As every year the night of the 24th to the 25th is a magical night.A senor belly with long hair and white beard, arrives at our houses to leave gifts to the smallest of the household.Lord, better known as Santa Claus or Santa Claus, is an endearing figure who has accompanied us since the Middle Ages , making that night a magical night to sound, but who is this chubby dressed in red ?, Why do you leave gifts to children ?, did it really exist ?, The true story of Santa Claus will try to solve these and other puzzles related to this nice Christmas character.
Index of the article
The true story of Santa Claus | The Solstice Festival
Before the question, that we celebrate on December 25 everyone, we will answer that we celebrate the birth of the child Jesus, but the historical facts do not support this theory.No one can confirm the day Jesus Christ was really born.Throughout history, different dates have been raised, but not even the Bible gives an approximate date of the date of his birth.
The dances of dates go from April 20 to May 20 and even as of September 29, but nothing conclusive.The only clue the Bible offers us is the mandatory census that Herod had dictated, which is why Maria and Jose were forced to start their march to fulfill the Herod's demand, at which point the birth seems to have occurred.
In what all the experts agree is in the to the impossibility of being born on December 24 at night, not even born in December.Entonce, why do we celebrate Christmas on the 25th ?.
The Massacre of the Innocents
The answer is simple, until almost the end of IV century , the day of the birth of Jesus was celebrated on January 6 , the same day of the arrival of the Magi.That day was celebrated the Birth of Jesus, the Epiphany of the Magi and the Baptism of Jesus.
Until well into the fourth century, in Rome celebrated the most popular festival of the year, it was a pagan holiday with a tradition from more than VI centuries The Saturnals. The Saturnals were parties celebrated in the Temple of Saturn , in the Roman Forum, where a feast was prepared for the entire citizenship , in which it towards an exchange of gifts, with a festive and carnival atmosphere.
Temple of Saturn in the Roman Forum
The reasons for these celebrations were two, to celebrate the Feast of Triumph and most importantly as a tribute in honor of Saturn , god of agriculture.
Saturn.represented with a sickle
At the end of the fourth century, Emperor Constantine the Great and Pope Julius I , decided to give a Christian meaning to this pagan festival of the Saturnals.A party that had been celebrated more than 6 centuries, it was a party coinciding with the Winter solstice, that is the shortest day of the year due to the inclination of the earth with respect to the sun, the earth receives less sunlight match nde that day with December 25th.
Sol Invictus
For the Romans the Saturnals, it was the most important holiday of the year, which is why it was chosen as the day for the celebration of Christmas.It was like the day of the Sol Invictus , became Christmas day.
The true story of Santa Claus | San Nicolas
We are located in year 280 AD, in a town near the city of Mira, in the present Turkey. That date is the of birth of Nicolas, belonging to a family accommodated His merchant father in the Adriatic Sea wanted Nicolas to follow his business steps, on the other hand his mother who wanted Nicolas to be like his uncle, a priest.
Ancient city of Mira
The priestly life at that time was a calm and relaxed life , if you also we have in mind that Nicolas's uncle was the Bishop of Mira , his situation would be highly enviable within the clergy, but a terrible epidemic of plague that only a large part of Turkey, He took the life of the parents of young Nicolas ahead.
This totally desolate, decided to give away his assets among the most needy to move to Mira with his uncle, his A decision was made, a priest would be ordained.With 19 years he was appointed a priest and on the death of his uncle he went to his replacement in the position of bishop.
San Nicolas
This is the story of Nicolas, from here a number of miracles and unexplained events, turned Nicolas into a very dear Saint, highlighted the goodness he had with the most needy, performing his function Episcopal exercising love for others.At his death, Nicolas became patron of Greece, Turkey, Russia and Lorraine in France.
The true story of Santa Claus | The Legend is born
San Nicolas has been related to the children and their love for them.Nicolas understood that the most unprotected beings were them and I dedicate them a lot of time.
Healing of the 3 children stabbed
Between the many stories, it is said that one day someone stabbed several children, when the Saint had news, he ran to the bed where the children were badly injured, knelt beside the bed and I pray with such fervor that children began to heal immediately.
The custom attributed to leaving gifts part of another story in which it is told: once a very poor man who had three daughters, and as usual if he wanted to marry them, he should give the future husband a dowry for them.Being the poor man, he did not have d e dowry for his daughters, condemning them to a beloved single girl .
When Nicolas learned of the situation of the poor man, I wait for they reach the age of marriage , to deliver them a small bag full of gold coins, one to each According to the legend, in order not to offend the dismayed father, Nicolas entered through a window at night and deposited the gold bag into the socks of the girls, who were usually hanging in the fireplace, to dry.
Another story tells that being sailors in the middle of a terrible storm, totally helpless and lost at the mercy of the storm, they are Curious to pray to God with prayers where they cited the benefits of his bishop Nicolas, asked for his salvation.Count the sailors who at the time of quoting the Saint, the figure of St.Nicolas appeared to them and extending their hands , I calm the waters.Since then, San Nicolas was named Patron of the Sailors.
Old Church of San Nicolas in Bari
Now it is time to address what is the real name of the Saint.In the East it is known as as Saint Nicolas de Mira , while in Western Europe, it is known as San Nicolas de Bari. He received this name when after the Muslim invasion of Turkey in 10587, the Christians decided to hide the relics of the Saint in a safe place, so the they moved to the city of Bari in Italy.
New Church of San Nicolas
Since his arrival in Bari, the Saint began to perform many miracles, which the Christians interpreted as a sign of gratitude of the saint for removing him from Muslim territory.his fame and popularity spread throughout Europe , and many temples were erected in his honor.
Tomb of the Saint in Bari
The true story of Santa Claus | From Nicolas to Santa Claus
According to the investigations that have been carried out it seems that the name change occurred towards in 1624. The first Dutch settlers, began to settle in the new continent, founding the city of New Amsterdam, later changing its name to New York.
Sinterklaas Festival
With the arrival of the Dutch settlers they also brought their customs, myths and legends, including the Sinterklaas festival, a party held in Holland on December 5 and 6, in honor of its patron San Nicolas which in German leagues was called Sinterklaas.
Washington Irving, in 1809 wrote History of New York, a satira on the first settlers, in this satire were pronounced with an English accent, the name of the Dutch saint Sinterklaas.In this satira Irving began to name him as Santa Claus .In 1823, Santa Claus began to be described, the poet Clement Clarke Moore based on the character that Irving had created, Santa Claus.He described it as a thin, dwarf being, more like a forest goblin.
Image of Santa Claus's Irving
This character's ability was to give children toys the night before Christmas , this being was sledding that was pulled by reindeer, being his reindeer guide Rudolph.This was clearly a free version of what had happened many centuries ago in Turkey.
In December in New York, snowfalls are famous so this fact was used to provide poor San Nicolas with sleigh and reindeer.
The current figure, recognizable worldwide was achieved in 1863 , when the German cartoonist Thomas Nast , designed a chubby, bonachon and barb character udo for Christmas strips.
I create the dress inspired by the clothing of the bishops of the Middle Ages, to create this version of San Nicolas that has nothing to do with the original San Nicolas de Mira.
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