarkharm would fall to anyone under the mistletoe and
Moore left the longest lasting impression of thethey 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 BeforeRoman Church decided Christmas should officially
Christmas". He established that Santa lived in thebe 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 aSaturnalia were absorbed as it was celebrated at
little round belly, that shook when he laughed like athat same time of year. During Saturnalia people
bowl full of jelly."Thomas Nast illustrated coversfeasted, exchanged gifts and decorated their
for Harper's Weekly in the late 1800's and byhomes with lamps and evergreen shrubs. The
request of President Lincoln was commissioned tofood 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 usedat it was forbidden. For centuries the battle over
the opportunity to mould Santa to his liking. Nastfestive home decoration ensued. In the 16th
created the standard Santa suit, his home at theCentury John Calvin forbade the observance of
North Pole and the image of him pouring over aChristmas and Easter and in 1659 it was against
list of naughty or nice.By the 1850, Nast's newthe law in Massachusetts to celebrate Christmas
version of Santa began appearing in Americananywhere else but in church. It wasn't fully
department stores. Santa's image evolved withembraced until the mid-nineteenth century by
each new holiday season. The modern image ofEngland's Prince Albert allowing for Christmas and
Santa was firmly solidified by artist Haddonthe home decoration of Christmas trees to be
Sundblom in 1931, when he created an annualfully 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 thehomes, regardless of strong religious affiliations.
Montgomery Ward department store created the2004 marks the 72nd Annual lighting of the
marketing idea of Rudolph the Red-nosedRockefeller Christmas Tree.ROCKEFELLER
Reindeer. Montgomery Ward distributed 2.4 millionCENTERThe annual Christmas tree at Rockefeller
copies of the story booklet in its first year ofCenter is usually a Norway Spruce. They usually
release. May had suffered considerable financialhave a life span of 80 to 110 years and grow
strife, his wife had died of a terminal illness and inabout a foot a year. The desired dimensions are a
1947 the department store signed over theminimum of 65 feet tall and 35 feet wide. 75 to
copyright of Rudolph to him. May's brother-in-law100 feet tall are preferred. The trees are located
soon after wrote the lyrics for the song, 'Rudolphin the Northeastern part of the United States. It
the Red-Nosed Reindeer'. Gene Autry was thetakes all of two minutes to cut it down by
first to record the song in 1949 and it went on torequires 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 famousis transported via a custom built telescoping
Rudolph Christmas special was created in 1964flatbed truck to New York City.CHRISTMAS
and remains a classic to this day.WE THREELIGHTSAfter centuries of repression, Christmas
KINGSGold, frankincense and myrrh - preciousbecame a legal holiday in 1859 in the state of
metal and gum resins, that's what the three wiseMassachusetts. 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 youstruck 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 dadbecome 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 guessingmid-20th Century they had become widespread
the guy who brought it was the town favorite, soand a well-established part of the holiday cheer.
what about frankincense and myrrh? FrankincenseThese 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 MiphoraChristmas lights of the year.CELEBRITY
tree family. They both are used as incense andCHRISTMASHere's the scene, a reenactment of
commonly found in the country of Somalia.Anthe nativity starring Samuel L. Jackson, Hugh
interesting note, nothing in the Bible states howGrant 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 toPrime Minister Tony Blair, The Duke of Edinburgh
has the names of the wise men, but theseand President George W. Bush as the Three Wise
names don't appear in the Bible either. TheMen, Kyle Minogue as the Angel and J.C. playing
number three is reference to the three types ofhimself as an infant. It's not a movie, but this
gifts presented. Also there is no mention of theyear's Madame Tussaud's Celebrity Nativity scene
wise men riding camels or being kings. There isnow on display in London. We'll leave it to you to
further evidence that the men showed upfind what's wrong with that picture.To read more
sometime after the actual birth as the source infoarticles by Chad, visit the American Pop Culture
in Matthew 2:11 states, "And when they wereEncyclopedia at: American Pop Culture
come into the house, they say the young childEncyclopedia.
with Mary his mother, and fell down, andIf you would like to read this article, or others
worshipped him..." Hmmm, it seems by this timelike it, on American Pop Culture Encyclopedia,
Mary had a home and Jesus a young kid, insteadplease visit: Merry Christmas!
of an infant in a stable.STOCKING STUFFERSThe