bjones
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Most of us believe that Santa Clause is not real but simply a mythical invention to surprise children during the holidays. Those of us in the know could never say Santa Claus is not real because the origins of the modern myth are based on an actual person. This actual person was St. Nicholas of Myra. About 1,700 years ago, in the 4th century, St. Nicholas was a bishop of the Greek Christian Church. He lived in what is now the country of Turkey. In those days, Saints were regarded as highly revered people. Their faith was so Strong that it allowed the power of God to be channeled through their body, enabling them to perform magical feats known as miracles. The Catholic and Orthodox churches believe in the power of the Saints even today.
St. Nicholas was known for giving generous gifts to the very poor. The miracles performed by him included the power to know which gifts at which time would help people the most. He often gave the gifts in secret so that no one knew where they came from. Over the years, the power and spirit of Saint Nicholas came to be known to all Christian countries and myths developed about his great deeds and heart of gold. Saint Nicholas has his own day on December 6. Many countries today have combined the traditions of Christmas, as the day Christ was born, with the traditions of St. Nicholas Day.
In many countries, including the Netherlands, where Santa Claus gets his modern name, St. Nicholas is still seen as a bearded figure in the robes and hat of a bishop. Bishop’s robes are red and white, which were transformed into winter clothing of the same colors by some cultures. This transformation came about by combining St. Nicholas with a fictional British character called Father Christmas. Many countries have allowed St. Nicholas to evolve with their own customs and culture. Many of the traditions celebrated in America originated hundreds of years ago in Europe. Even though most of us have forgotten the reasons for our Christmas traditions, we continue doing them just because they are fun.
 Posted 5394 day ago
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