Santa Claus Recipes Food Cooking International Guide
Santa Claus Delivers Christmas Cheer
By Katerina Octanova
There is a Christmas gift giver figure in more than forty different
countries. In South Africa and Holland, it’s Sinter Klaas who
brings gifts. In Brazil, it’s Papi Noel. In Italy, it’s Baboo
Natale. In the UK, Canada, Japan and America, it’s Santa Claus.
In an early description by Clement Clarke Moore, Santa Claus
"was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot, and his
clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot. His eyes, how
they twinkled; his dimples how merry! His cheeks were like roses,
his nose like a cherry! His droll little mouth was drawn up like
a bow, and the beard of his chin was as white as the snow. He
had a broad face and a little round belly, that shook when he
laughed, like a bowlful of jelly. He was chubby and plump, a right
jolly old elf."
Santa Claus Arrived In America In 1773
The American version of Santa Claus is most closely associated
with the Dutch Sinter Klaas and arrived in the new world around
1773. In 1809, Washington Irving (writing under the pseudonym
Diedrich Knickerbocker) described Santa arriving on horseback
on Christmas Eve.
In 1823, Clement Clarke Moore wrote "A Visit From St. Nicholas"
(also commonly referred to as "The Night Before Christmas"),
which detailed the physical description of Santa, as well as information
about his workshop, traveling by reindeer and the delivery of
Christmas gifts. Thomas Nast published pictures of Santa in Harper’s
Magazine from the 1860s to 1880s, which further cemented the imagery
in children’s minds.
Similarities Between Santa Claus And Odin
There are also many parallels between Santa Claus and the Germanic
god Odin. For instance, Odin was said to "lead a great hunting
party through the sky" during the Germanic winter holiday
of Yule. Additionally, Odin was described as riding an "eight-legged
horse named Sleipnir," which may have inspired the idea of
eight flying reindeer.
In folklore, children would fill their boots with carrots, straw
or sugar near the chimney for Sleipnir to eat and Odin would reward
those children for their kindness by placing gifts in return.
In Skaldic poetry, his various names all translated to "long
beard." In addition to these parallels, other Germanic traditions
are celebrated at Christmas, such as the hanging of stockings,
the giving of sweets, the Christmas ham, Yule logs and the Christmas
tree.
Santa Claus Holiday Activities Online
There are many websites featuring Santa Claus holiday activities.
At www.northpole.com,
your kids can write to Santa, read stories, send e-cards, play
games and puzzles, and themselves in holiday stories or print
color sheets.
Parents can print out a "Good Deed Calendar," look
for holiday recipes, print a Santa reply letter or go over instructional
units with their kids. The kids will also love www.santatelevision.com,
where they can watch the Santa’s Village webcam, see a reindeer
race, check out the Northern Lights or see Christmas scene videos
from around the world!
At www.santaclaus.net,
there are fun interactive features that appeal to curious little
ones especially, like a Santa tracker, North Pole weather forecast,
a reindeer stable, Santa’s good list and the naughty or nice list.
Kids can hear Christmas songs, play games and read stories, as
well as put in to get a phone call or letter from Santa himself.
About the Author:
Katerina Octanova has written a number of articles on food and
cooking including Christmas
Gift Baskets, The
Christmas, Christmas,
Christmas
Gift Food, Christmas
Hamper, Christmas
Party, Christmas
Gift For The Office, Christmas
Gift Idea For Family.
Keep a lookout for more of her articles on this website.
Did You Know This About Christmas?
There are many things that happen during the Christmas holiday
season. You have rampant crowds while trying to do shopping. You
have family and friends to visit. There are many different social
outings to attend.
But many parents and caregivers forget one very important thing:
kids are out for the holiday break. This means that you will need
a way to entertain them and keep them out of mischief. The more
activities that you can give them, the less stressful you will
be. Great puzzles, games and coloring sheets can keep them occupied
for long stretches of time.
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