History of Santa Claus

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St. Nicholas was born in 280 AD, in Patara, a city of Lycia, in Asia Minor. He became the gift giver of Myra. His gifts were given late at night, so that the gift giver's identity would remain a secret. St Nicholas was eventually named the patron saint of children, sailors, Russia and Greece.

St. Nicholas was a Christian priest, who later became a bishop. He was a rich person, and traveled the country helping people, giving gifts of money and other presents. St. Nicholas did not like to be seen when he gave away presents, so the children of the day were told to go to sleep quickly or he would not come! Nothing has changed and Santa Claus will not arrive this Christmas unless the children go to sleep early.

A famous story about St. Nicholas, is about a poor man who had no money to give to his three daughters on their wedding day. St Nick dropped bags of gold into the stockings which the girls had left to dry by the fire. The sisters found the gold and ever since, children have hung up stockings on Christmas Eve hoping that they will be filled with presents by Christmas morning.

Despite being quite young Nicholas had earned a reputation for kindliness and wisdom. In the year 303, the Roman emperor Diocletian commanded all the citizens of the Roman Empire, which included Asia Minor, to worship him as a god.

Christians believed in one god and one god alone, so their conscience would not allow them to obey the Emperor's order. Angered by their stubbornness, Diocletian warnd the Christians that they would be imprisoned. The Emperor carried out the threat and St Nicholas who resisted too was also imprisoned. For more than five years, St Nicholas was confined to a small cell. He suffered from cold, hunger, and thirst, but he never wavered in his beliefs. In 313, when Diocletian resigned, and Constantine came to power Nicholas was released, and he returned to his post as Bishop of Myra. He continued his good works and became even wiser and more understanding by the time of his death on December 6, 343.

In the eyes of the Catholics, a saint is someone who has lived such a holy life that, after dying and going to heaven, he or she is still able to help people on earth. They often become patron to different groups of people - one such was children and many legends sprang up to explain his presence.

By 450, churches in Asia Minor and Greece were being named in honor of him. By 800, he was officially recognized as the a saint by the Eastern Catholic Church.

In the 1200s, December sixth began to be celebrated as Bishop Nicholas Day in France.

By end of the 1400s, St Nicholas was the third most beloved religious figure, after Jesus and Mary. There were more than 2000 chapels and monasteries named after him.

In the 1500s people in England stopped worshipping St Nicholas and favored more another gift giving figure Father Christmas. Over the centuries, St. Nicholas' popularity grew, and many people in Europe made up new stories that showed his concern for children. The name Santa Claus was derived from the Dutch Sinter Klass pronunciation of St. Nicholas. Early Dutch settlers in New York (once called New Amsterdam) brought their traditions of St Nicholas. As children from other countries tried to pronounce Sinter Klass, this soon became Santa Klass, which was settled as Santa Claus. The old bishop's cloak with mitre, jewelled gloves and crozier were soon replaced with his red suit and clothing seen in other modern images.

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Christmas Symbols

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Christmas is the most popularly celebrated festival all over the world. It is celebrated with immense joy and zeal in all the Christian families. This festival is celebrated in order to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ, the founder of Christianity. On this day, people apart from feasting and partying, the followers of Christianity also take part in several traditions; customs and rituals. These customs are often explained by the interesting icons and symbols that are associated with Christmas. These symbols have now become so common with the celebration of Christmas, that once the Christmas arrives, the entire market is seen overcrowded with these items.

Popular Christmas Symbols

Christmas Tree
Christmas tree is the most popular symbol associated with the Christmas celebrations. It is basically an evergreen coniferous tree which is decorated with lights, stars and colorful ornaments during the days around Christmas. One can't even imagine Christmas ambience without Christmas tree.

Christmas Star
The Christmas star is an unavoidable part of Christmas ambience. It is associated with the spirit of the celebration, big hopes and high ideals. There are several legends associated with this star which relate it to the birth of Jesus Christ.

Mistletoe
Mistletoe is associated with the Christmas festival since a time immemorial. This plant is said to have mystical power of saving life and securing peace. There are several Christmas folklores associated with this plant. Kissing under Mistletoe is a popular ritual.

Holly
Holly is an inevitable symbol of Christmas. It is said to be a man's plant and is considered to bring good luck and protection to men. It is said that whoever in the family brings the first sprig of Christmas holly into home, will wear the pants that year.

Christmas Rose
Christmas rose is a European evergreen plant with white or purplish rose look-alike winter flowers. As in U.S.A and surrounding countries, the Poinsettia has become synonym of the Christmas flower, in Germany and other European countries; the flower of Christmas rose is the Christmas flower. It can be seen on Christmas table clothes, napkins, wrapping paper and cards.

Poinsettia
Poinsettia flowers are beautiful small, and situated in the middle of the bracts. There is a beautiful legend associated with this flower which explains how this flower became a bright red Christmas flower.

Glastonbury Thorn
Glastonbury Thorn, generally referred as 'The Holy Thorn of Glastonbury' is the legend that ties in Christ's death as well as the celebration of his birth. It is said that Glastonbury Thorn relates to the piece of the Crown of Thorns, placed on Jesus' head before he was crucified.

Christmas Stocking
On the occasion of Christmas, Children all over the world hang the Christmas stockings on their window in order to receive gifts from Santa Claus. Originally, they used their regular everyday socks, however with time special Christmas stockings were created for this purpose.

Christmas Wreath
Christmas Wreath is a beautiful holiday wreath available in different types and materials. They can be made with twisted grapevines. However, people popularly use the artificial Christmas wreath available readily in market. It is said that these wreaths symbolize life and hope.

Christmas Toys
Christmas toys are one of the most popular items on the occasion of Christmas. It is actually a popular trend to exchange Christmas toys as a gift. Umpteen numbers of toys are also available in almost infinite variety of choices on the occasion of Christmas. Stuffed toys of Santa and electronic toys are popular Christmas toys.


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Christmas Gifts

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Christmas gifts are a beautiful tradition that reminds us of the real meaning of holiday season every year. The spirit of Christmas lies in sharing love and extending kindness. It is about sharing our love and generosity with our families, friends, neighbors as well as with some fellow human beings who are less fortunate than we are. Though, commercialization has made the selection of Christmas gift intricate and materialistic, the spirit of buying and receiving Christmas present is the same innocent feeling as ever. You can win almost anyone's heart by choosing Christmas gifts for them. However, prefer to buy gifts with due care and love and try to avoid last minute shopping, which compels you to buy trash.

This section will help you to choose appropriate gifts for everybody so that the receiver cherishes it as much as you loved to buy them. You can even make the most common Christmas gifts look special by wrapping them in unique and creative ways and select the items that suit the body type, skin color, nature, needs and personal choices of the person. Christmas gifts can include health products; cosmetics, accessories, dress and jewellery; toys, music CDs, DVD players, mobile phones, digital cameras and gadgets; and books too. Look for more ideas in our articles for the intended category.

Christmas Gifts for Boyfriend
Exchange of gifts is considered one of the best ways to express love and affection to your beloved, during ceremonious occasions. When it comes to Christmas, gift giving becomes an inevitable tradition. In fact, the festival becomes even more special

Christmas Gift Baskets
Christmas is one of the most awaited festivals worldwide. It is not only awaited by kids and teenagers but also by the elders as well. It is celebrated with extreme joy and fervor and the celebrations of Christmas in a Christian home are unparalleled to any other celebration. The best part about Christmas is the Christmas Gift.

Gifts for Grandparents
Christmas is not only the festival of kids and youngsters; it is equally awaited by the elder people too. It is a day full of fun, joy and enthusiasm when people ignoring their age enjoy to the fullest. Party, feast, Christmas tree, Santa Claus, and wonderful Christmas Gifts are inevitable parts of the celebrations.

Christmas Gifts for Little Boys
Though Christmas is a festival of the people of all age groups, the actual enthusiasm can be seen among kids. Apart from the celebrations, cakes, munchies and chocolates, they can't hide their enthusiasm for the gifts that Santa will bring for them.

Presents for Little Girls
Don’t you just love it when your little girl brightens up the entire room with her 1000-watt smile when she gets a lovely gift? It becomes all the more special when it is Christmas. Little girls love to get their favorite toys and dolls as Christmas presents.

Christmas Gifts for Men
Men are rightly thought to be more practical minded than women in general and they are often thought to be too dry by the other sex to receive gifts. Well, the real reason behind their false smiles and dry 'uh-ohs' might actually be that they don't really get Christmas gifts that they want and long for.

Christmas Gifts for Parents
Raising a child is the most difficult task in the world. Christmas is the opportunity to share our love and express our regards with our parents that goes a long way in family bonding. Since the time when we are young helpless children to the time when our parents are too old to see and hear us clearly

Presents for Teenagers
Teenage is a difficult stage of life when a kid is an adult in making but has not yet completely given up the childish selfishness and crazy dreaming. They still cling to their love for gifts and so they can let you see the disappointment of getting a regular Christmas gift

Christmas Gifts for Women
Women are believed to be the target of Christmas gift commercialization. Buying a gift for women can be very simple or the most difficult of all tasks, according to the importance you attach to buying the gift for the woman. This lady can be your mom, your sister, your girlfriend, your wife or simply a friend or a colleague.

Christmas Gifts for Dad
As the festive season of Christmas approaches, your dad surprises you with gifts that are carefully chosen and wrapped with immense love. All these years your father brought and still brings gifts for you. The festival is not only meant to receive gifts from your dad, but also reciprocate the love shown to you by him.

Christmas Gift Exchange
Celebration of Christmas is incomplete without the exchange of gifts. This custom, which is followed since ages, makes the festival livelier and cheerful. Christmas exchange gift games are usually played during the holiday season, in which family members, friends and relatives gather to bestow presents upon each other.

Christmas Gifts for Girlfriend
During Christmas, your girlfriend would naturally seek to gratify her smallest desires. So, take this festival as your golden chance to show how much you love and care for her. Christmas gifts for your girlfriend would essentially be the expression of your romantic sentiments for her.

Homemade Christmas Gifts
Handmade Christmas gifts are of course the most personalized and treasured art of gifting besides being the most economical too. It not only gives you a chance to hone your artistic abilities and creativity and make your holiday season much more enjoyable as you share it with your kids

Christmas Gifts For Mom
Mom is the busiest among the family members during Christmas. Whether it be cleaning and decorating the home, preparing food or shopping, she is engaged in almost every task during the holiday season. Although she remains busy with household chores, she never misses to purchase Christmas gifts for her family and friends.

Romantic Christmas Gifts
Christmas is the time of the year when everything around you looks magical and doused in love and joy. The spirit of Christmas brings with it, happiness and cheer and when celebrated with loved ones, it only gets better. How nice would it be if you surprise your beloved with a romantic Christmas gift!

Top Ten Christmas Gifts 2010
The festivity of Christmas is around the corner and the shopping malls and other centers are all filled with beautiful gift baskets. The celebration of Christmas takes place with great pomp and show. It is the tradition of Christmas to exchange gifts among the closed ones.

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