Bitch about Christmas movies

Saint Nicholas is where "Santa Claus" comes from. He seems to have been a historical figure, a bishop, in Myra in Lycia (in modern Turkey) in the 4th century. Kris Kringle seems to be from a different source. Santa Claus seems to be an amalgamation of different folklore from different cultures. So Grandfather (or Father) Frost's days as a seperate figure may be numbered. OTOH, he may have diffentiated from from common cultural roots earlier. If there is a need for him, he will be around.

Christmas itself clearly has "pagan" roots in the celebration of the second harvest at the onset of winter. Jesus of Nazareth is more likely to have been born in the spring. The Christians are notorious for appropriating and relabeling pagan cultural practices. This seems to be a more successful strategy than straight oppression.

 

The offical date of Christmas was moved by the church from I can't remember when to the winter solstice.
Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas had different incarnations in different countries.
Santa Claus in his modern form was invented by coca cola as part of an advertising campaign and is a fairly recent invention like the American Thanksgiving which I believe had something to do with Teddy Rossevelt, but I might be wrong about that.

 

Maybe GRAPHIC image of Santa is relatively new, but his role as a Christmas present-giver is old. I remember him mentioned in this role in "The Silver Skates" by Mary Mapes Dodge (middle 19th century book).

 

reguarding the modern santa, he used to dress in green iirc but coca cola dressed him in red for their chirstmas addvertising and it's stuck.

 

yes thats why im thinking its source comes from elsewhere. the "pagan" things that people mention are usually old traditions and cultural roots and should not be looked down upon, as its also a recent tradition to look down upon such things by church. and please, when i talk about new york i dont say new amsterdam and in pharantesis moden new york. everything has a name.