Project 4

Today’s article comes from a young boy who has an interesting take on what Christmas means to him. Let’s see what what this kid Ralphie has to say.

Dear Santa
This year for Christmas I think I’ve finally figured out how this holiday works.
In school and church we are taught that this is the day Jesus Christ our lord and savior was born in a manger. Surrounded by his mother, surrogate father, an inn keeper, barn animals and three kings from across the land. To celebrate his birth he was given gifts gold, frankincense and murr all very valuable presents at the time by these kings. So from what I gather to offer our respect to Jesus, each year on his birthday we give the gift of sharing by giving gifts to people in need.
Today though it doesn’t seem to be so, the rich get nice gifts while the poor still find it hard to receive any help during the holidays. I hear my mom and dad always talking about Christmas prices and how they jump so high after thanksgiving and I still come to question what Santa has to do with all of this. A great jolly old man rides around on a sleigh with flying reindeer and delivers gifts, made by his elves in the North Pole to every household in the world in one night. If Santa makes his gifts at the workshop then why are my parents so worried about store prices since they only have to write him a list and he will provide? Why don’t poor countries ask to be rich? Or, are there certain rules that people have to follow like a magic genie or something? I don’t know, the politics behind this whole Santa fellow baffle me. I’ll just stick to rules laid down by my parents.
The more I try and think of the meaning of Christmas, the more I find it’s not as much to do with sharing and giving but more of the receiving end. I’ve never personally bought a gift for anyone yet every year but I seem to get a mountain gifts under the tree, from parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and all sorts of family and I can’t forget ol’ Saint Nick. It’s like another birthday except I get presents for going to another kids party. When you think about it, Christmas is all about me. In church I was told to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and Christmas should be no exception. He had every kid’s dream to have a birthday at a petting zoo, a personal spotlight shone on him which could be seen for miles, a band singing songs about him and some random people giving him gifts, our modern day Santa. If you think about it he had it good so this Christmas I think I will ask for something real nice like that new compact BB gun the Red Ryder.

Sincerely,
Ralphie



The Real Saint Nick

Santa Clause, also known as Saint Nicolas, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle is the figure who brings presents on Christmas Eve. The stereotype we see about this person is a fat old man, wearing a red coat with black leather belt and boots. The American legend says that he is married to Mrs. Claus and they both live in the North Pole surround of elves,which are Santa’s helpers, and they all together create toys, candies and other presents in order to give to the children on Christmas.
This story actually has a story. Every country and culture around the world has a different story about santa, some of them says that this person never existed some of them say he did.On of the story is that Santa Clause begins with Nicholas, who was born during the third century in the village of Patara. He came from a wealthy family. His parents, who raised him to be a devout Christian, died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still young. He dedicated his life to serving God and used his whole inheritance to help the people in need. He served the people who were sick and suffering. Obeying Jesus’ words to “sell what you own and give the money to the poor” he always was giving gifts to the little kids.
Another story tells about a poor man with three daughters. In those days a young woman's father had to offer prospective husbands something of value, a dowry. The larger the dowry, the better the chance that a young woman would find a good husband. Without a dowry, a woman was unlikely to marry. This poor man's daughters, without dowries, were therefore destined to be sold into slavery. Mysteriously, on three different occasions, a bag of gold appeared in their home-providing the needed dowries. The bags of gold, tossed through an open window, are said to have landed in stockings or shoes left before the fire to dry. This led to the custom of children hanging stockings or putting out shoes, eagerly awaiting gifts from Saint Nicholas. Sometimes the story is told with gold balls instead of bags of gold. That is why three gold balls, sometimes represented as oranges,are one of the symbols for St. Nicholas. And so St. Nicholas is a gift-giver.
Despite of all stories , what excite people about christmas is the fact that there is gifts to give. For the kids it is very common to tell that is Santa Clause who comes on christmas eve and jumps through the fireplace to get into the house in order to leave the presents under the christmas tree. Christmas is celebrated all around the world, in different ways, but in most of the places they celebrate it with the image of Santa Clause.


Christmas Factoids

· A traditional Christmas dinner in early England was the head of a pig prepared with mustard.
· According to the National Christmas Tree Association, Americans buy 37.1 million real Christmas trees each year; 25 percent of them are from the nation's 5,000 choose-and-cut farms.
· Christmas caroling began as an old English custom called Wassailing - toasting neighbors to a long and healthy life.
· Christmas trees are edible. Many parts of pines, spruces, and firs can be eaten. The needles are a good source of vitamin C. Pine nuts, or pine cones, are also a good source of nutrition.
· During the Christmas buying season, Visa cards alone are used an average of 5,340 times every minute in the United States.
· Jesus Christ, son of Mary, was born in a cave, not in a wooden stable. Caves were used to keep animals in because of the intense heat. A large church is now built over the cave, and people can go down inside the cave. The carpenters of Jesus' day were really stone cutters. Wood was not used as widely as it is today. So whenever you see a Christmas nativity scene with a wooden stable -- that's the "American" version, not the Biblical one
· St. Nicholas was bishop of the Turkish town of Myra in the early fourth century. It was the Dutch who first made him into a Christmas gift-giver, and Dutch settlers brought him to America where his name eventually became the familiar Santa Claus.
·  At midnight on Christmas Eve 1914 firing from the German trenches suddenly stopped. A German brass band began playing Christmas carols. Early, Christmas morning, the German soldiers came out of their trenches, approaching the allied lines, calling "Merry Christmas". At first the allied soldiers thought it was a trick, but they soon climbed out of their trenches and shook hands with the German soldiers. The truce lasted a few days, and the men exchanged presents of cigarettes and plum puddings, sang carols and songs. They even played a game of Soccer.








Christmas is a Holiday where you receive and give gifts, but it is not only about that, what it really matter is to care and to share with your significant others. People sometimes misunderstand what really Christmas is about. They think that it’s only on spending money and giving gifts, but they haven’t seen the positive side about this holiday. Christmas is a holiday which should be celebrated with the ones you care, your family, your friends and everybody that you treasure.In North America, the holiday when the families get united is on thanks giving. They tend to travel more than they do on Christmas. In South America, Christmas is more important. They say that is all about reuniting with the family and treasuring all the special moments.On this holiday there a lot of decoration going on. People look after putting their Christmas trees and the lights all around the house. In some cities they decorate the streets with lights and sometimes with illuminated sleighs, snowmen, and other Christmas figures. What makes this holiday so pretty is the fact to see the innocence of the children waiting on Santa Clause to come and bring the gifts so they can open it the next morning. They are always thrilled and excited about this holiday. The New York Sun perhaps captured the essence of the holiday best in its famous 1897 editorial, "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus": "He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy... The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see... he lives and lives forever."Every family has their own way of celebrating Christmas, it doesn’t matter if they give gifts or not or if they make a big dinner, what really matter is to have a great time with the ones you really love and care. Make sure they know how much you love them. Share with others and never forget the magic of Christmas.May these ancient words be fulfilled this year and every year: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men" (Luke 2:14).