Santa Claus

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21355, 24 December 1934, Page 6 (Supplement)

Santa Claus

In most Christian countries the children telieve in Santa Claus. or, as he has been renamed in the English-speaking countries, father Christmas. Now the words Santa Claus are abbreviations for Saint Nicholas,! that is, Santa Nicholaus. This is the name of a saint who lived nearly 1600 years ago in an ancient Greek village named Patara. He was regarded particularly as the patron saint of boys and girls and there are several old stories which explain why. The first story is that of two young boys who were sent away to school in Athens; they were to call for a blessing from Saint Nicholas on their way; but they arrived in the dark of the night and a wicked innkeeper killed them in their sleep. The good Saint had a dream that evil had befallen the boys; some power led him to the inn where the boys had gone and there he accused the innkeeper of his crime. The man confessed and begged Saint Nicholas to ask forgiveness for him. This the Saint did and prayed also for the healing of the two boys. Just as he finished his prayers he was rewarded, for the young boys tame to life and threw themselves at his feet in thanksgiving. Saint Nicholas directed them to offer thanks to God for this miracle. But of course the boys and all others who heard of the wonderful happening thought of Saint Nicholas as their especial friend.

Another story says how in the town of Patara there lived a nobleman who had lost all his fortune. He was worried exceedingly to know how his daughters would find husbands, lor in those days women did not have professions, and it was necessary for them to have dowries when they married. At last he thought he would have to let his daughters go and beg for money, but one morning he found a bar of gold just inside his bedroom window. The next morning there was another bar of pure gold, and as the nobleman had three daughters he watched to see if a third bar would come on the third SS and to find out who left it

A VERY OLD STORY It was Saint Nicholas, so the story says, who left the gold. He was thereafter adopted as the patron saint of young girls. It was an old belief that he threw money to poor maidens so that they would have their marriage portions or dowries. So it happened that in some parts, especially in Italy and France, young girls were encouraged to hang up one of their silk stockings on the eve of Saint Nicholas' birthday (December 6); the old song runs: And, when they every one at night in senselesse sleepe are cast, Both Apples, Nuttes, and Peares they (the mothers) brin'g, and other things beside. As caps, and shoes, and petticotes, which secretly they hide . . And the little boys in many parts put out their shees or sabots and in the morning Uiey iound sweetmeats and other good things placed there. Gradually tne fciama Claus stories found their way round the Known world, and before long his birthday had been moved on to coincide with that of the Babe who was born in the manger. So that now, on the eve of the birthday of Christ, children in many parts, ox the world hang up their stockings or put out U-jbu- shoes, by the chimney, under the window, or at the foot of the bed; and then they waken very early on the birthday morning oi Christmas to see what Santa Claus, or Father Christmas, or Noel (in France) or the ChristKindlein (in Germany) may have left.

EVERGREENS Christmas Day in England is generally a snowy day. The trees are bare ox leaves, and grey and white take the place of gold and green. In the ancient days of the Druids it was thought that leafless trees allowed evil spirits to pass. So the Druids went out with silver sickles to cut the mistletoe to protect them from the evil spirits. After Christianity was introduced mistletoe was not in favour because it was an emblem of paganism. Occasionally it may have been taken into churches by mistake, but it was usual to hang it in the houses over doorways. In England the green boughs of the bays, the laurel and the holly, and the branches of the rosemary and mistletoe, are sought after for decoration. In New Zealand the holly has no red berries at this time, but it may be given false berries—small red currants sewn to the stems. The result is quite convincingly holly-like. Here the mistletoe is in flower and the green-ish-white berries have not appeared. In a week or two the ground beneath this interesting parasite will be carpeted in brilliant red; the petals of the thicklyclustered mistletoe flowers drop and make a splash of colour,

CHRISTMAS VERSES Let's dance and sing, and make good cheer. For Christmas comes but once a year. Without the door let sorrow lie, And if for cold it hap to die. We'll bury it in the Chris'.mas pie. And ever more be merry! Kindle the Christmas brand, and then Till sunset let it burn; Which quenched, then lay it up again Till Christmas next return. Part must be kept, wherewith to teend The Christmas log next year; And where 'tis safely kept, the fiend Can do no mischief there. Wash your hands, or else the fire Will not teend to your desire: Unwashed hands, ye maidens know Dead the fire, though ye blow.

The man in the moon Came tumbling down And asked the" way tr> Norwich; He went by the south, And burnt his mouth With eating cold plum-porridge. Plum-porridge (or plumb-por-ridge as it was sometimes written) was not the same as the old or the modern plum-pudding. It is described by an old writer as a kind of thick noup which was the first thing taken by the guests at tne Christmas dinner. It was made from plums, currants, raisins and other dried fruits and was described as rich and luscious. The Christmas pye was also unlike the modern plum-pudding—-"lt is a most learned mixture of neat's tongues, chicken, eggs, sugar, raisins, lemon and orange peel, and various kinds of spicery," as one writer says. In the North the pie always had a goose for its chief ingredient; it was referred to as "A bra' Goose Pye."