Dave, I have the most basic question of the season for you to tackle: Is Santa real or not?
Okay, well, let me answer first for those under 10yo children who might be reading this weblog: of course he is!
Now, let’s dig into it just a bit further, as the mythology of Santa Claus has a long and interesting history. First off, Santa’s proper name is Saint Nicholas, though he’s picked up a lot of nicknames throughout the years, including Kris Kringle, Father Christmas and Sinterklaas.
Saint Nicholas of Myra was a saint who lived back in the 4th Century in Byzantia (modern-day Turkey) who had the reputation of secretly giving gifts to the poor. Most famously, legend has it that he presented three desperately poor daughters of a Christian with dowries so they wouldn’t end up as prostitutes.
St. Nicholas is still revered as the patron saint of seamen, merchants, archers, children, prisoners, pawnbrokers, and even prostitutes. He’s also one of the patron saints of Russia, now that I think about it. A busy guy.
Saint Nick inspired two legends: Nikolaus in Germany, and Sinterklaas in the Netherlands, both of which directly contributed to the legend of Santa Claus himself.
Depictions of Santa Claus as a jolly, heavy white bearded older man are apparently directly lifted from the Russian mythological character Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost). Ded Moroz is historically represented as wearing a red coat, fur boots and a long white beard. Since Russian immigration directly influenced much of the Western European and then American tradition, it’s very likely that our current picture of Santa Claus is directly from Grandfather Frost.
Many of the historical legends behind Santa Claus also involve children leaving out fodder in their shoes for the horse that Saint Nicholas, Sinterklaas, or similar rode. Most likely that’s what has evolved into the modern tradition of hanging stockings by the fireplace, actually.
The definitive modern interpretation of Santa Claus, however, is widely agreed to have been The Night Before Christmas (formerly known as “A Visit from St. Nicholas”, actually), wherein Santa is described as being heavyset and riding a sleigh pulled by eight reindeer who are named for the first time in this 1823 publication. Another popular publication early in the 19th Century was The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, by Wizard of Oz author L. Frank Baum.
Okay, so that’s the academic side of things. Interesting, but missing a certain level of heart, of soul.
So is there a Santa Claus?
Well, we live in a world where the idea of someone rewarding good behavior in this life, rather than the next (or at the door to the Pearly Gates) sounds darn nice, and particularly for children, is a good reminder of the rewards of thrift, virtue, compassion and honesty. And those are sorely missing attributes in our modern world, if you ask me.
So yes, I think that there is a Santa Claus.
I’ll certainly make sure we leave a plate of cookies and glass of milk out on Christmas Eve. How about you?
im 11 and i still believe in santa because every christmas they have a santa tracker please check out this website and you`ll think twice if he real or not noradsanta.com
hi im Brandon and im 12years old at iv been finding things hidden around the house and so has my bros and sis and i think hese fake but thats your choice to believe in him or not but the only real one was the one that gave to the poor which i think was nice but now there is no real santa the norad system the people just make it up to hav kids believe in him but its your choice!Have A Merry Christmas all p.s.stay up and see or hunt the presents lol hav fun doing it cya
I LOVE SANTA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
is santa claus real? tell me the truth
Hi i LOVE SANTA AND HE LOVES ME AND HE LOVES ME AND WERE A HAPPY FAMILY!!!!
BUT I DONT BELIVE IN HIM
well when i was little i did see a santa…but when i grow bigger my mom told me that it was grandpa acting like santa..until 1 year passed and i was 8 then i woke up ad it was time to open presents than there was an extra one and it didnt have the name who it was from..my mom saud that is werid i didnt remember this present so when i open it..it was a toy puppy that is what i wanted so badly
Santa Claus is real!!!!!!!!
I say that I dont believe in santa cause i wanna be cool but i do believe cause i always stay up all nite and i swear i hear slay bells or is it just me?? plzz help!! i dont know !!!
U should get a video camera and leave it down there on the landing or somin so no1 can see then the next day check it.
and any way i dnt think id get up in the middle of the nite 2 just put my childrens presents under the tree.soo i dnt think parents get and put presents under the tree:S
the presents come from your mum and dad BUT santa then has them and puts them in pasion 🙂
I BELIVE!!!
santa is the best and everyone should belive in santa.
old saint nick was real but he died i guess 100s of ys ago
i’m 11 yrs old and my parents all ready told me he is not real
ya santa is fave raindear are not real and even if they are they cant fly dont tell any little kids let whem find it out for them salf if you tell thim you ruend it for them dont do that they will find out
I am 9 years and I believe in him but my older sister is 18 and says not to believe.Because when she was 10 somekids and her got into a fight about SantaClaus being real when she got home she had a bloodynose,blackeye and a swollen eye so now she doesn’t belive in him.But I still belive in him.And whoever doesn’t believe will get coal.Because Ashely has been getting coal for a while.
When I was 9 years old my mom finally told me he wasn’t real because the day before Christmas break I came home with a bloody nose and a blackeye and a swollen lip.
can i sen a my christmas list to santa.
tell me the truth is Santa real.
Santa is NOT real.
when i was like in 1st grade i did believe in santa.
in second grade my friends would say he wasn’t and i sorta went along with it
in 3rd grade i thouth it was rediculous of a fat dude that rides flying deer and gives presents to every kid in the world.
in 6th grade my teacher said, “Are you retarded? THERE IS NO SANTA!”
in 7th grade i saw my dad putting presents under the tree…i walked over to him and he told me…well of course there is no santa… but dont tell ur bothers
Im not really sure if santa is real…..first of all, there really is no proof, and i look at the hndwriting and it looks JUST LIKE MY PARENTS! I really hate there is no santa claus……..or IS there?
hello my name is meg
in one way santa is REAL
but in a uver way santa is not REAL
hi im georgia,
If you dont belive in santa thats up to you!!!
But dont go spoiling for other people!!!
is sanat clus real because i do not belive in sanat clus and my sister thinks he is real so i am asking you if sanat clus is real and if he is why have i seen my mom and dad set at preinst and i have not seen sanat clus AND THIS TIME I LOOK AT ALL OF THE GIRTS SO IF THERE IS ANYTHINGIS THERE THAT I SAW I KNOW THAT SANAT CLUS IS NOT REAL!!!
IF YOU GET THIS EMAIL PEALSE EMAIL ME BACK ABOUT THIS!!!
Hi I am Cathy, and I am 11 years old. Santa is real only if you believe that he is. If you believe that he is real, then he’s real to you. If you don’t believe in him, then he is not real to you.
hi
I believe in Santa Clause! The world has really changed. Its not what Christmas used to be now i dont look forward to it as much because nobody seems to believe im the only one in my family who does and i always will I believe in you SANTA!!!!
Merry Christmas!!!!!
My sister has just told me that santa is not real and i myself belive her! He is not real she seen my Mum leavin out the presents so we think he is FAKE! FAKE FAKE sorry to any belivers
I that sant claus is real because he is giving &caring and I think you should respect him because he the guy that bring you your presents!!!
Yes santas real me and my son heared him drive off in his sleigh last year!!!!
dear andrew
i always belived santa was real because you know when u send those notes to him they dont go to your parents they go to him. i got to go bye happy holidays.
from isabella
HE IS TRUE! I am a parent of four. I have seen santa before. Not a normal old mall santa, the real one. His sleigh really flew…on second thoughts…maybe it was latest tecnolagy. Other people were there to whitness. The article on it is online go to http://www.illusions.org
i say if u wanna belive go ahead if not dont. this kinda thing is entirly up to you.
my name is calvin and i think santa is real
hi santa is reail because we came back from this party and i stopt up till my mom and dad went to bed and my mom and dad have a lock of ther door i lock ther door so they cant get out i left some food for santa then i say a light on my window and then i look out of my window and i saw a slay by cannock it was big then i went to sleep i have a i went down to the xmas tree and i saw him in reail life i saw black foot prints on the floor
SO HE IS REAIL HE IS
is Santa Claus real?
i am 12 and i got told he is not but i no he is not if i get santa prezzys we should be thankfull wot if you did not get enye on cristmass you got a apple so lets just belive its the last day of term come on dont tell enyeone he is not dont rowin ther fun ok plz
hello dave so we belevie santa claus but never come down here our home so and wish we need money for christmas gift for my family and both of us so
i felt bad about bad luck this year so i want to goal to good time for christmas than happen aiagn.
i hope answer to us so we live in auburn hills,michigan so from mrs and mr. susan and tom tersigni
i think santa is real and all of my freinds do to
seenig isint beleving
i belive in santa because i was only 7 years old when i saw him! He told me not to wake up my parents so i went back to bed. seeing isn’t beliving. beliving is seeing:)Now i’m 10 years old!
i get mad wen peeple say hes not real,because then they tell me the story,and i dont believe him mor, but uf course my mom and dad say hes real so i dont no what to believe? :0
My mum says that santa is not real because he is nothing to do with christmas and thats really all
is santa clause black or white? im just curiouse Lmfao 😛
My parents have 4 kids and each of us get $600 worth os stuff on x-mas. my parents are poor how can they afford it
santa claus is not real because i was bad and my mom said she was not going to give me preasents so i said well santa is going to give me preasents then she said there is no santa she is. im 13 and everybody in my class in chedoke beleave is santa claws lol my name is alex mountenay bye.
I am pretty sure i believe. My mom and dad say that there isnt one. But everything is realii confusing. It sucks growing up
“quote”-_-_-_-_-santa is not real because I saw my dad putting the presents under the tree and when I looked in my mum and dad’s room my mum was the only one in bed so there is no such thing as santa clause
what are you talking about dude your daddy probably was putting presents from them for you to maybe santa hadent got there yet or forgot to come i know you also probably got coal and your dad wanted you to have a nice christmas just ask him im sure he will tell you why
my parents told me he is not Real AND IM ONLY 11
Although I’m only 9, but seeing isn’t beliving, beliving is seeing.I don’t know if he’s real or not.I am 90% sure that he’s real.
it is relly hard to beleave santa sant never gave me presants but but i really try my best to beleave hi so i say 100 out of 100
Hi! I am 12 and my baby brother is 3. I believe and so does my brother. This Christmas, my brother will be old enough to sleep on the couch and wait up for Santa with me. It will be our firdst time. EEPS!!!!!
Hi! I am 12 and my baby brother is 3. I believe and so does my brother. This Christmas, my brother will be old enough to sleep on the couch and wait up for Santa with me. It will be our firdst time. EEPS!!!!!