12 Dec 07
Originally posted by darthmixNo... that still makes sense... grandads are always giving presents... I think there's something the bible isn't telling us...
For a while when I was a kid I thought Jesus was the son, God was the father, and Santa was the grandfather. When you're five this sort of thing makes perfect sense.
12 Dec 07
Originally posted by darthmixi'm sure this is in the bible.... behold, he who comes in the name of the father's father.... behold he.... santa
For a while when I was a kid I thought Jesus was the son, God was the father, and Santa was the grandfather. When you're five this sort of thing makes perfect sense.
12 Dec 07
Originally posted by uzlessHe is.
I thought he was the spokersperson for Coca-Cola
Coca Cola based the character on the Dutch "Sinterklaas / Sint Nicolaas". This Dutch "holiday" was meant to give children a present at 5 december and was invented by the Dutch retailers and other merchandisers to boost their sales.
They in their turn based Sint Nicolaas on the "Turkish" Saint Nicolaas. Who was known to be rich and give away presents like his cloak/mantle. He was born on december the 6th I don't know why we use the 5th. Maybe it was a mistake of the retailers.
He was riding on a white horse.
Since he was a saint the Dutch said his horse could ride the rooftops. The Dutch added a black slave "Zwarte Piet" this was sort of a boogeyman. On his shoulder he carried a bag with gifts for children that have been sweet, in his free hand he had a bundle of short sticks to punish the naughty children. In the time this was 'invented' the Dutch really did not like the Spanish (since they almost always where at war with the Spanish (and the English)) So they thought it would be funny to mock them by dressing the slave in the Spanish uniform.
The holiday still excists today and is not gonna give either. However since the Dutch are cheap, it will not become an official "you get the day off-holiday"
Check http://www.sinthoorn.nl/ for an impression.
(I don't like linking to wiki, everybody does it) 🙂
12 Dec 07
Originally posted by MetBierOpJulenissen. He comes on Christmas Eve, like the German Weihnachtsmann. Nobody comes and brings sweets on 5 or 6 December. 🙁 But to compensate, the Norwegians celebrate Santa Lucia on 13 December.
I'm sure he's not 😛
By the way.
What does Norway have?
Santa?
By the way, Nikolaus always visited my family in the night to the 7th. Everybody else I knew got their sweets one night earlier.
13 Dec 07
Originally posted by NordlysYou probably got a switch from Knecht Ruprecht, or Krampus, or Black Peter, or one of St. Nick's various other regional minions.
Julenissen. He comes on Christmas Eve, like the German Weihnachtsmann. Nobody comes and brings sweets on 5 or 6 December. 🙁 But to compensate, the Norwegians celebrate Santa Lucia on 13 December.
By the way, Nikolaus always visited my family in the night to the 7th. Everybody else I knew got their sweets one night earlier.
13 Dec 07
Originally posted by eatmybishopNaaa...he's not God.
he never dies and he has a big white beard... oh... and he doesnt do anything all year apart from a miracle at christmas...
debate
Why.... ?
Because most Santa in the UK are known to be pedo's in hiding (as my mate in child protection tells me)......
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14 Dec 07
Originally posted by agrysonYou're not far from the truth.
I thought he was Thor, retired god of thunder?
The names of two of Santa's reindeer.
Donner = Thunder
Blitzen = Lightning
The German name for Thor also happens to be Donar.
Santa Claus is more often associated with the Germanic god Odin who was said to lead a great hunting party through the sky at Yule called the Wild Hunt. The imagery of Santa flying across the face of the moon with his pack of reindeer is very much derived from the imagery of the Wild Hunt flying across the sky. The major difference being the Wild Hunt had far more sinister connotations in that you did not want to be caught outside alone at night during Yule. Yule was a time to be safe inside with family. Of course it wasn't a bad idea to leave a sacrifice to appease Odin and the Wild Hunt. You know like the cookies and milk and carrots that little kids leave by the fireplace for Santa and his reindeer 😉
But yeah Santa is just another indication that the holiday now know as Christmas is not of Christian origin despite the name.
Oh and Thor has apparently come out of retirement. Asatru is now once again an officially recognized religion in Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. And it is also practiced by quite a few people here in the United States. Happy Yule everyone and don't let the Wild Hunt get ya!