Santa Claus
Posted in Christian Festivals, Festivals in December on 13. Dec, 2009
Santa Claus
Posted in Christian Festivals, Festivals in December on 13. Dec, 2009
Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, is perhaps the most popular Christmas figure among kids. He is a stout, jolly old fellow with a white beard who wears a red suit. He lives at the North Pole. Santa Claus brings gifts to children on Christmas Eve. Children write to the Santa telling him what gifts they want for Christmas. On Christmas Eve, Santa Claus gathers all the toys on his sleigh which is driven by a team of reindeer as he rides across the sky. Rudolf the red-nosed reindeer leads the team and is Santa’s favorite. Santa slips down the chimneys of houses and places the toys in stockings by the beds of children. In some shopping malls or parties for children someone usually dresses up as Santa Claus and gives gifts to the children.
The fictitious character of Santa Claus is based on a real life person Saint Nicholas. Saint Nicholas was a kind-hearted but rather shy person who loved helping people. Once to help a girl in need, he slipped a purse full of gold coins down the chimney which incidentally landed in the girl’s stocking that had been placed by the fire for drying. This is reportedly the beginning of the tradition of placing gifts in stockings.