General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: UFOs exist and everyone needs to adjust to that fact [View all]lapfog_1
(29,205 posts)The whole Santa Claus "mythology" as popularized by Macys is base on some distorted history (like many myths).
There really was a Saint Nick ( Nicholas of Turkey) who was the "patron saint of children" and handed out treats and toys.
The Germanic Santa Clause of the red/white suit and sleigh was real too... pre Christianity in the German and Finland parts of Europe there were shamans... The shamans would eat hallucinogenic mushrooms to "commune with god or nature". Those mushrooms were red with white spots (and the shaman would dress like their favorite drug... hence the red suits, often with white polka dots in the original Santa). Not only would they take the mushrooms, in the winter time they would travel from homestead to homestead and bring news and trade goods with people... and their visits would often be a cause for celebration. Not only that, but with deep snow... they would use their sleds to reach the rooftops (doors and windows were often snowed in... so they would enter via the fire pit opening on the roof (mostly just an open hole to let smoke out).
So... all of the elements of the modern Santa Claus are there.
Feast in the winter time (mistaken as the birth of Christ, however if you read about the birth of Christ if it happened... it happened in the spring time, not the winter... the early Christians moved it to appropriate the pagan holiday of Saturnalia).
Gifts for the children from St. Nicholas (early Christian Saint)
Santa Claus visit on a sleigh - possibly drawn by reindeer
Lands on the roof (snow is that deep)
enter through the "chimney"
dressed in a red suit with white trim - to honor the mushrooms that allowed them to communicate with the gods
It's dark outside (and around Dec 22... it's the darkest time of the year in the northern latitudes
Was there a "Santa Claus"... well yes, there was.