Santa Claus is coming to town, Jack Frost is nipping at your nose and all you want for Christmas is to learn the story of how it became the holiday it is today. Well just keep reading for the goods!
History of the Holiday 184r3t
Christmas is a Bethlehem. Christians believe Christ is the son of God. No one knows the exact date of Christ's birth so in the 4th Century, Pope Julius I chose December 25th.
Celebrations Around the World 5362x
Christmas is celebrated worldwide in a variety of ways:
- In Brazil a turkey dinner is made on Christmas Eve and Saint Nicholas brings presents for children on December 6th.
- Christmas is a three-day event in Finland, starting with rice porridge and plum fruit juice Christmas Eve morning. Many families also visit cemeteries and put candles on the graves of family .
- In Portugal, Father Christmas leaves gifts under the tree or in shoes by the fireplace. The special dinner is usually salted cod fish with boiled potatoes and is eaten at midnight on Christmas Eve.
What's the Deal With Santa? 6u1b2g
But where did Santa come from? In the 4th century a shy bishop in Turkey named Saint Nicholas would leave goodies for children. Dutch children called him Sinter Klass and made it a tradition to put shoes by the fireplace to put gifts in. Dutch settlers told the legend of Sinter Klaas when they came to North America and he quickly became known as Santa Claus.
In North America, the Santa we know today is a grandfatherly man with a Haddon Sundblom began drawing Santa Claus for a Coca-Cola ad campaign in 1930.