THE HISTORY OF CHRISTMAS

THE STORIES BELOW TELLS HOW I BECAME SANTA AND CREATED MY SANTA VILLAGE UNDER THE NAME OF SANTALIVENOW.

 SANTA AS A LITTLE BOY.

There are days, when I am sitting quietly alone by the fireside, I often think what do people really think of me?  Now I want you all to look at me and ask yourselves, do you like me?  Do I look jolly?  Well, I hope the answer to those questions is YES!  During these quiet moments I also get very nostalgic, and I remember a time long ago when, as a little boy I was not jolly at all!  In fact, I was so unhappy because I thought I was never any good at anything!  As hard as I tried, I was never top of the class, I was never picked for the football team, and I couldn’t even run as fast as the other boys and girls.

 One day, feeling very unhappy and sorry for myself I decided to take a walk, on my own, to the enchanted forest.  Feeling ever so miserable, I walked with my head held down, hands in my pockets and stubbing my toes into the ground when suddenly I saw a beautiful robin red breast, lying still in the grass.  He had a broken wing poor fellow, “oh, you poor thing” I said softly as I picked him up gently.  “Where do you live little robin?  Tell me and I will take you home immediately.”   The robin looked at me sadly and said “ I live in the castle at the end of the rainbow.”  Just then, a beautiful rainbow appeared in the sky, a perfect arc made of the colours red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet!  There were 7 colours in all, and do you know how I remember them?  In school I was taught a phrase which goes like this:-

 Richard Of York Gained Battles In Vain!

 So, perhaps I wasn’t bottom of the class after all!

 Now I may have thought of myself as an unhappy lonely boy who was no good at anything, but even then I always wanted to be kind,  helpful, and so with little robin red breast cradled safely in my hands, I started to follow the rainbow.  For miles I walked, up hill and down dale, across rivers and though valleys until daylight passed, and the sky started to turn dark!  Suddenly, in the distance there it was, a beautiful, magical castle perched high on a hill, surrounded by Christmas trees whose twinkling lights seemed to dance in the moonlight!  At last I had found the end of the rainbow!

 I walked up the hill in wonder at the beautiful and enchanting sight before me, hardly believing my eyes, and pushed firmly on the huge golden gates at the entrance of the castle until they opened wide as if they were expecting me!  Imagine my surprise when, as if by magic, the little robin flew out of my hand, his wing no longer broken, and perched on the branch of a tree.  Standing next to the tree was the shadowy figure of and old man, and as I looked closer I realised it was Old Father Time!

 “Welcome little Santa”  he said in a kind but firm voice, “we have been waiting for your arrival for a thousand years, and tonight you have proved to us, with your kindness, that you are the true spirit of Christmas!

“But I am just a sad, lonely little boy who is not good at anything” I exclaimed rather forlornly!

“That is nonsense” came his reply, “what is more important is that you are good at being good.  You’re are a kind, thoughtful little boy, and from this day forward, you will be known as Santa Claus, the spirit of Christmas, and everyone will love you, and believe in you.”

For the first time in my life I felt good, and happy, and it didn’t really matter any more whether I was the fastest or the cleverest, what really mattered was that I would always do my best to be good to others.

 Although this happened many years ago, whenever I feel sad, or that perhaps I am not good at anything, I remember the kind words of Old Father Time, when he told me “you only have to be good at being good” and I realise I am good at what I do best!  I was reminded of this yesterday when someone shouted after me, “hey Santa, you are the greatest guy on the planet!” to which I replied, “there is a Santa in all of us, all we have to do is find it  within our hearts!”

 So, next time you see a rainbow, remember my story, and try to find the goodness of Santa within your own heart!

 -CHECK OUT THE HISTORY OF THE CHRISTMAS VIDEO

The Santa Stories.

STORY 12

 SANTA’S VILLAGE.

                  Well Children its Story Time Again and I’m going to tell you how we founded Santa’s Village.

       As a young man, I knew I had been chosen as Santa Clause and my mission through life would be to spread the Spirit of Christmas throughout the World.

      I had finished my studies and I decided I would do what a lot of students do; I would take a Gap year and travel the world.

      As I put on my back pack, my Rainbow appeared in the Sky, I knew it was from Old Father Time and it would safely guide me.

      I travelled to Africa, India China and Russia. All over the world I travelled and the rainbow wanted me to witness poverty, drought, hunger and notice that the children of the world were all God’s children and no one was any different, only the colour of their skin.

     As I reached Australia, I felt my journey was over so I looked up into the Sky to see if the rainbow was still there and I walked straight into a lamp post and fell to the ground.

     Are you OK? A voice asked, as I lay on the floor. It was a beautiful young lady and she helped me to my feet. She also was a student travelling.

     Well we got on great and I told her I was Santa Clause and I’m following my Rainbow and would she like to travel with me.

      As the weeks passed I fell in love and I knew I wanted to marry this lady, I built up the courage and asked her if she would be my wife and be Mrs Clause. She replied, yes but where are we going to live. Just then, in the sky my Rainbow started to dance and move. We looked up and it swung right around and it pointed north, it was sign for us to follow.

      We followed my rainbow all the way to the North Pole where we found a small white church made of sugar. Outside stood 12 elves who bowed when we arrived.

       We have been expecting you, a voice said; Old Father Time has organised everything. I looked around and behind me it was a small talking mouse greeting me. I thought to myself this place is magical. I’m sure I saw a Reindeer in the sky.

      As the door opened, the wedding march music started to play and the Head Elf proclaimed the Wedding of Santa Clause to his bride.

       This will be first wedding in the Village, I proclaim! From this day on, the village will be known as Santa’s Village, where we will build a foundation to help the children of the world.

        I could tell the Head Elf was excited. This was the start of a great friendship as I knew Head Elf was going to help me build the village.

      It was a great day, Old Father Time married us, my bride looked beautiful, just like a fairy princess, but after the wedding we agreed to spend our honeymoon planning the layout of the village.

      We needed Workshops, for the Toys. We needed Stables, for the Reindeers. The list was endless but Santa’s Village is now complete.

     Children you can safely visit me through the internet at Santalivenow and you can tell me want you want for Christmas, or ask me about Rudolph. You can ask me anything you want- Merry Christmas Ho Ho Ho

CHRISTMAS AN ANCIENT HOLIDAY

The middle of winter has long been a time of celebration around the world. Centuries before the arrival of the man called Jesus, early Europeans celebrated light and birth in the darkest days of winter. Many peoples rejoiced during the winter solstice, when the worst of the winter was behind them and they could look forward to longer days and extended hours of sunlight.
In Scandinavia, the Norse celebrated Yule from December 21, the winter solstice, through January. In recognition of the return of the sun, fathers and sons would bring home large logs, which they would set on fire. The people would feast until the log burned out, which could take as many as 12 days. The Norse believed that each spark from the fire represented a new pig or calf that would be born during the coming year.
The end of December was a perfect time for celebration in most areas of Europe. At that time of year, most cattle were slaughtered so they would not have to be fed during the winter. For many, it was the only time of year when they had a supply of fresh meat. In addition, most wine and beer made during the year was finally fermented and ready for drinking.
In Germany, people honored the pagan god Oden during the mid-winter holiday. Germans were terrified of Oden, as they believed he made nocturnal flights through the sky to observe his people, and then decide who would prosper or perish. Because of his presence, many people chose to stay inside.

Saturnalia

In Rome, where winters were not as harsh as those in the far north, Saturnalia—a holiday in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture—was celebrated. Beginning in the week leading up to the winter solstice and continuing for a full month, Saturnalia was a hedonistic time, when food and drink were plentiful and the normal Roman social order was turned upside down. For a month, slaves would become masters. Peasants were in command of the city. Business and schools were closed so that everyone could join in the fun.
Also around the time of the winter solstice, Romans observed Juvenalia, a feast honoring the children of Rome. In addition, members of the upper classes often celebrated the birthday of Mithra, the god of the unconquerable sun, on December 25. It was believed that Mithra, an infant god, was born of a rock. For some Romans, Mithra's birthday was the most sacred day of the year.
In the early years of Christianity, Easter was the main holiday; the birth of Jesus was not celebrated. In the fourth century, church officials decided to institute the birth of Jesus as a holiday.Unfortunately, the Bible does not mention date for his birth (a fact Puritans later pointed out in order to deny the legitimacy of the celebration). Although some evidence suggests that his birth may have occurred in the spring (why would shepherds be herding in the middle of winter?), Pope Julius I chose December 25. It is commonly believed that the church chose this date in an effort to adopt and absorb the traditions of the pagan Saturnalia festival. First called the Feast of the Nativity, the custom spread to Egypt by 432 and to England by the end of the sixth century. By the end of the eighth century, the celebration of Christmas had spread all the way to Scandinavia. Today, in the Greek and Russian orthodox churches, Christmas is celebrated 13 days after the 25th, which is also referred to as the Epiphany or Three Kings Day. This is the day it is believed that the three wise men finally found Jesus in the manger.
By holding Christmas at the same time as traditional winter solstice festivals, church leaders increased the chances that Christmas would be popularly embraced, but gave up the ability to dictate how it was celebrated. By the Middle Ages, Christianity had, for the most part, replaced pagan religion. On Christmas, believers attended church, then celebrated raucously in a drunken, carnival-like atmosphere similar to today's Mardi Gras. Each year, a beggar or student would be crowned the "lord of misrule" and eager celebrants played the part of his subjects. The poor would go to the houses of the rich and demand their best food and drink. If owners failed to comply, their visitors would most likely terrorize them with mischief. Christmas became the time of year when the upper classes could repay their real or imagined "debt" to society by entertaining less fortunate citizens.

An Outlaw Christmas

 

In the early 17th century, a wave of religious reform changed the way Christmas was celebrated in Europe. When Oliver Cromwell and his Puritan forces took over England in 1645, they vowed to rid England of decadence and, as part of their effort, cancelled Christmas. By popular demand, Charles II was restored to the throne and, with him, came the return of the popular holiday.
The pilgrims, English separatists that came to America in 1620, were even more orthodox in their Puritan beliefs than Cromwell. As a result, Christmas was not a holiday in early America. From 1659 to 1681, the celebration of Christmas was actually outlawed in Boston. Anyone exhibiting the Christmas spirit was fined five shillings. By contrast, in the Jamestown settlement, Captain John Smith reported that Christmas was enjoyed by all and passed without incident.
After the American Revolution, English customs fell out of favor, including Christmas. In fact, Congress was in session on December 25, 1789, the first Christmas under America's new constitution. Christmas wasn't declared a federal holiday until June 26, 1870.

Irving Reinvents Christmas

It wasn't until the 19th century that Americans began to embrace Christmas. Americans re-invented Christmas, and changed it from a raucous carnival holiday into a family-centered day of peace and nostalgia. But what about the 1800s peaked American interest in the holiday?
The early 19th century was a period of class conflict and turmoil. During this time, unemployment was high and gang rioting by the disenchanted classes often occurred during the Christmas season. In 1828, the New York city council instituted the city's first police force in response to a Christmas riot. This catalyzed certain members of the upper classes to begin to change the way Christmas was celebrated in America.
In 1819, best-selling author Washington Irving wrote The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, gent., a series of stories about the celebration of Christmas in an English manor house. The sketches feature a squire who invited the peasants into his home for the holiday. In contrast to the problems faced in American society, the two groups mingled effortlessly. In Irving's mind, Christmas should be a peaceful, warm-hearted holiday bringing groups together across lines of wealth or social status. Irving's fictitious celebrants enjoyed "ancient customs," including the crowning of a Lord of Misrule. Irving's book, however, was not based on any holiday celebration he had attended - in fact, many historians say that Irving's account actually "invented" tradition by implying that it described the true customs of the season.