What is Chistmas? Continued...
Fun Christmas Facts:
-When the Tyscho family of Poland brought home a Christmas
tree in 2001, they had no idea that the fir would still be
retaining its needles 12 months later. And this is no
artificial tree. The Tsychos removed the beautiful 8-footer
from a woods that borders their dairy farm, secured it in a
container filled with water and decorated it for the
season. However, the tree never lost its needles and the
astonished family kept it in their living room all year.
"It's been like having a Christmas celebration every day,"
said Paul Tsycho, adding that he, his wife and five
children feel blessed by the bizarre event.
-Elves have a long history and not only with Santa. The
first elves were said to be descended from the children of
Eve. They were hidden from the sight of God because they
were considered unclean. In German and Scandinavian
mythology, there were elves of light and elves of darkness.
Dark elves were comparable to dwarfs, but white elves
resembled angels. In folk legend, elves are often depicted
as small fairies who dance around flowers in the garden,
leaving elf-rings and elf-mounds as tokens of their
presence. Not to mention helping Santa place real presents
under the Yule tree.
-UFO Is Not Santa's Sleigh
Every Christmas Eve weathercasters around the world
jokingly report that an "unidentified flying object"
similar to Santa's sleigh has been spotted flying over the
North Pole. However, the UFO seen over Chinese skies just
before this Christmas had the appearance of a giant
skateboard! That's right--several veteran commercial
airline pilots spotted the 100-meter-long "flying
skateboard" above the city of Nanjing in southeastern
China. Adding to the intrigue, the blue and white craft was
not visible from the ground.
Fun Christmas Games to Play:
CLICK HERE & SEE THE CHRISTMAS CARD! IT IS REALLY CUTE. (IT TAKES A WHILE TO LOAD.)
Here you CLICK to build your own Snowman, ( or snow woman ), or Decorate your own X-Mas tree also! Many things to have fun with here. Thank's Cat! ;O)
And Special Thank's to Laura for the idea to make Holiday pages!
An astrological sign for the Magi
8:28 PM 12/24/02
Beth Williams Wisconsin State Journal
In the Bible, the star of Bethlehem led the wise men to the baby Jesus more than 2,000 years ago.
Since then, astronomers, historians and theologians have tried to figure out what, exactly, the Magi saw in the sky.
"The star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. And when they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy," according to the Gospel of Matthew.
The star has become a powerful symbol of Christmas. It appears in religious artwork and - in modern electrical versions - along roof lines and the tops of Christmas trees.
"It sort of symbolizes the season," said the Rev. William Mattox of Meadowood Baptist Church on Madison's West Side. "It's part of our Christmas culture."
Many Christians see the star as a miracle. Scientists have looked for other explanations.
Some believe a real astronomical event happened over ancient skies, but there's little agreement on what it was. A comet? A nova or star that suddenly increases in brightness? Each of those theories has weaknesses.
There aren't records of any remarkable comets or nova in the sky between 8 B.C. and 4 B.C., the time period in which many historians think Jesus was born, said Jim Lattis, director of the UW Space Place and a historian who studies astronomy.
But astronomer Michael Molnar, author of "The Star of Bethlehem: The Legacy of the Magi" thinks he's found an astrological solution.
For Molnar, who earned his doctorate in astronomy at UW-Madison in 1971 and now works as a development project manager at Chubb Computer Services in Parsippany, N.J., it started with an old Roman coin he bought about 10 years ago. The bronze coin showed Aries the ram and a star field on one side and the Roman god Jupiter on the other.
While researching the coin, Molnar discovered that ancient astrologers believed various constellations affected life in different places. Aries was the constellation of Judea and Sumeria, so the Magi probably would have been watching it, Molnar said.
Knowledge of astrology
No one is sure who the Magi or wise men were. But most believe they would have had knowledge of astrology, which was widely practiced but not by the Jews, he said.
Next, Molnar had to figure out what the Magi were watching for, keeping in mind that in those days "star" referred to anything in the heavens. Jupiter was considered to be the star of kings, Molnar said.
Molnar used a computer program to recreate the positions of the stars and planets that would have been visible between 8 B.C. and 4 B.C. What he found was that in 6 B.C. Jupiter did some unusual things in the constellation Aries.
On April 17 of 6 B.C., the moon would have blocked the view of Jupiter. Saturn and the sun would have appeared at the edge of Aries.
This eclipse of Jupiter by the moon and the positions of Saturn and the sun with relation to Aries would have held significance for astrologers, Molnar said.
"It was considered the magical formula for the birth of not just a great king but a divine king," Molnar said.
Also Molnar thinks "in the east" could be more accurately translated as "at its rising," meaning a morning star.
On April 17, Jupiter would have been visible in the morning sky.
Molnar thinks it was all these factors that made the Magi set out for Jerusalem.
And the star would have in a sense stayed with them. About Aug. 23, Jupiter would go into retrograde motion, meaning it would appear to move from east to west instead of its normal west to east.
Then around Dec. 19, Jupiter would have appeared stationary.
When the Magi arrived at King Herod's court, he and his advisers were surprised by their talk of a star.
"Those people who practiced astrology recognized the star," Molnar said. "The Jewish people and King Herod didn't see it. He would have seen a comet or a nova."
Other interpretations
Molnar is confident in his theory, but there are other interpretations.
"There is truth behind this story," Molnar said. "Yes, granted it is not what some people would want it to be - a brilliant star or comet .
-.
. this was a very subtle omen."
Others, such as Meadowood Baptist's Mattox, think the star was a miracle sent by God to tell of the birth of Jesus.
"To me, it was a star that appeared at that time as a divine sign from God," said the Rev. Francis Schmidt of St. Martin's Catholic Church in Cross Plains. "It appeared by the power of God, and once it's job was finished it was gone."
Others think Matthew included the information about the star to reach out to non-Jews who would not have believed a Jewish prophecy about a savior but would have believed in astrology.
Matthew begins his Gospel with a list of Jesus' genealogy to prove to Jews that Jesus is the savior, said the Rev. Phil Kenas of Sun Prairie's United Methodist Church.
"The way that he verifies it for the general public is there is attestation and it's a heavenly attestation," Kenas said. "It's a way of broadening the appeal."
Still others say the star was a literary device added to make the birth of Christ even more important.
"It makes more sense, especially given a lot of contradictions or at least gaps here - especially that thing about the star leading them to Bethlehem," UW Space Place's Lattis said. "I don't know what kind of celestial event would do that."
Many pastors, however, said it doesn't really matter what the star was. It just comes down to faith.
"We don't know literally what it was, whether it was a miracle or can be explained scientifically," said the Rev. Peter Narum of Bethel Lutheran Church in Downtown Madison. "That's not a question we have to answer."
Christamas Superstitions:
The majority of superstitions and omens associated with Christmas are of a happy nature - not a few dealing with love and affection as seems only right and proper. On Christmas Eve, for instance, if a girl walks backwards to a pear tree and then walks around it nine times she will see an image of her husband ( or perhaps be dizzy ! ). If there are no pear trees available, the girl should try the hen house and tap sharply on the outside: if a hen cackles she will not be wed that year, but if the cock replies her luck is in. As a last resort there are always sage leaves, and the girl seeking news of her lover-to-be should go into the garden, pick twelve sage leaves and scatter them to the winds. As she does so a shadowy figure of a man will preent itself to her. A test for true love is said to be a rose which has been picked on Midsummer Day and put away until Christmas. It is then examined and if found to be still fresh, the love of the girl who plucked it and her intended will run true and flourish. Despite widespread belief to the contrary, superstition maintains that ghosts do not appear on Christmas Day, although it is well to open all your doors at midnight to let out evil spirits. For the gardeners among you, if you have time to bind straw around your fruit trees on Christmas evening then you can be sure of a rich crop later in the year. Apart from their attraction, Christmas decorations of holly and mistletoe are also guardians against evil, although it is bad luch to keep them up after Twelfth Night - January 6 which coincides with the date of the Old Christmas Day. Evergreens should not just be thrown out of the doors but carefully burnt or a death will occure in the family. That lovely superstion maintained for children that Father Christmas fills stockings left for him has it's origins in a legend told about St. Nicholas, the patron saint of Christmas Day. He is said to have gone to the home of three sisters living in the most dire poverty and thrown some coins down the chimney. Instead of landing in the hearth, however, they fell into some stockings which the girls had left hanging to dry and were discovered there in the morning. Hence the legend of gifts appearing in stockings on Christmas morning and the idea of Father Christmas coming down the chimney! If the sun is shining on Christmas morning it is said in many places to presage a fine harvest during the coming year, but in Huntingdonshire; dark Christmas, heavy wheatsheaf' - so take your choice! In the North of England the custom of 'First Footing' is still held, although in most other areas the tradition belongs to New Year's Day. A dark man must be the first to enter the house on Christmas morning to ensure luck - but a woman coming at this time will bring disaster. A man with red hair is said to be no better either! It is believed to be unlucky to carry anything out of the house on a Christmas morning before something has been brought in. The delight in a white Christmas should not overlook the fact that it is an omen of fewer deaths in the coming year while lack of snow signifies quite the opposite. Finally, when you are all settled around the roaring fire take a careful look at the shadows flickering on the walls. Any that appear without heads belong to people who will die during the coming twelve months.
Christmas Pudding:
Stirring the Christmas Pudding while it is being made is lucky for all those who take part - but it is absolutely essential to stir the pudding 'sun-wise' ( that is, east to west ) as the custom is a throwback to one of the earliest ways of honouring the Sun God. Each person as they stir the mixture can make one wish, and as long as they do not repeat it to a soul it should come true.
Mistletoe:
The mistletoe, which provides such a delightful escuse for stealing a kiss at Christmas, is said to have earned it's status for some unfortunate misdemeanour as a result of which the Old Gods condemned it to look on for evermore while pretty girls were kissed! A more likely explanation lies in the fact that the plant was held to be sacred by the Druids, who called it the "Golden Bough" and featured it in their religious worship. The tree is also said to be a 'Thunder Plant' and can protect a house from storms, and when chopped up and boiled is an antidote for poisons. Interestingly, in some rural areas of England it is still said that if a girl is not kissed under the mistletoe before her marriage she will be barren all her days. The reader might also just like to note that while it is perfectly permissible to cut down a few ranches of misteltoe, never take the whole tree for this will result in the most dire bad luck. Finally, a warning about a piece of mistletoe which has been much kissed under - unless it is burned on Twelfth Night, says a superstition found in many European countries, all those who kissed beneath it will be quarrelling before the year is out.
Extra: New Year:
If the first man to cross the threshold of a house after midnight has struck on New Year's Eve ( the 'First-Footer' as he is called ), is dark haired and carries a shovel full of coal, then a good year of luck will follow. This widely known superstition originated in Scotland, of course, but now seems to be much more widely observed by partygoers all over the world. Conversely, if the first person to enter the house is a woman or a fair-haired man, then bad luck can be expected - and it is perhaps not surprising to find in many places a tall, dark haired man is specially recruited to make the necessary entrances at the homes of all his friends and neighbours. Not a few people also believe that empty pockets and empty cupboards on New Year's Eve portend a year of poverty - which might perhaps account for the way some merry makers stock up for this particular night! Throughout Britain and Europe, too, it is felt to be bad luck to let a fire go out on New Year's Eve, but you could ensure yourself good fortune by draining the last dregs from a bottle of drink on this night. Cheers!
Holly:
Holly, which plays such an important part in Christmas celebrations, derives its name from the word 'holy' and tradition says its evergreen leaves represent eternal life, its red berries are symbolic of the crucifixtion, and its prickles make it an ideal deterrent against evil spirits. Hence the reason for making displays for our doors, and decorating the rooms of our homes with it to ensure a happy and misfortune-free Christmas. Superstition does decree, however, that you must pick the holly before Christmas Eve, or be open to the evil intentions of an enemy you may have in either the real or spirit world. The prickly holly leaves are said to be male, and for this reason lucky for men; while the smooth variety are female and will bring fortune to the ladies. Aside from the good luck that the tree harbours, the holly is a weather omen for when the branches are heavily laden with berries this is a sign of a hard, snowy winter to come. The tree is also said to be a good protection against thunder and evil spirits - and rather amusing cure for chilblains, the feet having to be beaten with a holly branch to 'let the chilled blood out.' Ouch!
Culled from : "A dictionary of Omens and Superstitions" by: Philippa Waring
The Italian 'Santa Clause' "La Befana:"
Story of La Befana:
The three Kings stopped at La Befana's house on their way to Bethlehem. After dining with her, they invited her to follow them in their search for the Christ child. She said no since she needed to wash and clean.
After a while she changed her mind, and gathered up some items from her home to give to the Christ child. Alas, she wasn't able to find the three Kings nor the baby Christ child. She's been searching ever since. So every January 5th and the morning of January 6th, children all over Italy find their stockings filled with sweet curly candy for being very good or a dark piece of coal if they have been bad.
La Befana, Italian Witch who is compared with the American Santa Clause. Great Information here, story and explications of "La Befana," besides doll pictures of her!
Bethlehem Star now falls under computer's gaze
Nov 29 2004
David Williamson, Western Mail
A WELSH university is carrying out research into one of the world's most enduring mysteries - the star of Bethlehem.
Martin Griffiths, from the University of Glamorgan, is fascinated by the Biblical story which led the mysterious Magi from the East to the infant Christ.
Rather than dismissing the story as pure mythology, he thinks that it is likely something extraordinary did appear in the night sky 2,000 years ago.
The bright light, he speculates, may not have been an actual star but could have been caused by a unique conjunction of the planets.
Sir Isaac Newton and Johannes Kepler both sought explanations for this key event in the Christmas story. Now, computer software used to map the paths of constellations has revealed several possibilities.
Mr Griffiths said, "There were a series of significant events across a period of a few years which would all have been clearly visible and may have created an air of anticipation on the part of the Magi."
A triple conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn was seen in the constellation Pisces in 7BC. This blaze of light would have excited peoples in neighbouring cultures who looked for signs in the skies.
Jews were banned in their scriptures from practising astrology, but a leading theory is that the legendary Wise Men who visited Jesus at birth may have been Persian Zoroastrians.
Mr Griffiths said, "The Jews were a nation bound to God via the law of Moses. This law specifically forbade the foretelling of events, divination or consulting astrologers, so no Jew would realise the import of such a star as their culture was not steeped in the lore of ancient astrology, where celestial events would have major significance.
"The Chaldeans [whom the Wise Men are referred to as in certain sources] however would be examining the heavens and interpreting events according to their own definitions, and realised that this occurrence would have consequences for the Jews and thus travelled to Israel."
Some scholars have suggested that the story of the Magi is a literary invention, deliberately alluding to Old Testament prophecy.
"This of course is a possibility as Matthew did write his gospel long after the event, and is the only gospel writer to mention the star and the events surrounding the birth," Mr Griffiths said.
"However, I think it is more likely to have been an astronomical event, since unusual celestial events in history can have ambiguous interpretations.
"Most explanations for an astronomical occurrence focus upon comets, supernovae or planetary conjunctions."
The story of the Magi has excited new interest in recent years because it represents an interaction between different faiths at the birth of Christianity.
Some religious scholars embrace the idea of the planets being deliberately set in course to come into alignment at the time of Christ's birth. Others prefer to think of the star as a wholly supernatural sign.
Mr Griffiths acknowledges that the mystery will never be conclusively solved.
He said, "Checking these phenomena via commonly available astronomy software will enable an amateur sleuth to enjoy a rewarding hour or so contemplating this ancient thriller, and still leaves one to ponder the religious significance of this mysterious event."
Members of the public are invited to attend a free lecture on December 6 at the University of Glamorgan at which Mr Griffiths will detail different ways of approaching this story. Anyone interested in attending should contact him by emailing mgriffi8@glam.ac.uk.
Santa is a Wildman!
Jeffrey Vallance in The Land of Hoarfrost
DECEMBER 25, 2004
IN 1961, WHEN I WAS 6 YEARS old, my parents took me to Santa's Village, a rundown alpine-theme amusement park near Lake Arrowhead. We also took special trips to the "town" of Santa Claus, near Santa Barbara, to have the family Christmas cards stamped with the special Santa Claus postmark. I remember the wonderfully kitsch giant Santa statue sitting atop the roof there lately destroyed thanks to a battle waged by uptight Santa Barbara residents. My memories of those days are as faded as the family snapshots, but nevertheless they had a great impact on my life.
Like most children, I took for granted the traditional Santa trappings: the jolly round elf in the furry red suit with the long white beard; the festive sleigh pulled by unearthly reindeer; the elves in weirdly colorful costumes who worked in Santa's workshop far away at the North Pole. But because of my grandfather, who hailed from Trondheim, Norway, and who painted and sculpted nisse (gnomes) that looked like mini Santas, the Christmas arcana held a special value.
Never would I have dreamed that one day I would live in Lapland, the only portion of Europe that extends above the Arctic Circle, and the traditional home of Santa Claus. But in 1999, I was offered a three-year job as professor in international contemporary art at Umeå University in northern Sweden. Lapland (or Sàpmi) extends across northern Sweden, Finland, Norway and the Kola Peninsula in Russia, and is the homeland of the Lapps, more political correctly called the Saami. In Lapland, I regularly wore a fur-trimmed coat while traveling through the snow in the Arctic wilderness by way of a reindeer sleigh. I frequently dined on huge reindeer steaks, and, like Santa, I became rounder and jollier while my beard turned hoarier.
When I first arrived in the Land of Hoarfrost, I was puzzled by the enigmatic heraldic symbol of Lapland, the wildman a hairy, reddish, bestial character dressed in leaves, wielding a gnarled club. To me he looked like a typical prehistoric caveman or the Jolly Green Giant. I collected vague reports of an actual Swedish wildman (Snömannen), a yeti-like creature believed to inhabit the remote areas of the forest. One day when wandering through the wilds of Lapland, I beheld an astonishing thing: a colossal statue of the wildman painted bright red with a snowy white beard. From a distance it looked like Santa Claus. As I stood at the base, staring up at the Herculean statue, it hit me like a hunk of red-hot ejecta from Mount Hekla: Santa Claus, the wildman and Snömannen must spring from the same ancient source. I determined to find the connections between these enigmatic characters.
The Wildman
THE WILDMAN OF THE MIDDLE AGES WAS described as a grotesque, bestial, ape-like creature, dark, filthy and bearded. Its body was covered in thick, matted hair and gave off a foul odor. (In later depictions of the wildman, his fur was often replaced by leaves.) Sometimes horned, with a prominent sex organ or wielding a club, he was considered frenzied and insane, and was the personification of lust and debauchery. He was known to mate with humans. The habitat of the wildman was the northern woods where he lived in a cave or den. His traditional beast of burden was the reindeer. The wildman shares all these traits with the yeti as well as the devil. (Satan would often appear to Martin Luther as an ape-like entity with filthy, matted hair exuding a heinous odor.) In the 17th century, Pope Gregory I set the specifications of Satan, describing him as dark in color, with horns, hooves and a terrible stench. The devil is also known as Nikolas, or Old Nick for short, while nickel is a term for a demon. In various regions, the wildman is known as Chläus, Div, Djadek, Jass, Kinderfresser (child eater), Klapperbok, Old Scratch, Thomasniklo and Schrat. Over the ages, the brutal wildman figure evolved into a character more like a clown or holiday fool. How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss follows a classic wildman scenario: The Grinch is a hairy, Bigfoot-like creature that lives in an alpine cave in a mountain similar to the Matterhorn.
St. Nicholas
ACCORDING TO ECCLESIASTICAL LEGENDS, Santa Claus or St. Nicholas (A.D. 280343) was born in Patara, Lycia (Turkey today). Nicholas became Bishop of Myra and was known for performing many miracles. One story tells how Nicholas preserved the chastity of three young girls. The saint discovered that a poverty-stricken man was about to sell his three virgin daughters into child prostitution. In the night, Nicholas threw three orbs of gold down the man's chimney, thus saving the girls from their unspeakable plight. From this source we now have Santa going down the chimney as well as the gleaming, orb-like Christmas-tree ornament.
In A.D. 540, an ornate basilica was constructed over St. Nicholas' humble tomb in Myra. In A.D. 800, the saint's legend was brought to Scandinavia by the Vikings, where it merged with much older pagan myths of trolls and elves. In 1087, Italian merchants broke into Santa's crypt in Myra, stole his remains and spirited them off to Italy. The relics of St. Nicholas were then preserved in the Basilica of St. Nicola in Bari, Italy. In 1823, Clement Moore published A Visit From Saint Nicholas, which was to become the holy scriptures of Santa Claus: "He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,/And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot." In the 1940s the Coca-Cola Company adopted Santa as their mascot in a popular ad campaign for their drink made from the kola nut. Santa in a cleaned-up and stylized costume (in red and white the company's colors) was used in the promotional graphics and became the standard Santa look.
Snowman
A TYPE OF WILDMAN, THE SNÄMANNEN (snowman) purportedly inhabits northern Scandinavia in Lapland, including the Arctic regions of Norway, Sweden and Finland as well as Russian Lapland (the Kola Peninsula) and Siberia. The Lapp Snowman is not to be confused with the Christmas character Frosty the Snowman, a huge snowball with coal (soot) for eyes and mouth, a carrot for a nose, holding a broom like a chimney sweep. The Snömannen is described as a dark, ape-like creature covered in thick, dirty, stinky hair more like the abominable snowman. His face is broad with prominent brow ridges, nose pressed flat, and a mouth that juts out from a huge jaw. His arms are larger than a man's, and his feet are enormous, with hairless soles. In mountainous regions, the Snömannen's coat turns silver or snow-white in winter. Snömannen's favorite food is cranberries.
Lapp Yuletide
CHRISTMAS IS A FESTIVE HOLIDAY in Sàpmi, the Saami homeland. The Saami await a Yuletide visit from a giant, horned and hairy wildman named Stallo. In Lappish, stallo means "metal man." Sometimes Stallo is dressed in stylish, all-black clothes like an MIB (man in black) or in a metallic suit (as conspiracy theorists conjecture, a robot or ancient astronaut in a space suit). Most likely the metal suit was the chain-mail armor of the berserker Vikings. The amoral Stallo delights in macabre acts of genital mutilation of his innocent victims. (Stallo pokes his staff up the skirts of young girls.) On Christmas Eve, Stallo rides around in his sleigh looking for something to drink. Traditionally, the Saami drive a stake into the ground near a fresh-water supply so Stallo can tie up his sled while having a refreshing gulp of water. If Stallo cannot find anything to drink, he will bash in a child's skull, sucking out the brains and blood to satiate his thirst. The most dangerous night for Lapp children is Christmas Eve, when Stallo lurks about looking for naughty victims to cram into his sack.
Santa World
IN SWEDEN, SANTA (JULTOMTEN) lives in Tomteland, also known as Santa World. Three hundred sixty million years ago, a gigantic meteor struck central Sweden with the impact of a thousand atomic detonations, blasting out a crater that eventually filled with water, becoming Lake Siljan. The high mountains around the lake are actually sides of the crater, and here at the base of Mount Gesunda, Swedish Santa built his workshop. Jultomten is akin to the King of the Foresttype wildman: stout, bearded, dressed in furs. He cares for animals and has shamanistic powers over the elements. According to legend, Jultomten lived deep in the forest long before he showed himself to humans. It is said that Santa used to roam around the Swedes' farms during the night. He would creepy-crawl into children's rooms, touching them to bestow prophetic dreams. To this day, on Christmas Eve Swedes still leave porridge, milk or tobacco to appease the mischievous little elf, similar to Americans leaving milk and cookies for Santa.
Flying Reindeer
AT FIRST I WAS PUZZLED BY THE LINE in Clement Moore's poem concerning the miniature sleigh and tiny reindeer. Then, as I was researching the Saami shaman drum, it became crystal clear. The shaman beats his drum until he reaches the specific rhythm and tone that sends him into a trancelike state of ecstasy. In this altered state called gievvot, his soul travels to the spirit world to converse with the dead. But first, the drum must be granted "life" by means of a particular ritual, and possessed by a guardian spirit most commonly a reindeer. The shaman, with the help of his reindeer guide (or basseváresarves), can take his spiritual journey. On the drum skin are painted (in alder bark mixed with spit) various blood-red symbols that help guide the shaman on his "reindeer vision" across the cosmic road (the Milky Way) to Jábmeájmoo, the Land of the Dead.
One symbol is a miniature sleigh pulled by a tiny reindeer. This image is used by the shaman to "ride into the sky," calling to mind Santa's Christmas Eve flight. On the other hand, Siberian shamans feed psychedelic mushrooms (Amanita muscaria) to their reindeer. The animals' metabolism removes the toxins from the mushrooms but leaves the hallucinogenic properties intact in the urine. The shamans then drink the reindeer pee to "fly high." In the American drug subculture, the slang term "sleigh riding" refers to a drugged-out state, while "reindeer dust" is another word for cocaine.
Flying Santa
HOW DID SANTA GET THE POWER TO fly like the wind? In A Visit From Saint Nicholas, the saint's aerial acrobatics are described thus: "He sprang to his sleigh, to the team gave a whistle,/And away they all flew like the down from a thistle." In Lapland, the Saami shaman (called the Magi of the North) is believed to have the power to raise the wind and storms. In olden times, Lapp sorcerers sold "wind knots" to sailors in the form of three knots tied in a handkerchief. As the knots are untied, the winds would increase. Sailors beware the loosening of the third knot can cause a maelstrom.
The power of the air (including miraculous flight) is either controlled by evil (Satan) or good (Santa). In A.D. 1087, by sacred decree of the Holy Roman Catholic Church, Nicholas achieved sainthood and was granted power over the air and ordained Supreme Controller of the Winds. Often, relics of St. Nick are carried aboard ships to appease stormy seas. (Alternatively, when it was believed that a Lapp shaman was bewitching a ship off its course, a virgin's nuts smeared on the inner seams of the vessel would annul the curse.) In Finland, Santa Claus rides a flying goat named Ukko. In Finnish mythology, Ukko is the supreme god and king of the air. In the West, Santa takes wing by way of a team of enchanted reindeer. An age-old Lapp poem, Haste My Rain-Deer, reads: "Fly my Rain-Deer, fly swifter than the Wind."
North Pole Hell
WHY DOES SANTA LIVE IN THE FROZEN hell of the North? Traditionally, the North was considered to be the abode of devils, shamans, sorcerers, witches, fairies, trolls and wildmen. Dante envisioned Satan in a frigid hell frozen up to his not a very nice person in ice. In Inferno, the flapping of Satan's wings produces the polar winds. In Norse mythology, Niflheim is a place of eternal cold, darkness and fog ruled over by the goddess Hel. One of the Earth's portals of hell (located in Västerbotten County, Sweden) is called Devil's Crater (Djävulskratern), a bottomless pit similar to Devil's Hole near Las Vegas.
The Saami shaman, or noid (also spelled nojd, noyde and noajdde), was believed to have the gift of second sight, invisibility, shape-shifting, weird visions and the capability to create false apparitions. Because of this power, Martin Luther called Lapland the home of the devil. Missionaries to Lapland believed that the noid were literally possessed by demons, and the shaman's drum was a powerful "instrument and tool of the devil." The regions and peoples of the extreme North have always held a special fascination for peoples in the temperate zones. The excessive cold, the winter darkness and the reputed mystical powers of the Hyperborean people have long attracted the imagination of writers, adventurers and seekers of mystic powers. Surely, Santa Claus lives in the North because, like a holy Magi, he holds the great supernatural power of the noid.
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Police report strange sightings
Busy night across NZ for police with several calls about fast-moving object travelling from house to house.
25 December 2004
Police report it has been a busy night across New Zealand.
Shortly after midnight they received several calls about a fast-moving object travelling erratically from one house to another.
Police around the country received several calls from residents saying they had heard what sounded like a herd of animals on the roof of their house, and bells jingling.
The pattern of calls indicated it may have been a UFO making its way down the country at great speed.
One constable reported a prowler at several addresses, described as a large male dressed in red with a white beard.
Police are yet to confirm if this incident is related to similar sightings at the same time last year.
Krampus
"Krampus" is an individual in folklore that traditionally stood alongside Santa Claus in order to frighten away evil spirits for the Christmas season. This character is horned, hairy, and bears resemblance to the devil while brandishing a birch switch.
In folklore, Krampus was a devil-like figure who drove away evil spirits during the Christian holiday season.
Traditionally, he appeared alongside Santa around December 6, the feast of St. Nicholas, and the two are still part of festivities in many parts of central Europe.
More Holiday Superstitions:
*An old Irish superstition that says the gates of Heaven open at midnight on Christmas Eve and those who die at Christmas go straight to Heaven.
*On New Years Eve, a basket is filled with items that you want to be plentiful in the coming year, i.e. foods (meat, soup, potatoes, etc.) money, a toy car to signify a new one, etc. Also have everyone in the family write a list of what they want to accomplish in the coming year and include it in the basket along with an item they want too.
*Never give a gift of knives or scissors unless you place a coin in the package too, lest your friendship or love be 'cut'.
*At the stroke of midnight on Christmas Eve, animals can talk but it is bad luck to eavesdrop on what they are saying.
*Stockings are hung by the chimney at Christmas in remembrance of St. Nicholas and his generosity. In his compassion, St. Nicholas once tossed three coins down the chimney of the home of three poor sisters. Each coin fell into one of the three stockings left drying by the hearth, and today, we hang stockings in hope of also receiving such gifts.
*Those born on Christmas day will never encounter a ghost, nor will they have anything to fear from spirits. Christmas babies are also protected against death by drowning or hanging, and are lucky in general.
*It is good luck to kiss under the mistletoe, but it is bad luck to deliberately avoid doing this.
Here is an excerpt from Chris de Burgh's haunting Christmas
song:
A Spaceman Came Traveling
A spaceman came traveling on his ship from afar,
'twas light years of time since his mission did start,
And over a village he halted his craft,
And it hung in the sky like a star, just like a star...
He followed a light and came down to a shed,
Where a mother and child were lying there on a bed,
A bright light of silver shone round his head,
And he had the face of an angel, and they were afraid...
Then the stranger spoke, he said 'Do not fear,
I come from a planet a long way from here,
And I bring a message for mankind to hear',
And suddenly the sweetest music filled the air...
And it went la, la-la, la, la-la, la, la-la-la, la, la-la,la, lalala
Peace and goodwill to all men, and love for the child...
Words & Music by Chris de Burgh - 1975
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