Roger Highfield’s very entertaining book, The Physics of Christmas (a Christmas present from my sister from a couple of years ago), recounts the legend of St. Nicholas, who would later morph to become Santa Claus or Father Christmas:
Legend suggests that St. Nicholas was born around A.D. 245 in the town of Patara, an important Byzantine port in Turkey, only a couple of hours’ sail from Gemiler. When Nicholas was a young man, his father died, leaving a great fortune. Nicholas began anonymously giving the money away, especially to children. Eventually he became the Bishop of Myra (the modern-day coastal town of Demre), at the southernmost tip of the Bey Daglari mountains. (The name “Myra” is derived from that of the resin myrrh.) There he supposedly performed several miracles, including saving sailors from drowning and resurrecting three boys who had been killed by an evil butcher. It is the best-known of his miracles, however, that helps to wrap St. Nicholas into the legend of Santa Claus.
This miracle concerned a noble and his three daughters, who had fallen on hard times. The daughters had little chance of marriage, as their father could not pay their dowries, so they faced a life of prostitution. One night St. Nicholas, hearing of the girls’ plight, threw a sack of gold through a window of the nobleman’s shabby castle. The sack contained enough gold to provide for one daughter’s marriage. The next night he tossed another sack of gold through the window for the second daughter. But on the third night, the window was closed. Ever resourceful, St. Nicholas dropped the third sack of gold down the chimney. Townsfolk heard the story and began hanging stockings by the fireplace at night to collect any gold that might come their way, preseumably — hence the tradition of the Christmas stocking and Santa’s affinity for fireplaces.
A real stand-up guy. A dude, if you will.
One of those defining moments in childhood is when you discover or are told that there is no Santa Claus. Many kids take it badly, and one vicar in England forgot this in an well-meaning attempt to explain what Christmas is supposed to be about.
According to this report in from BBC News:
It is the news no child wants to hear – and certainly not from the mouth of a vicar.
Youngsters at a Christmas carol service were devastated when the Reverend Lee Rayfield told them Santa Claus was dead.
Even parents at the service in Maidenhead, Berkshire, were shocked to hear Mr Rayfield say it was scientifically impossible for Father Christmas to deliver so many presents so quickly.
Mr Rayfield has admitted making a serious misjudgment in telling the story to children as young as five.
He said: “I did not realise how young some of them were and I am sitting here now wondering how I managed not to realise.
“Even when I was there, I did not twig. I am mortified and appreciate I have put some parents in a difficult position with a lot of explaining to do. I love Christmas.”
Mr Rayfield also told the youngsters that reindeer would burst into flames if they had to travel at the speeds necessary.
Ah, yes, Exploding Rudolph. That’ll put the kids in therapy for years.
By bringing scientific proof into matters of faith, the vicar is treading ground that even angels with lots of insurance give a wide berth. He may have to explain why the science that proves that Santa cannot exist cannot do the same for God.
[Thanks to Loki for the link!]