Santa Claus and Ho! Ho! Ho!
Santa Claus & Ho! Ho! Ho! at Wee Wisdom School
Last week I offered Santa Claus and Ho! Ho! Ho! to three pre-school classes at Wee Wisdom School at Unity Church of the Hills If the children enjoyed it 1/10 as much as I did, they were really, really happy.
I am sure that sometime in my 4th or 5th year, my mother told me some history of Santa Claus. Back then, thanks to significantly less media and significantly more peacefulness, the belief in Santa Claus lasted several years longer! Ironically, I remember none of it and rely on Wikipedia for a synopsis.
Santa Claus, as we know him in America, originated as a combination of several historically real and fictionally created characters. Here’s a very brief synopsis.
A bit of Santa’s history
Saint Nicholas
Foremost was Saint Nicholas, the 4th Century Greek bishop in Myra. He was the patron saint of a mixed and motley crowd: sailors, merchants, archers, repentant thieves, prostitutes, children, brewers, pawnbrokers, and students. He was best known for his generosity and care for impoverished children. His death on December 6 lead to that being blessed as St. Nicholas Day and becoming a time in Europe for celebration by sharing of gifts, especially for children.
Sinterklaas
The Dutch people adopted the giving nature of St. Nicholas and created Sinterklaas, a legendary figure who delivered presents to children on the eve of St. Nicholas Day. Sinterklaas is clearly a connection between St. Nicholas and Santa Claus. Sinterklaas was outfitted in red bishop’s attire, complete with mitre (headgear) and ornamental staff. Even more familiar to Santa Claus are his full white beard and flowing white hair.
Nast’s Santa Claus
So, here comes Santa Claus. Thanks to Clarke Clemente Moore’s poem, “A Visit from St. Nicholas” and Thomas Nast’s illustrations during the Civil War, the western variation came into being. And in the time since then, he’s relocated to the North Pole, adopted more than a handful of supportive elves, a herd of reindeer, and an emissions-free sleigh.
Santa Claus brings a bagful of mystery and joy and excitement year after year after year. If I allow myself to overlook the incessant and increasing commercialism of the jolly ol’ man, he brings this grown-up plenty of joy too! My morning as the Wee Wisdom School Santa gave to me
- Toddlers who alternately stared, approached, withdrew, and smiled
- A little girl who gave me a hug before I left
- The little boy who asked, suspiciously, if my beard was real
- The pre-K class who shared what they want for Christmas, and even if they didn’t know are sure they’ll get it anyway!
Thanks, Santa! and thanks for Santa
Good Friend, God, I am delighted that the gift of Santa Claus
is such a blessing this time of year.
The mystery and energy of someone so out of the ordinary,
coming in a special way, to deliver special presents
that bring us special joy. The blessings
that we see in the excitement of every child’s face
are the gifts that we receive.
And all of this makes us so mindful,
so reminiscent of the gifts shared with us
by the especially exemplary and extraordinary
Jesus. The special gift of knowing
our unity, our Oneness with you, rewards us
not only in this single season, rewards us
all the time, many times over.
We thank you, God!
And so it is. Amen
Love & Blessings,
December 24, 2019
In: Happiness, Joy, Prayer · Tagged with: Abundance, Christ, Energy, Faith, Joy
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