Santa Claus and Christmas Gifts
 

It seems reasonable that when we commemorator the Supreme Gift of Divine Loved that we would exchange gifts between our family and friends as well as have an increase of bountiful alms giving.

ST. NICHOLAS - BEGINNING OF 4TH CENTURY; BISHOP OF MYRA (COASTAL TOWN OF LYCIA) HE WAS RICH AND ENJOYEED HELPING PEOPLE IN NEED OUT - DISDAINED ANYONE KNOWING HE DID SO.

He was finally found out and anytime anyone was helped out anonymously it was accredited to St. Nicholas.

In Holland & Germany the benevolent saint is know as Santa Clause. He was introduced into England as the secret dispenser of gifts in the latter part of the 18th century. Many say that the Dutch imported him to America. Hanging stockings came from a story that he dropped a purse down a chimney and it fell into a sock that was drying (instead of on the mantle).

In GERMANY's BLACK FOREST the annual visit is proceeded by Kneight Rupert, who goes around to each village in a frightful disguise, scaring naughty children in every house by his knowledge of their various misdeeds the past year. He usually ends visit by telling them Santa Claus will be merciful THIS TIMEW - but they better do better next year - or else.

In NORWAY Santa Claus has so many presents to deliver that he has a helper - Kris Kringle (corrupted use of the word Christ-Kindlein - Christ Child). He conveys his delightful load of gifts in his sleigh on the rooftops with his reindeer (built in Fairyland).
 

Father Christmas
 

SWITZERLAND - Father Christmas has a jovial red face, white beard, long furred robe. His wife Lucy helps him distribute gifts. Her to girls. Him to boys.

In SWEDEN St. Lucy was personated by the prettiest girl in the house. At the break of dawn. She would awaken everyone giving them coffee or a sweet drink. They then would have a brightly lit breakfast together.

In BOEHMER-WALD St. Lucy was a bogie that appears in the form of a nanny goat with horns, giving fruit to the good children and threatening to tear up the naughty ones.

In Russia the gifts are credited to the Grandma; an old woman who when the wisemen came looking for the Child, sent them the wrong way on purpose. According to another story she was asked by each of them to go and see the child. She wouldn't go until she was done spinning. It was then too snow covered to follow their tracks. Yet another story tells that when the Holy Family went down to Egypt she refused them hospitality. Either way she was to have repented of her actions and goes around giving gifts to make amends on each Christmas Eve - for the children of course!

In the 16th century Germany gifts for the children were tied up in bundles containing something pleasant, useful, and pertaining to discipline. EXAMPLE: cake, sugar plums, money, a garment, a book, a pen, a paper, and always a twig - representing the rod. They were supposed to be brought by der Haus-Christ. In modern Germany they have perverted the Idas Christ-Kind by using a girl (usually), blond, tall, more like a fairy dressed in white. She was attended by Hans Trapp. He was dressed in a bear skin with a long beard and a rod. He threatens naughty children who are saved by the intercession of das Christ-Kind, who would then make the children recite a hymn or scripture verses. If they done well they would get gingerbread. If not, they would be beaten with a sack filled with ashes.

France & Germany receptacle for their gifts are a wooden shoe. If a small fagot is found then they know Santa Claus's verdict was "not deserving", but he usually left at least bon-bons.

In Sweden, Pomerania, & some parts of the

very nice small gifts (i.e. ring) in a great big bundle. It is told that many Ladies received a gift that turned out to be a man.
 

Gary Marcum - East 38th Street Free Will Baptist - Christmas