[nilesfunnies] Fw: A complete Hodge Podge.
The current incarnation of Father Christmas - red coat, white beard etc comes from Coca Cola ads from the early part of the 20th c. and a story published about 1900, so he is remarkably recent. In Victorian England he had a Green Coat so is probably descended from Jack-in-the-Green.
The St. Nicholas story comes from 4th c. Turkey and the historical Saint
of that name who was supposed to have given gifts to the poor especially
at Christmas.
The leaving out a carrot and Mince Pies and getting presents comes from
Pagan Germany. Odin used to lead a great Yule hunt with the host of
valhalla. Children would leave out food for the horses and Odin would
leave small gifts to say thank you.
Coming down the chimney is from Scandinavia where at one time houses were built with smoke holes in the roof rather than chimneys and with the living area dug into the ground. In winter the doors were often buried in snow and so the only way in was via the smoke hole and a ladder.
The Reindeer is supposed to come from the Lapps who would sometimes be
reduced to eating Lichens in really bad winters. It is rumoured that if
you ate the wrong moss you could see reindeer fly.
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