SANTA'S HISTORY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 306, 23 December 1912, Page 1 (Supplement)

SANTA'S HISTORY.

COM EITK'N'S HE 1)1 EEEII EM' ( orvi'iiiKs. \\ ho i- ihi- "rand old man. ad-n.-d by •Very,,lie. and where wa- lie Lorn 7 'I he ' in-w.r to ihi- ,|ii--sij,, M i, ~,,| ,-a-.-.. P.i ! Santa ( lan- -v.-.. born ages ago and !.-■ i.i- been so blisv iv -r -ill,-,, that 111- 1). -~!■' 'a- inlo-u I In- lime t,, study hi- I'ami-v rec. On-- thing li- know-.'and 11.-.-H ii" ha- ninny nan,,--. En-li-h i-l-il.ir.-n ' -,il him Sanin I hnis. ih,. list!,. |) ,t,.|, 1011-.. Si. Nicholas. 11.,- |"n neb. I', I- Noel, Hid the l.elluan-. I'llllee llllple, hi ~| X it-- Xi ingle but th-v all mean tin--in- thing. I The -tory ..! hi- liil-th I- told in medic ml leg. lid. Tin- llali.-in -lon -n\- Cat 1.1- nam:- wa- Si. Nicholas and lie was a l-bop i.i t he l.iuil Ii c.-liliii-v . Mc had a -'real d--.il of iii-y. but be wa- -o good lo Ih- pom- pc.pl... and especially lo ehilll'cn. Hull I. guv,- n aw.iv a- fa-I a- lie gol il. There a,,- iiianv lab-- a'...11l hi-■J.-.d d-d-. 1,,1 l p-rli-ip- lie- ~,,,-! interest ill" oil,- i- Low he brollghl In, k lo lite three .-llil.lr. II who Lad 111 —Il l.lil-,1. In llalv i„- was known a- a tail man. dr.---cd in w'.iie ,•,,!„, and wen ling a crown. liul the Lappv Dutcli did iv.l I li i ii k of Ihi- 1.m.1 man thai way. To the Dill, -h people lie uiwaV- appealed 11-----L..it l.gg-d and pot b, liicl and Well wrapped in furs ||~ was accompanied by a Ida' 1- slave who eai-riid a bag full of sweets and pi,-s.-nts. -s|. S'ji-hola-carvicl a birch rod vvilh hint and atsk.d il,- children who had been good and who had been Lad. If tlleV Wi l-e "ood he gave them nuts, crackers 'and candi,-.-. but if they Lad been Lad lino 0,, i .-, t i ■ — v: i 11 ■_-. The children put their 'wooden,,- ibots in tl pen Li- plae ■ -o he cold put some more presents in tl:,--e on going out. In Russia he wa- wor-Lippcd the same way. bin In- always appeared a- a tall with mitre and crown. His companion was a bearded man wearing a lur e.i it. carrying a -tick and n ba-ket lull of proThere are innnv interesting legends a. ■ social.-,1 wil h tin- nam,- of St. Ni.-hola-or Santa Clan- in England, (hi,- i- that lie wa- put in prison for -oine unknown oil', nee. Lilt nianag-.l to escape. This it,,|,| in "An Hue and Cry Aft. r Chri-t ma- " and il tells of tl.<- arra igntneni convict ion. and imprisoning of Chri-t ma~. and bow be "broke out of prison in t1,,. holidays and got away, only h.ivim. his hoary hair and grey beard sticking h-tveon two iron bars of a window." ADV.Wi X cm itlEi; IX CI-'.UMAXY In (ii-riti.tny he was at lirst considerei as an advance courier for the Chri-t kindh-in. distributing part of the nnge child"- -ill- and promising a vi-ii ~, ih. ( 111 i-tkindlein on t liii-liim- Eve vv hei he heard that the children were good In Home of the small places he appear,-, grotesquely — sometimes in goal-kin nm danced lik',. a goat, again in a white -live with a -tick and two lights in hi- n th The legend -ays thai Chin-. Nil,o!auNecht Ruprochl. or vvhalever In- nam i-. "comes in wearing a whit-.- sheol anholding n -tick in bis hand." lb- tell tin- children to pray, and if they disobe; he Hogs them, but if Uley obey he L ive them plenty of nut- and apples. The Italian children also believed ii their patron saint, but they vvor-hippc, his wife instead. Her inline i- I .a I!, fana and they pnv as lntteh homage I her as the other children do to the saint She is Hot good looking, for she is -up po-,.,1 to i„- more than g.non years . Li The legend -ays thai when I he three vviinen were about to pass her w imlow s|, refused to go lo the window and -alui I lieni. She saw her mi-lalo- w Inn it wa 100 late, and has tried to repeni by nc.ik in" the children of Italy happy on lie birthday, which i- the (itli of .lauuaiv She is supposed I" be Santa ( bill-' wife and vi hen -In- is not liu-y helping bin she is in Italy gelling ready lor lie j vcarlv celebration, which takes place oi (lb- lilh of .laiinary. when -be give- lb | children toy-, fruits, candies, etc. She is also known in Russia and : great many children believe in Mr- in -lead of Mr Santa Clan-. There t-iie i. called lkibou.-ka and the si ,ry id's t'aa sihe is -o kind becaur-c -'he i- repenting o 1 | In France it wat? liie nngcl child w'n j came every year lo blcso 1 he ehildrei and lo remember tlu-m wilh -ome sinal j -ill. Af ,-r war, I In- had so much lo ,1 I he seni his servant I',-re Noel, which i ; the Sania Clans of I lie Erciu-h and Dili.I and to tell llii'in Mia: he will come I bless tliitn before the N, iv N'-ar. ! Though Santa Clans ha-s a large s'eig j and two .splendid horsus or reindeers, a, cording to : he countries lie visits, he ha ! such long distances i,, ever Cut he can | not- appear in all couiil r'u-s on th,- -am I day. Santa Clan- wa.- Lorn in llollan. i, I or'ralher it look the Dutch chihlren i, lind him. I'm: he is a great traveib- . and go.To all countries, where he ha, inanv sJiop-s and thousands of men an, women working for him. He to a! wonderful "black fores,;," and get...- Thou sands and thousands of trees. HY SI.EDCE. SI.Fit,II. AITO AM) TLAX E. Ihi- even -.he great forests of < lermanv cannr.t give him all I he trees he needs so lie hurries, to Russia, an 1 even to Svve den and. Norway until he gets all h<

.van:-, lie Las many -hop.- in all cities.: I IP- greit I'.icioric- are in Nuremberg 1 11. |. |tei-e he La.- many of the dolls, j wool v t-y-s. and mini.i'.urP watchee, i Chi.-iii' i- a' irkotw are emptied of their j . ~-, ... hV-i-'i ir.- alway- drcrtsed awaiting I 1 | :,.- Dm -a mac boast that Santa ("iiuis | ' -,v ~- born n Moll md. Who knows, per- I b ij-t. In- .-, ,-. I'.ul i L-rniany is tile home j 1 ~-' j ',,. t ;,,'-; i, , - :,-,■,-. for it was tiie lirr-t ~,,.,,;; .-. : i.i n-e I. he evergreen tree in j (,: i-t in i- ,-, ' '~- :: '; in. and it -uppli'" | There are 111.'IV be.l ill il'ul storiw :it--o-I , ;.i> 1 w :!',i ' he orgin of t he tirwt < 'iir : -t , ~- i :',,. irei-. were rejoicing, and thai J ; lie ,-,- ! ir-. in-ie id of point ing their ■ : li.- in,-bus up.v ,rl a- puiuted. blender i i ; ,-, ,-. -pr.- id i a.-ir br inches ,v i-L- to pro- > te,-t the iii, her and io-r new-born child. ■ i Though il was. n;id winter, the thorn \ I c mmeiici Ii o he -- mil and :! - ivli"." ; Ici idle. 'I he ~; ;v ,- poiin-d forth oil for | "„. new born child. All were happy ex! -ci pi the -mall pine, which had nothing :-, oil', r. an I vcar by year it grew taller. ! s-: 'li ii never 'forgot' that holy night, and ! •:,,. wind -Ac, ping through it* l,r ,n,-lii-- I up,,uis bee.iiu-e the pine is still unhappy ' be.-.itti-c il bad nobbing to give.