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All you want to know about Santa Claus:                                 
                                                                        
Whether he is called Saint Basile (In Grece), the fairy Befena (In Italia),
 Babouchka (in Russia), Julnisse (in Denmark), or Father Christmas, 
 Weinachtsmann, Papa Noël, Père Noël, Saint Nicolas, Sinterklass, 
 Santa Claus... He is the same one bringing gifts..
                                                                        
And in fact he is Saint Nicolas, Bishop of Myra (Turkey), the city where
 he was born in year 200. Like most Christians, he was persecuted by    
 Diocletian and Constantin. He died in year 343.                        
                                                                        
After his death, his legend started: Saint Nicolas was recognized to help 
 poor and abandonned children and  reward good ones. People started to 
 celebrate Saint Nicolas on December Sixth. 
 First in Italy then in all Europe.                              
                                                                        
In America, the legend started when the Dutch founded New Amsterdam 
 (New York) during the 17th Century. Saint Nicolas was mispronounced and   
 became Sinta Colas ...Sinta Claes... Santa Claus!                      
 Santa Claus was then represented as a skinny Bishop, wearing the red    
 Bishop dress or as an ugly gnome.

In 1809 Washington Irving, then Clement Clark Moore started the presents
 and chimney legend.
In 1821, for the first time Santa is depicted driving a sleigh drawn by
 reindeers. The Red nose reindeer appeared first in 1939 when
 Robert L. May created Rudolph to help Santa during bad weather.
In 1860, Thomas Nast, from the  Harper's Weekly decided to represent Santa
 as a rotund prosperous person.
In 1886 George P. Webster established his toys factory in North Pole.                                 
In 1930, Haddon Sundblom for Coca Cola decided to add the long white beard
 and red cloth (Coca Colas colors). Santa never changed since Sundblom.
His official address is North Pole HOH OHO Canada.

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Other Christmas trivia:

The CHRISTMAS TREE:                                                                                          
The Christmas Tree tradition originates in Alsace (France).             
In Alsace, during the Middle Ages, religious theatre called "mystères"  
 were played in front of churches.                                      
                                                                        
A fir tree was then decorated with apples to symbolize the tree of      
 knowlege and the forbidden fruit.                                      
                                                                        
1521: First recorded authorization to cut fir trees for Christmas,      
      in Alsace. The tradition quickly spreads to Germany.               
                                                                        
17th century: fruits and candles join apples to decorate the trees.   
                                                                        
1837: First Christmas tree in Paris is an initiative of the german      
      Princess Hélène de Mecklembourg to decorate the Tuileries.        
                                                                        
1870: At the end of Franco Prussian war, the Alsacian emigration spreads
      the tradition first in France and then accross Europe.            
                                                                        
Today you can find Christmas trees all over the world and apples have   
      been replaced with bulbs...                                       

By the way the choice of 25th of December dates from the 4th century   
  when the Occidental Church replaced the pagan celebration of the winter
  solstice (December 21) with the Nativity date of December 25th.        

THE YULE LOG:
For the winter solstice, pagan used to burn a log to call for the Sun
protection. Christian just borrowed the concept.

NOEL:
The word could come from latin natalis dies (birth day) or from Celtic
Gaulois noio hel (new sun).

HOLLY TREE (HOUX):
Comes from Celtic ilex, a toxic plant that stays green, the Celts believed
that the sun never left that plant which kept spirits in the forest. 

GUI:
That toxic plant growing on sacred oak trees was cut by druids using a golden
bill hook. kissing under the gui is an English custom coming from the Love
goddess Freya. It was used in magic and medecine under the name of panacea.

                                                                         
Merry Christmas.                                                        
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