Its Santa Time (Genre - Trivia)

Wishing you all a very happy and joyful Christmas

Ok ...so its christmas time, and I wanted to write something about this universal festival of joy, brotherhood, good food and lots of gifts. The first thing that comes to our mind when we talk about Christmas is.....hmmm ...sorry its not Jesus Christs birthday ...and no its not the midnight mass.. sorry Pope no offence. Well its none other than Santa Clause. 

He is the adorable grandpa....we wish we all had....bringing lots of gifts as an incentive for being good the whole year.His snowflake beard, that infectious smile and the eye catching red dress ...its a sight no kid will ever forget ...but is he for real ?? 

So I did a little snooping around to gather some trivia of this very popular man.

Q. Is he for real ?? 

A. Yes and No. 

Yes coz as per historical facts the real santa was once a bishop called Nicholas around the 4th century AD in Turkey (now thats no where close to North pole we all know), who was later annotated with saint hood and known as St.Nicholas. Apparently this man was from a well to do family and legend has it that he was often seen in the Red and White bishops clothes, riding a donkey (oh yea ... no reindeers in Turkey apparently) while offering presents to children. He also had an habit of dropping off gold coins at impoverished homes from the chimney....(ah !! now you know where the chimney thing we see in movies comes from). 

No, coz he is dead !! And if you actually thought he comes in the dead of the night to drop of his presents - you are daydreaming too much.
Q.Then how did a bishop from Turkey get so popular and so well known around the world ??
A. Thanks to American creativity and capitalism, Santa spirit lives on. Let me explain. During 17th century from Europe St.Nicholas travelled as statues on Dutch ships ( he was supposed to ward off evil Sea monsters) on to the American shores ... and the Dutch used to call his "SinterKlaas" ..which later became Santa Clause.
In 1823 American professor Clement Clarke Moore wrote a poem about St.Nicholas (annexed below) which became quite popular and gave the character to santa by potraying him as a plump, always smiling old man, giving gifts to children from his sledge. 
But the real deal was set off by none other than ...you will never guess it ..."Coca Cola" !! oh yea, you read it right. In 1931 artist Haddon Sundblom created an image of Santa for a Coca-Cola christmas campaing and the image has just caught on !! Check out the pic above.
Q. How old is santa ?
A. If we consider St. Nicholas then that would be 1739 years and counting.
Q. Does he have a postal address ?
A. You bet he does ... where do u think all the kids send their requests too ?? Santa's fabled address is Lapland, Finland.  But his official address is (according to postal authorities)
Mr.Santa Clause
The Artic Circle, 96930, Rovaniemi
Finland.
Q. How many reindeers does santa have and do they have names ??
A. There are 8 reindeers and yes they do have names.
Dasher ;Dancer ;Prancer ;Vixen ;Comet ;Cupid ;Donner ;Blitzen ;Rudolf 


So thats it guys, this was the trivia I could collect about this guy. Hope it was useful.Share the joy and dont forget "Coca-Cola" ;)

A Visit from Saint Nicholas     

by Clement Clark Moore  

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house  

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;  

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,  

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;  

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;  

And mamma in her ’kerchief, and I in my cap,  

Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap,  

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,  

I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,  

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.  

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow  

Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,  

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,  

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,  

I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.  

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,  

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;

"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!  

On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!  

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!  

Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"  

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,

When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;  

So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,  

With the sleigh full of Toys, and St. Nicholas too.  

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof  

The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my head, and was turning around,  

Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.  

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,  

And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;  

A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,

And he looked like a pedler just opening his pack.  

His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!  

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!  

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow  

And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,  

And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;  

He had a broad face and a little round belly,  

That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly.  

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;  

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,  

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;  

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,  

And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,

And laying his finger aside of his nose,  

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;  

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,  

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle,  

But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."