On the Eleventh Day of Christmas....Alinar brings to you...An Blog Post from Lily Graison

Have you ever wondered where our current Christmas traditions came from? Santa Claus in particular? I did and my curiosity threw me into research mood. I thought I'd share what I found with everyone today. Everyone needs a bit of useless knowledge and believe me, when you tell others this bit, they'll look at you in amazement....or like my sister looked at me yesterday when I told her. Like I was completely insane! LOL

Without further ado...the origins of the Big Guy!

The sending and receiving of Christmas cards was a practice that started in 1840, nineteen years after the invention of the modern day Santa Claus in the US.

Early Dutch settlers of New York considered St. Nicolas their patron saint and practiced a yearly ritual of hanging stocking to receive gifts on St. Nicolas eve, which was in early December, the 5th, to be exact.

William Gilley, a New York City printer, published an anonymous poem referring to “Santeclaus,” taken from the Dutch word, “Sinterklass” for St. Nicolas, in a children’s book in 1821. The poem was the first mention of a sleigh being pulled by a single reindeer. On December 23, 1823, another anonymous poem, later found to be written by Clement Clarke Moore, was published in a Troy, NY newspaper. The poem, “A Visit from St. Nicolas” would later be called, “The Night Before Christmas” and told the story of Santa Claus visiting on Christmas Eve. The introduction of jolly old St. Nick to the world was made over one hundred years ago but his legend is still around today.

Thomas Nast, an American cartoonist, is credited for the first US depiction of Santa Claus. He was hired by Harper’s Weekly in 1862. For Christmas, he was assigned to draw the magazine’s cover and legend has it that Abraham Lincoln requested a depiction of Santa Claus visiting Union troops. The cover, released Jan. 3, 1863 was an instant hit and gave us the first glimpse of a Holiday icon.

Every child believes in the existence of Santa Claus, the magic he holds and the desire to be on his “Nice” list. The traditional giving and receiving of gifts depicted in those poems have followed us through the years and it’s easy to lose sight of what the Holiday really is. A religious celebration dating back to the birth of Christ.

Santa has been a part of us all and I remember when I learned he wasn't real. I don't recall how old I was, but I remember how disappointed I felt when I heard the ruckus in the living room and crawled out of bed to have a peek at Santa....only to see my parents carrying wrapped gifts from their bedroom and putting them under the tree. I think I grew up a little then. When the magic of Christmas, and Santa Claus is gone, you have no choice but to do so.

In the hustle and bustle of shopping, and preparation of “Santa Claus” visiting, remember to take time to enjoy what you already have. The real reason Christmas is so magical. Surrounded by family and loved ones, sharing laughs and heartfelt endearments that will create memories to last a lifetime.

From my home to yours... Merry Christmas!




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Books up for grabs today: Kallysten's: Blurred Nights and Blurred Bloodlines, Lily Graison's: That First Christmas and Blame It On the Mistletoe, Candy Nicks: 3 Book Bundle of The Moon Child Series






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The Winner is....entry #18..Eva Silkka!