Santa Claus.. Pretender To The Throne - Part 2

This is great research on the origins of Santa Claus.  And scary stuff too.  Santa falls under paganism/demonology, and is the poster boy for consumerism, the madness that manifests itself in the video of Black Friday a few posts down.  Time to end Santa's attachment to the remembrance of the birth of the Savior.  Fascinating to read here the links of santa to Thor (the Norwegian Apollo), gnomes (demons) and even Satan. 

A Curious Amalgam

While undoubtedly Santa Claus was based in part on St Nicholas and the gift giving legends associated with him, the modern day Santa Claus bears remarkable similarities to other sources.

In Germany, St. Nicholas is also known as Klaasbuur, Sunnercla, Burklaas, Bullerklaas, and Rauklas, and in eastern Germany, he is also known as Shaggy Goat, Ash Man and Rider and is more reflective of earlier pagan influences (Norse) that were blended in with the figure of St. Nicholas, when Christianity came to Germany. [13]

King Winter

The truth is that St. Nicholas is a blend of many different cultures, customs, legends and mythological creatures. Consider the similarities to these early legends.

Thor and Odin

9th Century

In 9th century England the Saxons honoured King Winter or King Frost. He would be represented by somebody dressed in a fur hat or crown and would visit their firesides. The Saxons believed that by welcoming Winter as a personage or deity the season would be less harsh to them.
 
9th & 10th Century

With the arrival of the Vikings in England during the 9th and 10th centuries Odin, their chief god, influenced the Winter gift practices. Odin had twelve characters and the one for December was known as Yalka or Jule and his month was called Jultid from which Yuletide derives. The Vikings believed that Odin visited Earth during Jultid on Sleipnir, his eight-legged horse. He would be disguised in a long blue hooded cloak and carrying a staff and a satchel of bread. His companion was either a Raven or Crow. He was said to join groups around their fire and listen to their conversations to see if they were content. He would sometimes leave the bread as a gift at poor homesteads. [14]

Most Santa researchers agree that some traits of Santa [including the reindeer?] was borrowed from Norse [Scandinavian] mythology.

Prior to the Germanic peoples' Christianization, Germanic folklore contained stories about the god Odin (Wodan), who would each year, at Yule, have a great hunting party accompanied by his fellow gods and the fallen warriors residing in his realm. Children would place their boots, filled with carrots, straw or sugar, near the chimney for Odin's flying horse, Sleipnir, to eat. Odin would then reward those children for their kindness by replacing Sleipnir's food with gifts or candy [Siefker, chap. 9, esp. 171-173]. This practice survived in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands after the adoption of Christianity and became associated with Saint Nicholas. [15]
Most of the stories originate with in the European culture, primarily that of the Nordic traditions of Northern Europe. The Norse god Odin rode on a white eight legged horse and delivered either presents or punishments. The eight legged horse may be the origins of the eight reindeer that we know of today along with the naughty or nice list is constantly checked. [16]

[Santa Originally had eight reindeer. Rudolph, the ninth reindeer and son of Donner, was the result of a verse written by Robert L. May for Montgomery Ward in 1939 and published as a book to be given to children in the store at Christmas.]

“It is held by some scholars that the legends of Nicholas as gift-giver drew in part from pagan, pre-Christian sources. For example, the Teutonic god of the air, Odin, would ride through the air on a gray horse (named Sleipnir) each Autumn - so did Nicholas; Odin had a long white beard - so did Nicholas; a sheaf of grain was left in the field for Odin's horse - children left a wisp of straw in their shoes for Nicholas. [McKnight, 24-25, 138-139] Others claim that attributes of the Germanic god Thor, the god of thunder, were transferred to Nicholas. Thor was supposedly elderly and heavy with a long white beard; he road through the air in a chariot drawn by two white goats (called Cracker and Gnasher); he dressed in red; his palace was in the "northland;" he was friendly and cheerful; he would come down the chimney into his element, the fire. [17]
No definitive correlation has ever been found between the "visit of St. Nicholas" and pagan gods such as Odin and Thor. However the similarity is striking and some relationship seems likely”. [18] Emphasis Added]

 

Encyclopedia Britannica describes the role of Nordic mythology in the life of Santa:

Sinterklaas was adopted by the country's English-speaking majority under the name Santa Claus, and his legend of a kindly old man was united with old Nordic folktales of a magician who punished naughty children and rewarded good children with presents. [19]
Some Santa researchers associate Santa with the Norse "god" of Odin or Woden. Crichton describes Odin as riding through the sky on an eight-legged, white horse name Sleipnir. (Santa originally had eight reindeers, Rudolph was nine). Odin lived in Valhalla (the North) and had a long white beard. Odin would fly through the sky during the winter solstice (December 21-25) rewarding the good children and punishing the naughty. [20]
Mythologist Helene Adeline Guerber presents a very convincing case tracing Santa to the Norse god Thor in Myths of Northern Lands: [Thor being a son of Odin with Thursday (Thor’s Day) being named after him. [21].
Thor was the god of the peasants and the common people. He was represented as an elderly man, jovial and friendly, of heavy build, with a long white beard. His element was the fire, his color red. The rumble and roar of thunder were said to be caused by the rolling of his chariot, for he alone among the gods never rode on horseback but drove in a chariot drawn by two white goats (called Cracker and Gnasher). He was fighting the giants of ice and snow, and thus became the Yule-god. He was said to live in the "Northland" where he had his palace among icebergs. By our pagan forefathers he was considered as the cheerful and friendly god, never harming the humans but rather helping and protecting them. The fireplace in every home was especially sacred to him, and he was said to come down through the chimney into his element, the fire. [22]

In the Handbook of Christian Feasts and Customs, author Francis Weiser traces the origin of Santa to Thor:

"Behind the name Santa Claus actually stands the figure of the pagan Germanic god Thor." [23]

After listing some the common attributes of Thor and Santa, Weiser concludes:

Here, [Thor] then, is the true origin of our "Santa Claus." . . . With the Christian saint whose name he still bears, however, this Santa Claus has really nothing to do. [24]

In the words of Dr. Terry Watkins in Santa Claus The Great Imposter … “The unusual and common characteristics of Santa and Thor are too close to ignore.

• An elderly man, jovial and friendly and of heavy build.
• With a long white beard.
• His element was the fire and his color red.
• Drove a chariot drawn by two white goats, named called Cracker and Gnasher.
• He was the Yule-god. (Yule is Christmas time).
• He lived in the Northland (North Pole).
• He was considered the cheerful and friendly god.
• He was benevolent to humans.
• The fireplace was especially sacred to him.
• He came down through the chimney into his element, the fire”. 
  

The Tomte/Nisse

The tomte/nisse is a mythical creature of Scandinavian folklore originating from Norse paganism and in ancient times was believed to be the "soul" of the first inhabitor of the farm. The tomte/nisse was usually described as a short man (under four feet tall) wearing a red cap with a tassel. Nisse were believed to take care of a farmer’s home and children and protect them from misfortune, in particular at night, when the house folk were asleep. Despite his smallness, the tomte/nisse possessed an immense strength. Even though he was protective and caring he was easy to offend, and his retributions ranged from a stout box on the ears to the killing of livestock or ruining of the farm’s fortune. A particular gift was a bowl of porridge on Christmas night. If he wasn’t given his payment, he would leave the farm or house, or engage in mischief such as tying the cows’ tails together in the barn, turning objects upside-down, and breaking things. The tomte was not always a popular figure: Like most creatures of folklore he would be seen as heathen and become connected to the Devil and having a tomte on the farm meant you put the fate of your soul at risk.

In the English editions of the fairy tales of H. C. Andersen the word nisse has been inaccurately translated as "goblin". A more accurate translation is "brownie"... the Scottish counterpart of the Scandinavian tomte. Since there is a Tomtar & Troll shop in Stockholm Sweden, I assume Tomtar is closely related to a Troll.

In the 1840s the farm's "nisse" became the bearer of Christmas presents in Denmark, and was then called "julenisse". In 1881, the Swedish magazine Ny Illustrerad Tidning published Viktor Rydberg's poem Tomten, where the tomte is alone awake in the cold Christmas night, pondering the mysteries of life and death. This poem featured the first painting by Jenny Nyström of this traditional Swedish mythical character which she turned into the white-bearded, red-capped friendly figure associated with Christmas ever since. Shortly afterwards, and obviously influenced by the emerging Father Christmas traditions as well as the new Danish tradition, a variant of the tomte/nisse, called the "jultomte" in Sweden and "julenisse" in Norway, started bringing the Christmas presents in Sweden and Norway, instead of the traditional julbock Yule Goat. [25]

Jenny Nyström is mainly known as the person who created the Swedes’ image of the “jultomte” on numerous Christmas cards and magazine covers [illustration on the right], thus linking the Swedish version of Santa Claus to the gnomes of Scandinavian folklore. [26]

The Jultomten brings gifts in a sleigh driven by the goats of Thor..

Swedish children wait eagerly for Jultomten, a gnome whose sleigh is drawn by the Julbocker, the goats of the thunder god Thor. With his red suit and cap, and a bulging sack on his back, he looks much like the American Santa Claus. [27]
In some areas of Sweden, Jultmoten the Gift-Bringer is a gnome whose sleigh is drawn by the Julbocker, goats which are the property of Thor, God of Thunder. Julmoten dresses in red and carries a bulging sack upon his back. [28] Emphasis Added].

The Long Leap

It has been oft claimed that Santa Claus was introduced to America by the Dutch, who settled in what was known as New Amsterdam.. now New York. Apparently this story is without much, if any merit. The St, Nicholas center tells us that….[All Emphasis Added]

Although it is nearly universally reported that the Dutch did bring St. Nicholas to New Amsterdam [Now New York], scholars find limited evidence of such traditions in Dutch New Netherland. Colonial Germans in Pennsylvania held the feast of St. Nicholas, and several accounts do have St. Nicholas visiting New York Dutch on New Years' Eve. [29]
This was not a saintly bishop, rather an elfin Dutch burgher with a clay pipe. These delightful flights of imagination are the origin of the New Amsterdam St. Nicholas legends: that the first Dutch emigrant ship had a figurehead of St. Nicholas; that St. Nicholas Day was observed in the colony; that the first church was dedicated to him; and that St. Nicholas comes down chimneys to bring gifts. Irving's work was regarded as the "first notable work of imagination in the New World." [29]

Other Sources [All Emphasis Added ]

The claim that Dutch settlers, in 1626 introduced Sinter Claes to New Amsterdam (to be New York) is an invention of Washington Irving (History of New York, started in 1809). Charles W. Jones states (1954, Knickerbocker Santa Claus, New York Historical Society Quarterly, Vol. 38, No. 4, pp. 357-383, see pp. 367-71) that no documentary evidence has ever been found of a Dutch Santa Claus cult in New Amsterdam or in the [pre-1773, BKS, see below] British colonial period in New York. The settlers of New Amsterdam were Protestants, not Catholics, with little St. Nicholas tradition. [30]
Nearly everyone repeats this story [the Dutch-Santa]. . . But when we look at the evidence—that is, the newspapers, magazines, diaries, books, broadsides, music, sculpture, and merchandise of past times, the picture is not substantiated. [31]
There is no evidence that it [Santa Claus] existed in New Amsterdam, or for a century after occupation. . . ([31]
I have not found evidence of St. Nicholas in any form—in juveniles or periodicals or diaries—in the period of Dutch rule, or straight through the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries to the year 1773. [31]
Years of research confirmed that initial doubt: Santa Claus is an Americanization, all right, but not of a Catholic Saint. . . Despite a century of repetition, this story is simply untrue. . . [32]
The dilemma was solved by transferring the visit of the mysterious man whom the Dutch called Santa Claus from December 5 to Christmas, and by introducing a radical change in the figure itself. It was not merely a "disguise," but the ancient saint was completely replaced by an entirely different character. . .With the Christian saint whose name he still bears, however this Santa Claus has really nothing to do. [33]

The truth is that the modern day Santa Claus bears little resemblance to the Catholic Saint and has almost entirely replaced him.

The Development of Santa Claus in America

The following is a short summation of the development of Santa Claus in America..

In 1804, the New York Historical Society was founded with Nicholas as its patron saint, its members reviving the Dutch tradition of St. Nicholas as a gift-bringer. In 1809, Washington Irving published his satirical A History of New York, by one "Diedrich Knickerbocker," a work that poked fun at New York's Dutch past (St. Nicholas included). When Irving became a member of the Society the following year, the annual St. Nicholas Day dinner festivities included a woodcut of the traditional Nicholas figure (tall, with long robes) accompanied by a Dutch rhyme about "Sancte Claus" (in Dutch, "Sinterklaas"). Irving revised his History of New York in 1812, adding details about Nicholas' "riding over the tops of the trees, in that selfsame waggon wherein he brings his yearly presents to children." [14]

Two quotes from Washington Irving’s A History of New York
 
And the sage Oloffe dreamed a dream,–and lo, the good St. Nicholas came riding over the tops of the trees, in that self-same wagon wherein he brings his yearly presents to the children. . . And when St. Nicholas had smoked his pipe, he twisted it in his hatband, and laying his finger beside his nose, gave the astonished Van Kortlandt a very significant look; then, mounting his wagon, he returned over the treetops and disappeared. [34]
At this early period was instituted that pious ceremony, still religiously observed in all our ancient families of the right breed, of hanging up a stocking in the chimney on St. Nicholas Eve; which stocking is always found in the morning miraculously filled; for the good St. Nicholas has ever been a great giver of gifts, particularly to children. [35]

“In 1821, a New York printer named William Gilley issued a poem about a "Santeclaus" who dressed all in fur and drove a sleigh pulled by one reindeer. Gilley's "Sante," however, was very short.

On Christmas Eve of 1822, another New Yorker, Clement Clarke Moore, wrote down and read to his children a series of verses; his poem was published a year later as "An Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas" (more commonly known today by its opening line, "'Twas the night before Christmas . . ."). Moore gave St. Nick eight reindeer (and named them all), and he devised the now-familiar entrance by chimney. Moore's Nicholas was still a small figure, however -- the poem describes a "miniature sleigh" with a "little old driver."

In 1863, a caricaturist for Harper's Weekly named Thomas Nast began developing his own image of Santa. Nast gave his figure a "flowing set of whiskers" and dressed him "all in fur, from his head to his foot." Nast's 1866 montage entitled "Santa Claus and His Works" established Santa as a maker of toys; an 1869 book of the same name collected new Nast drawings with a poem by George P. Webster that identified the North Pole as Santa's home. Although Nast never settled on one size for his Santa figures (they ranged from elf-like to man-sized), his 1881 "Merry Old Santa Claus" drawing is quite close to the modern-day image”. “ [14]

Harper’s Weekly online provides a little more insight.

While setting the national standard, Nast’s own depiction of Santa Claus changed over the years. He began his almost-annual contribution of Christmas illustrations when he joined the staff of Harper’s Weekly in 1862 during the Civil War. [Nast contributed 33 Christmas drawings to Harper’s Weekly from 1863 through 1886, and Santa is seen or referenced in all but one. His first Santa (in the postdated January 3, 1863 issue) is a small elf distributing Christmas presents to Union soldiers in camp. [36]
From 1866-1871, Nast continued to elaborate upon the image of Santa Claus portrayed in “Santa and His Works.” As in the featured cartoon, he also emphasized during this period Santa’s disciplinary role in judging whether the behavior of children during the past year warranted Christmas rewards or punishment. In an 1870 cartoon, Santa surprises two naughty children by jumping out as a jack-in-the-box clutching a switch for spanking. In 1871, Santa sits at his desk reading letter from parents chronicling their children’s good and bad acts, with the “letters from naughty children’s parents” far outnumbering the “letters from good children’s parents.” [36].

Incidentally the tradition of decorating a Christmas Tree originated in Germany, and arrived on American shores in the ‘40’s. Time Magazine reported..

“even before the arrival of Christianity, Germans decorated evergreen trees to brighten the dark, gloomy days of the winter solstice. The first "Christmas trees" appeared in Strasbourg in the 17th century and spread to Pennsylvania in the 1820s with the arrival of German immigrants. When Queen Victoria married Germany's Prince Albert in 1840, he brought the tradition to England. Eight years later, the first American newspaper ran a picture of the royal Christmas tree and Americans outside of Pennsylvania quickly followed.” [36b]

Santa’s Companion
This section is almost entirely excerpted from Santa Claus The Great Imposter by Dr. Terry Watkins.)

There is a little-known piece in the life of Santa that time and tradition has silently erased. Few people are aware that for most of his life, St. Nicholas (Sinter Klaas, Christkind, et. al.) had an unusual helper or companion. This mysterious sidekick had many names or aliases. He was known as Knecht Rupprecht; Pelznickle; Ru-Klas; Swarthy; Dark One; Dark Helper; Black Peter; Hans Trapp; Krampus; Grampus; Zwarte Piets; Furry Nicholas; Rough Nicholas; Schimmelreiter; Klapperbock; Julebuk; et. al.

Though his name changed, he was always there. Some other well known titles given to St. Nick’s bizarre companion is a demon, evil one, the devil and Satan. One of his dark duties was to punish children and "gleefully drag them to hell."

The following references are provided to demonstrate the "devil" who accompanies St. Nicholas is a well documented fact. In every forerunner of Santa this dark and diabolic character appears.

It is the Christkind who brings the presents, accompanied by one of its many devilish companions, Knecht Ruprecht, Pelznickle, Ru-Klas. . . [37]
In many areas of Germany, Hans Trapp is the demon who accompanies Christkind on its gift-giving round. . . [38]
Another Christmas demon from lower Austria, Krampus or Grampus, accompanies St. Nicholas on December 6. [39]
Like Santa, Sinterklaas and the Dark Helper were also supposed to have the peculiar habit of entering homes through the chimney. . . [40]
In Sarajevo in Bosnia, Saint Nickolas appears with gifts for the children in spite of the war and shelling. He is assisted by a small black devil who scares the children. [41]
Ruprecht here plays the part of bogeyman, a black, hairy, horned, cannibalistic, stick-carrying nightmare. His role and character are of unmitigated evil, the ultimate horror that could befall children who had been remiss in learning their prayers and doing their lessons. He was hell on earth. [42]
In Holland, Sinterklaas (Santa Claus) wore a red robe while riding a white horse and carried a bag of gifts to fill the children's stockings. A sinister assistant called Black Pete proceeded Sinterklaas in the Holland tradition to seek out the naughty boys and girls who would not receive gifts. [43]
The Christian figure of Saint Nicholas replaced or incorporated various pagan gift-giving figures such as the Roman Befana and the Germanic Berchta and Knecht Ruprecht. . . He was depicted wearing a bishop's robes and was said to be accompanied at times by Black Peter, an elf whose job was to whip the naughty children. [44]

Christmas historian Miles Clement relates that no "satisfactory account has yet been given" to the origins of these demons and devils that appear with St. Nicholas.

It can hardly be said that any satisfactory account has yet been given of the origins of this personage, or of his relation to St. Nicholas, Pelzmarte, and monstrous creatures like the Klapperbock. [45]

Maybe a satisfactory account has been given. Let us keep reading.

Previously, we established the peculiar fact that today’s Santa Claus and St. Nicholas are not the same. They never have been. Santa Claus is dressed in a long shaggy beard, furs, short, burly and obese. The legends of St. Nicholas portrayed a thin, tall, neatly dressed man in religious apparel. You could not possibly find two different characters.

If Nicholas, the ascetic bishop of fourth-century Asia Manor, could see Santa Claus, he would not know who he was. [46]
So the legends of Saint Nicholas afford but a slight clue to the origin of Santa Klaus,–alike, indeed, in name but so unlike in all other respects. [47]

The Model For Nast’s Santa..

The startling fact is, Santa Claus is not the Bishop St. Nicholas – but his Dark Helper!

In certain German children’s games, the Saint Nicholas figure itself is the Dark Helper, a devil who wants to punish children, but is stopped from doing so by Christ. [48]
Black Pete, the ‘grandfather’ of our modern Santa Claus. Known in Holland as Zwarte Piet, this eighteenth-century German version, is—like his ancient shamanic ancestor—still horned, fur-clad, scary, and less than kind to children. Although portrayed as the slave helper of Saint Nicholas, the two are, in many villages, blended into one character. This figure often has the name Nikolass or Klaus, but has the swarthy appearance of the Dark Helper. [49]

Artist Thomas Nast is rightfully credited for conceiving the image of our modern day Santa, but Nast’s model for Santa was not the Bishop St. Nicholas but his dark companion, the evil Pelznickle.

[IPS Note: Nast was an immigrant from Bavaria and was familiar with Pelznickle]

The Christmas demon Knecht Rupprecht first appeared in a play in 1668 and was condemned by the Roman Catholic as being a devil in 1680. . . To the Pennsylvania Dutch, he is known as Belsnickel. Other names for the same character are Pelznickle, "Furry Nicholas," and Ru-Klas, "Rough Nicholas." From these names, it is easy to see that he is looked upon as not merely a companion to St. Nicholas, but almost another version of him. [50]

In Thomas Nast: His Period and His Pictures, biographer Albert Bigelow Paine, documents that Nast’s Santa was Pelznickle.

But on Christmas Eve, to Protestant and Catholic alike, came the German Santa Claus, Pelze-Nicol, leading a child dressed as the Christkind, and distributing toys and cakes, or switches, according as the parents made report. It was this Pelze-Nicol – a fat, fur-clad, bearded old fellow, at whose hands he doubtless received many benefits – that the boy in later years was to present to us as his conception of the true Santa Claus – a pictorial type which shall lone endure. [51]

Santa historian and author, Tony van Renterghem also documents Nast’s Santa Claus was not Saint Nicholas, but the evil Black Pete–the devil.

Thomas Nast was assigned to draw this Santa Claus, but having no idea what he looked like, drew him as the fur-clad, small, troll-like figure he had known in Bavaria when he was a child. This figure was quite unlike the tall Dutch Sinterklaas, who was traditionally depicted as a Catholic bishop. Who he drew was Saint Nicholas’ dark helper, Swarthy, or Black Pete (a slang name for the devil in medieval Dutch). . . [52]

Santa researcher, Phyllis Siefker, echoes Renterghem’s conclusion:

It seems obvious, therefore, that Santa Claus can be neither the alter ego of Saint Nicholas nor the brainchild of Washington Irving. . . If we peek behind the imposing Saint Nicholas, we see, glowering in the shadows, the saint’s reprobate companion, Black Pete. He, like Santa, has a coat of hair, a disheveled beard, a bag, and ashes on his face. . . In fact, it is this creature, rather than Irving’s creation or an Asian saint, who fathered Santa Claus. [53]

By the way, St. Nicholas did not come down the chimney. It was his fur-clad, dark companion that came down the chimney. One of the reasons his sidekick was called the "Dark One" or "Black Peter" was because he was normally covered in soot and ashes from his chimney travels. The "dark companion" also carried the bag, distributed the goodies and punished the bad boys and girls.

Children [in Holland] are told that Black Peter enters the house through the chimney, which also explained his black face and hands, and would leave a bundle of sticks or a small bag with salt in the shoe instead of candy when the child had been bad. [54]

It is significant that Black Peter, Pelze-Nicol, Knecht Rupprecht and all of St. Nicholas companions are openly identified as the devil.

To the medieval Dutch, Black Peter was another name for the devil. Somewhere along the way, he was subdued by St. Nicholas and forced to be his servant. [55]
In Denmark, Sweden, and Norway creatures resembling both the Schimmelreiter and the Klapperbock are or were to be met with at Christmas. . . People seem to have had a bad conscience about these things, for there are stories connecting them with the Devil. A girl, for instance, who danced at midnight with a straw Julebuk, found that her partner was no puppet but the Evil One himself. 56]
Thus, in parts of Europe, the Church turned Herne into Saint Nicholas’ captive, chained Dark Helper, none other than Satan, the Dark One, symbolic of all evil. [57]

One of the bizarre jobs of St. Nick’s devilish helper was to "gleefully drag sinners" to hell!

On the eve of December 6, the myth told that this bearded, white-haired old ‘saint,’ clad in a wide mantel, rode through the skies on a white horse, together with his slave, the swarthy Dark Helper. This reluctant helper had to disperse gifts to good people, but much preferred to threaten them with his broom-like scourge, and, at a sign of his master, would gleefully drag sinners away to a place of eternal suffering. [58]

The shocking truth is Santa Claus originated from a character identified as the devil or Satan. 

 

Read more at - http://www.inplainsite.org/html/santa_claus.html#Popularity

Notes:

[13] Anise Hollingshead. St. Nicholas: The Story of Santa Clause.
http://holidays.kaboose.com/christmas/traditions/st-nicholas/xmas-around-stnicholas.html

[14] http://www.time4me.com/card/legend/SantaClaus.html

[15] http://www.statemaster.com/encyclopedia/Santa-Claus [16]

[16] Diana Tierney. Jolly Old Saint Nicholas The evolution of an Icon http://folktalesmyths.suite101.com/article.cfm/jolly_old_saint_nicholas

[17] Francis X. Weiser, Handbook of Christian Feasts and Customs. New York: Harcourt, Brace, and Company, 1958, 113-114

[18] Dr. Richard P. Bucher. The Origin of Santa Claus and the Christian Response to Him.

[19] "Santa Claus" Encyclopaedia Britannica 99. As Quoted in Santa Claus The Great Imposter by Dr. Terry Watkins.

[20] Crichton, Robin. Who is Santa Claus? The Truth Behind a Living Legend. Bath: The Bath Press, 1987, pp. 55-56. As Quoted in Santa Claus The Great Imposter by Dr. Terry Watkins.

[21] As Quoted in Santa Claus The Great Imposter by Dr. Terry Watkins

[22] Guerber, H.A. Myths of Northern Lands. New York: American Book Company, 1895, p. 61

[23] Weiser, Francis X. Handbook of Christian Feasts and Customs. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc., 1952, p. 113

[24] Ibid. p. 114

[25] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomte

[26] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jenny_Nystr%C3%B6m

[27] Barth, Edna. Holly, Reindeer, and Colored Lights, The Story of the Christmas Symbols. New York: Clarion Books, 1971, p. 49. As Quoted in Santa Claus The Great Imposter by Dr. Terry Watkins.

[28] http://www.novareinna.com/festive/gift.html

[29] St. Nicholas Center. Saint Nicholas and the Origin of Santa Claus. http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=35

[30] B. K. Swartz, Jr. The Origin Of American Christmas Myth And Customs. http://www.bsu.edu/web/01bkswartz/xmaspub.html

[31] Jones, Charles. W. "Knickerbocker Santa Claus." The New-York Historical Society Quarterly, October 1954, Volume XXXVIII Number Four, p. 362. As Quoted in Santa Claus The Great Imposter by Dr. Terry Watkins.

[32] Siefker, Phyllis. Santa Claus, Last of the Wild Men: The Origins and Evolution of Saint Nicholas. Jefferson: McFarland & Company, Inc., 1997, pp. 5,7. As Quoted in Santa Claus The Great Imposter by Dr. Terry Watkins.

[33] Weiser, Francis X. Handbook of Christian Feasts and Customs. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc., 1952, p. 114. As Quoted in Santa Claus The Great Imposter by Dr. Terry Watkins.

[34] Irving, Washington. A History Of New York From The Beginning Of The World To The End Of The Dutch Dynasty: Paperback edition (2004) from Kessinger Publishing. p. 88-89

[35] Ibid. p. 98

[36] Robert C. Kennedy. Santa Claus and His Works.
http://www.harpweek.com/09Cartoon/BrowseByDateCartoon.asp?Month=December&Date=25

[36b] http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1868506_1868508_1868530,00.html

[37] Del Re, Gerard and Patricia. The Christmas Almanack. New York: Random House, 2004, p. 70

[38]Ibid p. 75

[39] Ibid p. 94

[40] Renterghem, Tony van. When Santa Was a Shaman. St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications, 1995, p. 102

[41] Ibid Renterghem, Tony van. When Santa Was a Shaman. St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications, 1995, p. 102

[42] Siefker, Phyllis. Santa Claus, Last of the Wild Men: The Origins and Evolution of Saint Nicholas. Jefferson: McFarland & Company, Inc., 1997, p. 155

[43] "History of Santa Claus," www.christmas-decorations-gifts-store.com/history_of_santa.htm?

[44] "Santa Claus" Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 99)

[45] Miles, Clement A. Christmas in Ritual and Tradition Christian and Pagan. New York: Frederick A. Stokes Company, 1912, p. 232

[46] Del Re, Gerard and Patricia. The Christmas Almanack. New York: Random House, 2004, pp. 138,141

[47] Walsh, William S. The Story of Santa Klaus. Detroit: Gale Research Company, 1970, p. 54

[48] Renterghem, Tony van. When Santa Was a Shaman. St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications, 1995, p. 105

[49] Ibid p. 98

[50] Del Re, Gerard and Patricia. The Christmas Almanack. New York: Random House, 2004, pp. 93,94

[51] Paine, Albert Bigelow. Thomas Nast: His Period and His Pictures. New York: Chelsea House, 1980, p. 6

[52] Renterghem, Tony van. When Santa Was a Shaman. St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications, 1995, pp. 95-96

[53] Siefker, Phyllis. Santa Claus, Last of the Wild Men: The Origins and Evolution of Saint Nicholas. Jefferson: McFarland & Company, Inc., 1997, p. 15

[54] "Saint Nicholas," Wikipedia Encyclopedia. <en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Nicholas>

[55] Del Re, Gerard and Patricia. The Christmas Almanack. New York: Random House, 2004, p. 44

[56] Miles, Clement A. Christmas in Ritual and Tradition Christian and Pagan. New York: Frederick A. Stokes Company, 1912, p. 202

[57] Renterghem, Tony van. When Santa Was a Shaman. St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications, 1995, p. 97

[58] Renterghem, Tony van. When Santa Was a Shaman. St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications, 1995, p. 111

 

RADAR devices used as ‘heaters’ — Weather Modification via frequency

Much thanks to Dutchsinse for all the time he's put in on the research and compilation of these topics.  For those who think the government/military lacks the technology and will to manipulate weather, earthquakes, and more, read on.  This technology is the definition of "angeltech", or technology that gives men power (weather control) that was once only the domain of angels.

December 7, 2012 by sincedutch

http://spear.unis.no/

Space Plasma Exploration by Active Radar (SPEAR)

The SPEAR antenna array   SPEAR is a revolutionary new high power radar system which is designed to carry out research into the Earth’s upper atmosphere and magnetosphere, in the vicinity of the polar cap. This research will help us answer some key questions about our aerospace environment, particularly the interaction of the solar wind and the upper atmosphere. Currently, scientists know that energy and particles which are constantly emitted by the Sun affect the Earth. This energy is primarily deposited over several different altitudes extending from the upper atmosphere to the outer reaches of the Earth’s magnetic field (called the magnetosphere), which encompasses an altitude range of 10’s of km to several thousand km. The energy affects the Earth in many different ways from inducing huge magnetic storms (which produce the aurora) to electrical currents. However, the unpredictability and the type of processes makes it very difficult for scientists to study them in detail. SPEAR (Space Plasma Exploration by Active Radar) is located on Svalbard above the arctic circle at78.15°N and has been in operation since 2004. The system was designed and built by the Radio and Space Plasma Physics Group at the University of Leicester, UK. UNIS took over ownership of the facility in October 2008. The facility works by vertically emitting a radio wave (which operates at frequencies of between 4–6 Mhz) where it interacts with the ionosphere (a thin layer of ionised gas or plasma located between ~60km to more than 1000 km in altitude which acts as a boundary between the atmosphere and the magnetosphere). This results in various plasma interaction processes, some of which are outlined above, which are normally caused by the Solar magnetic field and Solar Wind interactions with the geomagnetic field. The ionosphere exhibits different behaviours at different altitudes, so by modifying the frequency and power of the wave scientists can duplicate small scale plasma processes but under more controlled conditions, effectively using the ionosphere as a laboratory. The energy deposited by SPEAR into the ionosphere is <1/10000th of that deposited by the Sun with the effects only last as long as the system is transmitting, so ironically experiments can only be done when the ionosphere is ‘quiet’ (ie. minimal interaction with the Sun). SPEAR Location Longitude 78° 09′ 15″ N – Latitude 16° 03′ 17″ E – Altitude 458m (WGS84) Decimal values: Logitude 78.154° N – Latitude 16.055° E – Altitude 458m (WGS84) —————————————— below: Schematic showing a typical SPEAR experiment whereby the plasma interactions induced in the ionosphere by SPEAR are observed by several different instruments. —————————————— HAARP type facilities signals CAN appear on RADAR — and show up as STRONG SUMMER RADAR RETURNS called PMSE (polar mesosphere summer echoes)… anyone who said that RADAR cannot ‘see’ HAARP/EISCAT type signals .. also anyone who said RADAR cannot modulate or modify the environment — is proved wrong by this experiment: download from original source here: arrc.ou.edu/~chilson/Papers/chilson%2B%2B00_grl.pdf download directly from my site here:chilson++00_grl —————————————— Harvard paper on HAARP type facilities and RADAR being used to create “artificial electrons” .. in WINTER radar echoes… (PMWE) radar clouds … abstract here: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2010cosp…38.1538K full link here: www-2.nersc.no/MACESIZ/Papers/Hoz08.pdf download from my website here: Hoz08 —————————————— Modifying the ionosphere with radio waves… when the ionosphere is manipulated.. its shows as RADAR ECHOES : this is from 1972 ! http://books.google.com/books?id=NId-yLcHRM8C&pg=PA290&lpg=PA290&dq=RADAR+heater+ion&source=bl&ots=sj89ck6_yM&sig=-7OdXZI6pQeuFANkf8GBuCspLxw&hl=en&sa=X&ei=oDrAULCXH8KbyQHx1IGgDw&ved=0CMwCEOgBMDA#v=onepage&q=RADAR%20heater%20ion&f=false —————————————— Negative ions generated by ground based heaters (RADARs)… the ground based heaters are manipulating the ionosphere.. causing PMWE (RADAR echoes)… showing as layered gravity wave sensative pulses..sound familiar? abstract here: http://www.agu.org/pubs/crossref/2008/2008GL035798.shtml full download here: http://eprints.lancs.ac.uk/35429/ download from my website here: art_938   Read more at -  http://sincedutch.wordpress.com/

2012 Black Friday Compilation - Fights, Zombie Americans

Wow.  What to say about the video here.  First, there's graphic language, especially after the 10 minute mark.  I should also say as a long-time retailer, this behavior isn't new.  What we should note about this, is that if our neighbors will behave this way over non-essential items, imagine what would happen if we had shortages of food or water?  This video shows Americans battling over toys and yoga pants.  The immediate future is bleak.

I have to share a story.  I worked for a mall based toy company some time back, and a fellow manager told me a story about when the Cabbage Patch dolls first came out.  That particular Black Friday, one manager in Minnesota got up on a counter with a baseball bat and began swinging at the customers who were surging toward the dolls.  Another manager in the same district simply opened the back exit door, put his keys on the desk, and walked away for good.  I saw similar behavior over Tickle Me Elmo (that's a scary thought now, isn't it?) and Furby 1.0.  Embarrassing.

Mayan apocalypse: panic spreads as December 21 nears

 

Fears that the end of the world is nigh have spread across the world with only days until the end of the Mayan calendar, with doomsday-mongers predicting a cataclysmic end to the history of Earth.

Cubans participate in a Mayan ritual at Bacuranao beach in eastern Havana. Photo: AFP/Getty

By Nick Allen, Los Angeles, Malcolm Moore in Beijing and Tom Parfitt in Moscow

Ahead of December 21, which marks the conclusion of the 5,125-year "Long Count" Mayan calendar, panic buying of candles and essentials has been reported in China and Russia, along with an explosion in sales of survival shelters in America. In France believers were preparing to converge on a mountain where they believe aliens will rescue them.
 

The precise manner of Armageddon remains vague, ranging from a catastrophic celestial collision between Earth and the mythical planet Nibiru, also known as Planet X, a disastrous crash with a comet, or the annihilation of civilisation by a giant solar storm.
 

In America Ron Hubbard, a manufacturer of hi-tech underground survival shelters, has seen his business explode.
 

"We've gone from one a month to one a day," he said. "I don't have an opinion on the Mayan calendar but, when astrophysicists come to me, buy my shelters and tell me to be prepared for solar flares, radiation, EMPs (electromagnetic pulses) ... I'm going underground on the 19th and coming out on the 23rd. It's just in case anybody's right."
 

In the French Pyrenees the mayor of Bugarach, population 179, has attempted to prevent pandemonium by banning UFO watchers and light aircraft from the flat topped mount Pic de Bugarach.

6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes North Island of New Zealand

 

Posted by The Extinction Protocol

December 7, 2012 – NEW ZEALAND - An earthquake of preliminary magnitude 6.3 struck New Zealand’s North Island today, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The temblor’s epicenter was 12 miles (19 km) southeast of the town of Tokoroa and 214 miles (345 km) north-northeast of the capital Wellington. It originated 103 miles (167 km) deep and struck at 7:19 a.m. local time Saturday (1819 UTC Friday), the USGS reports. Earthquakes of this size can cause significant damage, especially with poorly built structures. Even well designed buildings can be damaged or, in some cases, destroyed depending on the severity of the quake and a building’s proximity to the epicenter. Earthquakes of this size are sometimes followed by significant aftershocks.

Amber, who is based in Hawke’s Bay, said her kids rolled a marble down the hallway, so she assumed the piles had moved as well as the house. Peter Fraser, based in Belmont Hills in Wellington, said it felt like a digger had gone past the house, and Laurel Baird, in nearby Tawa, said it felt like a huge truck at first, but then got “louder and louder.” It was then, “the rolling began. It felt like a long time,” Baird said. The quake wasn’t described as violent, but people have said beds shook against walls, some ornaments fell from shelves and they were frustrated at being awake – having hoped for a Saturday sleep in. –Live Science

 

 

China fears end of the world is nigh

China is taking the date of December 21 - the day the world is due to end - seriously, with panic buying of candles sweeping through counties. Malcolm Moore reports.

Lu Zhenghai began building the 65ft ship in 2010 and spent his life savings of £100,000 to build the ark for 20 people. Photo: REX FEATURES

 

China's most famous book of prophecies, the 7th century Tui Bei Tu, makes no direct mention of the end of the world.
 

But in Sichuan province, panic buying of candles has swept through two counties in the fear that an ancient Mayan prediction that the world will end on December 21 proves to be true.
 

"Candles are selling by the hundreds, with buyers constantly coming to the market. Many stores have run out," said Huang Zhaoli, a shopper at the Neijing Wholesale Market, to the West China City Daily newspaper.

 

Mr Li, the owner of the Guangfa grocery store in Chengdu, added: "Lots of people have been buying candles recently. At first, we had no idea why. But then we heard someone muttering about the continuous darkness".
 

The source of the panic was traced to a post on Sina Weibo, China's version of Twitter, predicting that there will be three days of darkness when the apocalypse arrives.

Read more at - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/9729270/China-fears-end-of-the-world-is-nigh.html

Mysterious bright lights and sonic booms reported over Texas skies

NASA moved quickly to admit that this was indeed a fireball, a very large meteor.  Now if they could just tell us what the earth-shattering news was on Mars.

NASA Says Fireball Over Texas Was A Meteor

 

Posted by The Extinction Protocol

December 7, 2012 – DALLAS – From McKinney to the White Rock Lake area and all the way south to Houston, a bright flash reported in the sky Friday morning captured the attention of many across the Lone Star State. While early reports indicated it was likely a meteor, the National Weather Service in Houston reported Friday afternoon that it may have been debris from the Russian Satellite Cosmos 2251 as it reentered the atmosphere. In 2009, the Cosmos 2251 satellite, which was not in working condition at the time, collided with Iridium 33, a United States communication satellite, in 2009 as they orbited Earth over Siberia. Meanwhile, Bill Cooke, who heads the Meteoroid Environment Office for NASA, told KRLD that the object was actually a meteor, and was likely the size of a basketball.

As researchers continue to investigate the source of the flash, reports of sightings continue to grow across Texas. One McKinney woman reported seeing what appeared to be a comet streaking across the sky in a bright flash around 6:42 a.m. near Stonebridge Shopping Center. Justin Wagoner, who lives in the White Rock Lake area, said he saw a green trail and heard a large ‘sonic boom” around the same time. Others reported seeing white and orange colors. The sight only lasted a few seconds before vanishing in the sky. According to Dr. James Roberts, a University of North Texas astronomer who talked to WBAP early Friday morning, the mysterious object in the sky was likely a burned up meteor. A KHOU meteorologist in Houston said it may have been part of the Geminids meteor shower, which takes place in December. The meteorites often appear to be slow moving and are usually best seen at its peak on December 13 and 14.

However, Mike Hankey, the operations manager with the American Meteor Society, said later in the morning he believed the meteor was likely a fireball, a meteor brighter than Venus, and not a part of the Geminid shower. “For those not familiar with meteors and fireballs, a fireball is a meteor that is larger than normal,” read a report on the American Meteor Society’s online site. “Most meteors are only the size of small pebbles. A meteor the size of a softball can produce light equivalent to the full moon for a short instant. The reason for this is the extreme velocity at which these objects strike the atmosphere.” Seeing a fireball is something not everyone gets a chance to do in their lifetime, according to Hankey. “While fireballs are actually pretty common across the globe, they happen every night, to actually see one in your area is very rare,” he said. “If you see one once in your life, you are very lucky.” The loud boom heard by some could be explained by what happens when a large fireball breaks apart, Hankey went on to explain. –WFAA

7.3 and 6.2 magnitude earthquakes strike off east coast of Japan

 

Posted by The Extinction Protocol

December 7, 2012 – JAPAN - A strong quake centered off northeastern Japan shook buildings as far away as Tokyo on Friday and triggered a one-meter tsunami in an area devastated by last year’s Fukushima disaster, but there were no reports of deaths or serious damage. The quake had a preliminary magnitude of 7.3, the U.S. Geological Survey said, and thousands of coastal residents were ordered to evacuate to higher ground, but the tsunami warning was lifted two hours after the tremor struck. The March 2011 earthquake and following tsunami killed nearly 20,000 people and triggered the world’s worst nuclear crisis in 25 years when the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear plant was destroyed, leaking radiation into the sea and air. Workers at the plant were ordered to move to safety after Friday’s quake.

Tokyo Electric Power Co, the operator of the Fukushima nuclear plant, reported no irregularities at its nuclear plants. All but two of Japan’s 50 nuclear reactors have been idled since the Fukushima disaster as the government reviews safety. The quake measured a “lower 5” in Miyagi prefecture on Japan’s scale of one to seven, meaning there might be some damage to roads and houses that are less quake resistant. The scale measures the amount of shaking and in that sense gives a better idea of possible damage than the magnitude. The quake registered a 4 in Tokyo.

The one-meter tsunami hit at Ishinomaki, in Miyagi, at the centre of the devastation from the March 2011 disaster. All Miyagi trains halted operations and Sendai airport, which was flooded by the tsunami last year, closed its runway. Five people in the prefecture were slightly injured. “I was in the centre of the city the very moment the earthquake struck. I immediately jumped into the car and started running away towards the mountains. I’m still hiding inside the car,” said Ishinomaki resident Chikako Iwai. I have the radio on and they say the cars are still stuck in the traffic. I’m planning to stay here for the next couple of hours.” There are vast areas of Ishinomaki that still have not been cleaned up since last year’s tsunami. Many houses lie in ruins, full of rubble. Workers by the shore still sort through thousands of cars that were swamped and destroyed. The cars are piled up and being taken apart for parts and scrap.

Narita airport outside Tokyo was back in action after a brief closure for safety checks. There were small tsunamis, measuring in the centimeters, elsewhere near the epicenter. Tokyo, with a population of 12 million, sits on the junction of four tectonic plates: the Eurasian, North American, Philippine and Pacific. The sudden bending or breaking of any plate can trigger an earthquake. –Reuters

 

 

Santa Claus.. Pretender To The Throne - Part 1

This may seem a little hard on ole' Santa Claus, but he's got it coming...

Carol Brooks

A pretender is a claimant to a throne already occupied by somebody else.

(Based, in part, on an article entitled Santa Claus The Great Imposter
by Dr. Terry Watkins, Th.D.)

 

Santa Claus, Wild Man of the Woods

Introduction:

One beautiful hymn contains the following line ”Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King;” Sadly the “earth” is doing anything but. The meaning of Christmas has been lost in an endless round of festivities... shopping sprees, parties, decorations, trees, food, gifts and merrymaking. The King whose birth we celebrate at Christmas has slowly been ousted from centre stage as He doesn’t fit into today's politically correct views. For example... In 2006 Britain’s Royal Mail unveiled their 40th set of Christmas stamps… with six faith-free designs including snowmen, reindeer and Santa Claus. Christmas has become has become one gigantic commercial venture, with Santa Claus as the god-figure rather than Christ.

For the most part, the world will tolerate stars, angels, Christmas trees, or a baby sleeping in a manger. But there’s still "no room at the inn" for the King who invites us to walk His lowly path. Worse.. Jesus’ place has been usurped by a pleasant fat fellow’ boasting a red hat and team of reindeer. [usurp: to take a position of power or importance illegally or by force.]

Sound Ridiculous? It is! In fact it’s worse than ridiculous. Santa Claus has become the most beloved of Christmas symbols and traditions.

So how do we understand the Santa Claus phenomenon?

What do we REALLY know about Santa?

Is Santa just a harmless, friendly fellow? Or is there something or someone else hiding behind the façade?

Is he Satan in disguise, or wholly Christian modeled after a 4^th century bishop

Sadly there is a lot more to the story than most people are aware of. Santa originated as an amalgam of St. Nicholas and various other pagan beliefs, which is bad enough. But, over the years, he morphed [a little added here and a little changed there] into the modern day, well known and well recognized figure, that bears far too many similarities to the one who appears as an “angel of light”, who once said he would exalt his throne above the stars of God and would be “like the most High”, and who is actively "seeking" those "whom he may devour"... The one the Bible calls ‘The Great Deceiver’. [TOP OF PAGE]

The Great Deceiver

And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. [Revelation 12:9].
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.[ Isaiah 14:12-14]
"And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light"
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: [1 Peter 5:8]. [Also See Evidence For The Devil] [TOP OF PAGE]

Seeking Whom He May Devour:
Children are the most vulnerable members of our society and it is no wonder that The Lord Jesus Christ warned several times against harming the "little ones".

At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. [Matthew 18:1-6]
And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea. [Mark 9:42.]

Our Children and Youth are Under Attack From All Sides.

“Everyone wants to get a piece of them. For instance, the New-Age Movement has an army just waiting to get hold of our children and youth. The gay-rights movement in this country wants nothing more than to make a generation of children think homosexuality is an acceptable alternative life-style. Advertisers on Saturday-morning cartoons want to influence our kids. Heavy-metal rock bands are trying to influence them. Those in favor of abortion rights want to get our kids thinking from their point-of-view. Drug dealers, beer companies, cigarette manufacturers, pornography publishers – the list goes on and on – they too are battling for the souls of our children and youth. [1]

[Harry Potter and, more recently, The Golden Compass are other direct frontal assault on the children, again with the willing compliance of many church leaders, parents and others that are spiritually blind]

Almost everywhere we turn we see modern-day Nebuchadnezzars trying to turn the minds of our children from serving our God. Everywhere and from every direction, our children and youth come under attack, even as Daniel and his friends came under attack”. [1]

Dr. Terry Watkins bring up an interesting point in Santa Claus The Great Imposter, regarding a story in Mark...

“Many parents have been "lullabied to sleep" with the deception that our children are innocently immune to the attack of Satan. There is a false security that believes our children will naturally "grow out of it" or "they’re just sowing their wild oats" or maybe "they’re just being kids". But the Bible paints a much different picture. In Mark chapter 9, God details a frightening occurrence. A man brings his "spirit possessed" son to the Lord Jesus Christ”.
And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not. He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me. And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.
And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child. And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.
Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.
And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead. But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose. And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out? And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting. [Mark 9:17-29]
It is interesting the apostles could not cast out this kind (vs 29). Jesus said, "This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting." What kind of possession was it? What was different about this possession? I believe the answer is found in the only question the Lord Jesus asked. Jesus Christ asked the man "How long is it ago since this came unto him?" And the man answered, "Of a child". These hard to cast out kind are those that enter in a child. Is it because the possession reaches so deep and so strong that they’re almost impossible to remove?

Dr. Watkins goes on to say..

“In Proverbs 22:6, the Bible explains the lifelong fruits of training a young child in the way he should go. That early training is so strong and so deep – as that child grows and matures – they will not depart from it.
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. [Proverbs 22:6]
But. . . The flip side is: if that same child is trained by the ways of Satan and the world, chances are that child will not depart from it.

A Point to Consider …

“If you once believed in a man who knew what you were doing, who had amazing abilities, and who gave you nice things, and he turned out to be a fake, why should you believe in another man who knows what you are doing, has amazing abilities, gives you nice things--Jesus Christ? If you get burned once, why get burned the second time? Wouldn’t it be better to be honest with our children right from the start, and teach them the difference between truth and make-believe?” [2]

Apart from the fact that it is wrong to systematically lie to one's children, there is a danger that when they discover the truth or simply grow out of what is eventually perceived as a childish belief, they could subconsciously dismiss the true story of Jesus’ birth as just another “story”.

So what is the truth behind the ‘story’ that millions of children are fed every year at Christmas… A story that they spend many years believing. Is it a harmless myth or has it been carefully orchestrated and manipulated over the years with the ultimate aim of taking center stage at Christmas… and helping ensure that the Christ is once again sidelined.

The journey should begin with a look at the fourth century bishop who is often credited as being the inspiration for Santa.

 

St. Nicholas [Nikolaus]The Fourth Century Bishop

Despite his popularity, the original Nicholas is a shadowy figure. Patron saint of sailors, pawnbrokers and many other groups, there is little doubt that a Bishop of that name did exist in Myra (modern-day Antalya province, Turkey) in the 4th century. A church was built for him in the 6th century, which continues to be a tourist attraction in Myra, although the bishops remains were spirited away by 1087 by merchants from Bari in Italy, and are now held in the Basilica di San Nicola of that city... Pope Urban II is said to have been present at the consecration in 1089.

While we don't really know whether the original Nikolaus was particularly jolly or not, the enduring legends about his life suggest a great reputation for generosity. Many, many miracles [one more extravagant than the next] and good deeds have been attributed to St. Nick, including saving sailors from storms, restoring life to murdered boys, providing dowries for poor unmarried girls and destroying several pagan temples.

The Cult of St. NicholasThe cult of St. Nicholas spread far and wide. Holland built no fewer than 23 churches dedicated to him, many of which are still standing. Amsterdam even adopted St. Nicholas as its patron saint as did a few other towns.

“Sailors, claiming St. Nicholas as patron, carried stories of his favor and protection far and wide. St. Nicholas chapels were built in many seaports. As his popularity spread during the Middle Ages, he became the patron saint of Apulia (Italy), Sicily, Greece, and Lorraine (France), and many cities in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Russia, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Following his baptism in Constantinople, Vladimir I of Russia brought St. Nicholas' stories and devotion to St. Nicholas to his homeland where Nicholas became the most beloved saint. Nicholas was so widely revered that more than 2,000 churches were named for him, including three hundred in Belgium, thirty-four in Rome, twenty-three in the Netherlands and more than four hundred in England”. [3] Emphasis Added
He is venerated in the East as a miracle worker and in the West as patron of a great variety of persons -children, mariners, bankers, pawn-brokers, scholars, orphans, laborers, travelers, merchants, judges, paupers, marriageable maidens, students, children, sailors, victims of judicial mistakes, captives, perfumers, even thieves and murderers! He is known as the friend and protector of all in trouble or need. [3] Emphasis Added.
". . . the cult of St. Nicholas was, before the Reformation, the most intensive of any nonbiblical saint in Christendom. . . there were 2,137 ecclesiastical dedications [churches] to Nicholas in France, Germany, and the Low Countries alone before the year 1500." [4]
"By the height of the Middle Ages, St. Nicholas was probably invoked in prayer more than any other figure except the Virgin Mary and Christ Himself" [5]

And his popularity continues even today… For example [from Wikipedia]

In Trieste in northeastern Italy St. Nicholas (San Nicolò) is celebrated with gifts given to children on the morning of the 6th of December and with a fair called Fiera di San Nicolò during the first weeks of December.
In Germany many children put a boot, called Nikolaus-Stiefel, outside the front door on the night of December 5 to December 6. St. Nicholas fills the boot with gifts, and at the same time checks up on the children to see if they were good. If they were not, they will have charcoal in their boots instead.
St. Nicholas (San Nicola) is the patron of the city of Bari, where he is buried. Its deeply felt celebration is called the Festa di San Nicola], held on the 7-8-9 of May. In particular on 8 May the relics of the saint are carried on a boat on the sea in front of the city with many boats following (Festa a mare). On December 6 there is a ritual called the Rito delle nubili.
Interestingly St. Nicholas is the patron saint of a small town called Beit Jala near Bethlehem, since he is said to have spent four years there during his pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Every year on the 19th of December according to the Gregorian calendar [the 6th of December according to the Julian calendar] a great mass is held in the Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas, and is usually followed by parades, exhibitions etc.

It is difficult to reconcile the popularity of this man with the almost complete lack of verifiable detail about his life. However he is said to have opposed Arianism at the First Council of Nicaea in 325. [Apparently his name appears on some ancient lists]

“the original minutes of this council were destroyed, people have tried to reconstruct the list of bishops who agreed to the orthodox formula to describe the Trinity, a brief text that became famous as the Nicene Creed. This list is known from eleven medieval copies. Only three of them mention Nicholas, but one of these is considered to be among the best copies”. [6] 

Physical Appearance: In Catholic iconography [pictured above], Saint Nicholas is depicted as a bishop, wearing the insignia of this profession: a red bishop's cloak, red miter and a bishop's staff. Popularly depicted as a slim ascetic looking man dressed in religious apparel, the Bishop of Myra bears very little physical resemblance to the modern day Santa Claus, who has a long white beard, and is usually short and fat.

If Nicholas, the ascetic bishop of fourth-century Asia Manor, could see Santa Claus, he would not know who he was. [7]
So the legends of Saint Nicholas afford but a slight clue to the origin of Santa Klaus,–alike, indeed, in name but so unlike in all other respects. [8]

Date: There is absolutely nothing to connect the original St. Nicholas to the celebration of Christmas on December 25^th. On the contrary, the celebration of St. Nicholas is separate from the Christmas holidays. Most Europeans [and some Americans] still celebrate St. Nicholas day on December 6^th, the date in AD 343 on which he was believed to have died. Many people in Milwaukee, Cincinnati, and St. Louis and other cities in the US with strong Germanic traditions have observed this day for generations. Often St. Nicholas Day, not Christmas, is the main holiday for gift giving, However the gifts he left beside the hearth were usually small: fruit, nuts, candy, small figurines etc.

The Gift Giver:

“The Feast of St. Nicholas on Dec. 6 has been observed with great enthusiasm throughout Medieval Europe over the centuries. This enthusiasm was due to the many legends that had grown up around Nicholas: that he had distributed gifts to the poor at night through their windows, had fasted while a baby, had helped dowerless maidens, saved a city from famine, had aided a ship in distress, etc. [9]

St. Nicholas traditions vary slightly from country to country. In sixteenth-century Holland, children placed wooden shoes by the hearth the night of St. Nicholas's arrival. The shoes were filled with straw, a meal for the saint's gift-laden donkey. In return, Nicholas would insert a small treat into each clog. [The shoe was replaced with the stocking, hung by the chimney In America.

Because of the gift-giving legends associated with Nicholas, it was held (especially in Belgium and Holland) that on the Eve the Feast of Nicholas, the bishop himself would come from heaven and visit children in their homes, giving gifts to those who had been good. Nicholas, decked out in full ecclesiastical garb (bishop's vestments, with miter and crozier), would arrive on a flying gray horse (or white donkey, depending on the custom). In some variations of the legend, he was accompanied by Black Peter, an elf whose job was to punish children who had been bad”. [10]

 

In Belgium

On St. Nicholas' Eve, December 5th, or the weekend before, children put their shoes or small baskets at the hearth or beside the door with carrots, turnips, and a sugar lump for the saint's horse and a glass of wine for the saint. There may also be a picture they've drawn (or a list) showing what they would like. They believe St. Nicholas rides on horseback over the rooftops, dropping his gifts down the chimneys. In the morning shoes have been filled with chocolates, spiced cookies shaped like the saint and Piet, oranges, marzipan, and toys. In the spirit of St. Nicholas, treats are meant to be shared, not hoarded. Bad children, of which there are none, would find twigs. …” [11]

And in Germany

In Roman Catholic areas of southern Germany, such as Bavaria, Sankt Nikolaus still comes as a with flowing beard and a bishop's and staff. Houses are thoroughly cleaned and children clean and polish their shoes or boots in preparation for the visit. On the evening before , children put letters to the good saint along with carrots or other food for his white horse or donkey on a plate or in their shoes. These are left outside, under the bed, beside a radiator, or on a windowsill in hopes of finding goodies from St. Nicholas the next morning. During the night Sankt Nikolaus goes from house to house carrying a book in which all the children's deeds are written. If they have been good, he fills their plate, shoe or boot with delicious fruits, nuts and candies. If not, they may find potatoes, coal, or twigs. [11]

While in Bulgaria the feast does not seem to be particularly centered around children and gift giving

Bulgarians celebrate St. Nicholas as the protector of sailors and fishermen. Stories are told of St. Nikolay, the commander of the sea, calming wind and storms and saving ships in danger… A fish dish, ribnik, carp wrapped in dough or baked with rice, is served as carp is regarded as Nicholas' servant. Ribnik is baked in the oven along with two special loaves of bread. The food is blessed at church or at home before being served. [12]
 
End Notes
[1] Rev. Adrian Dieleman. Sermon on Daniel 1:1-7. November 20, 2005
[2] Who is Santa Claus?. http://rumela.com/events/christmas_santa.htm
[3] http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=38
[4] Jones, Charles. W. "Knickerbocker Santa Claus." The New-York Historical Society Quarterly, October 1954, Volume XXXVIII Number Four, p.357. As Quoted in Santa Claus The Great Imposter by Dr. Terry Watkins.
[5] Del Re, Gerard and Patricia. The Christmas Almanack. New York: Random House, 2004, p. 131. As Quoted in Santa Claus The Great Imposter by Dr. Terry Watkins
[6] Articles on Ancient History. Saint Nicholas, Sinterklaas, Santa Claus.
http://www.livius.org/ne-nn/nicholas/nicholas_of_myra1.html
[7] Del Re, Gerard and Patricia. The Christmas Almanack. New York: Random House, 2004, pp. 138,141, As Quoted in Santa Claus The Great Imposter by Dr. Terry Watkins.
[8] Walsh, William S. The Story of Santa Klaus. Detroit: Gale Research Company, 1970, p. 54, As Quoted in Santa Claus The Great Imposter by Dr. Terry Watkins
[9] George H. McKnight, St. Nicholas: His Legend and His Role in the Christmas Celebration and Other Popular Customs (New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1917), McKnight has a collection of these legends in St. Nicholas, 37-88
[10] Dr. Richard P. Bucher. The Origin of Santa Claus and the Christian Response to Him
[11] St. Nicholas Center. Around The World. http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=76
[12] St. Nicholas Center. Bulgaria. http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=82
 
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