Santa Claus Busy At This Time Yet Helpers Help
The article traces Christmas gift delivery traditions across cultures and ages. It notes Santa’s enduring popularity, sleigh travel with reindeer, and helpers like St Lucy in Scandinavia Tomtar in Nordic regions the Christ Child Kristkind Befana in Italy and Epiphany gift bringers such as the Three Kings, detailing December 5 6 13 and January 6 customs and stockings and shoes filled with hay or grain for horses. It defines St Nicholas as the original Santa a bishop revered for children's gifts.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Santa
St. Nicholas
St. Lucy
Scandinavian Countries
Tomtar
Christ Child
Kristkind
Italy
Befana
Cards Among Late Yale Traditions
The piece traces Christmas greeting card origins from 1812 to 1918, noting English pioneers like J A Boerner and Sir Henry Cole, the 1840s spread to the United States via Marcus Card Co and Roxbury, Mass, and postwar rise driven by affordable lithography. Peggy Gilbert estimates billions sent annually.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
J. 4
Boerner
Mr. Boerner
Sir Henry Cole
John Calcott Horsely
The
Royal Academy
Peggy Gilbert
Norcross, Inc
Warding Witches Lead To Candy
During the Middle Ages Europeans carried glass canes filled with colored candies to ward off witches. The belief was that witches would focus on sorting the candies and forget to cast evil spells.
Candy Hidden In Calendar House Advent Tradition
German children begin the Christmas season by hanging a calendar showing a painted house on December 1. Doors and windows of the house often conceal pieces of candy for children to find.
Pagan Roots of Christmas Customs Through Ages
The encyclopedia traces Christmas customs to prior pagan festivals. Saturnalia in December inspired feasting gifts and candles, lights marked solstice rites, and Mithras sun-worship spread among Romans. Western church later merged Mithraic rites with Jesus birth on the solstice. Yule among Germanic Celts became part of Christmas through adaptation.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Encyclopedia Americana
Mitheras
Organ Was Broke Silent Night Christmas Song Origin
A Austrian village organ failed on Christmas Eve 1818 leaving the church silent. Father Joseph Mohr wrote the poem and organist Franz Gruber set it to music. The congregants sang Silent Night to guitar, bringing solace amid a broken organ.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Joseph Mohr
Franz Gruber
Handel's Messiah Began in August Finished in September
The Messiah, though linked to Christmas, was started in August and completed by September before its first performance in April according to historical notes.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Handel
Messiah
Also Mentioned on This Page
Santa Claus
France
French Canada
Yale
William Maw Egley
Egley
Charles Dickens
Egrey
Christ
Gold Kid Opera
Richardson
Ottawa
Dinette
Jassmer
Traval
Michaels Stern
J&f
Brentwood
Esquire
Cricketeer
H.D. Lee
Levi
Stevens
Beau Brummel
Adler
Stetson
Bostonian
Paris
Prince Gardner
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