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Christmas is a joyful religious holiday when Christians
celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The Christmas story
comes from the Bible. An angel appeared to shepherds and
told them that a Savior had been born to Mary and Joseph
in a stable in Bethlehem. Three Wise Men from the East
(the Magi) followed a wondrous star which led them to
the baby Jesus to whom they paid homage and presented
gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
To people all over the world, Christmas is a season of
giving and receiving presents. In some European
countries, Father Christmas, or Saint Nicholas, comes
into houses in the night and leaves gifts for the
children. Saint Nicholas is represented as a kindly man
with a red cloak and long white beard. Another
character, the Norse God Odin, rode on a magical flying
horse across the sky in the winter to reward people with
gifts. These different legends passed across the ages to
make the presentday Santa Claus.
Immigrant settlers brought Father Christmas to the
United States. Father Christmas' name was gradually
changed to Santa Claus, from the Dutch name for Father
Christmas, which is Sinter Claas. Although he has
origins in Norse and pre-Christian mythology, Santa
Claus took shape in the United States. Americans gave
Santa Claus a white beard, dressed him in a red suit and
made him a cheery old gentleman with red cheeks and a
twinkle in his eye.
Most children believe that Santa Claus lives at the
North Pole. All year he lists the names of children,
both those who have been good and those who have been
bad. He decides what presents to give to the good
children. He oversees the manufacturing and wrapping of
the presents by his helpers.
Santa Claus supposedly gets his list of toys from the
millions of children who write to him at the North Pole.
Children also find Santa Claus at shopping malls across
the country. They sit on his lap and tell him what they
want for Christmas. Of course, their parents are
probably nearby listening in as well.
On December 24, Christmas Eve, Santa hitches his eight
reindeer to a sleigh and loads it with presents. The
reindeer pull him and his sleigh through the sky to
deliver presents to children all around the world, that
is, if they had been good all year.
Several American towns maintain the spirit of Santa
Claus. The New England state of Connecticut has a
Christmas village where "Santa" and his elves give out
gifts. In New York, a small town called the North Pole
was designed for Santa Claus. There is a post office, a
church and a blacksmith shop, to repair the shoes of the
reindeer.
Santa Claus exists only in our imaginations. But he,
Saint Nicholas, and Father Christmas are spirits of
giving. Christmas has been associated with gift giving
since the Wise Men brought gifts to welcome the newborn
Jesus Christ.
In anticipation of Santa's visit, American children
listen to their parents read "The Night Before
Christmas" before they go to bed on Christmas Eve.
Clement Moore wrote the poem in 1823.
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