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I have no idea why this topic is still active, firstly how old are you to make this topic? You are either trying to be funny or very gulliable, I mean I am sorry but what on earth is this all about? No Santa is not real and if your on this forum and you think otherwise you have to seriously wake up to the real world.

Hate sound like a party pooper, but, letters that are sent to Santa through mail, get torn up and thrown away. Santa isn't real, he was about 400 years ago, but he's not now. I mean come on! Flying reindeer? Makes it around the world in one night? That's impossible. Rolling Eyes

aye your both right flying Reindeers a load of nonesense, really its problely your parents who tries to act or pretend to be Santa just to make those little ons happy
Really how old or you to make this topic as Roxas said

I believe in Santa, 'ya don't believe 'ya don't receive^^

Mm...I detect a hint of greed in this statement. I don't think that's what the belief is supposed to be based upon. It's supposed to be based upon the idea that if you have a good heart, and behave in a kind, friendly, and charitable way towards your fellow man, ol' St. Nick will pay you a visit. Of course, believing in him does help.

That being said...

I did as a kid. I don't now. I know that Santa Claus (or Father Christmas, or whatever other version you believe in) is representative of the spirit of Christmas. He is a symbol. And a fantasy presented to children to brighten their hearts at Christmas time, and to encourage them to the behavior I mentioned in the previous paragraph in order to receive gifts from him. At least, that is how it once was. Kids receive gifts on Christmas now no matter what...good or bad. During the Victorian and Edwardian eras, bad kids really did sometmies receive coal in their stockings, or NOTHING.

Anyone happen to notice that "Santa Claus" is a sort of reworking of the words "Saint Nicholas", upon whom he is loosely based? The gift-giving Catholic saint? This probably came about, at first, from verbal mispronunciations of the saint's Dutch name and title ("Sinterklaas"), first by the English settlers of New York (once called "New Amsterdam", because the state was first settled by the Dutch when it was still a colony of that country, before it was sold to the English), and the building of the "jolly old elf" myth around him. Note this link for more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Claus

Without going into too much of a history lesson (which might bore some of you who couldn't care less), the Santa Claus known in America first made his appearance in the January 3rd, 1863 issue of Harper's Weekly magazine, showing him giving gifts to Union soldiers in camp. He's clad differently too...in a blue, starry jacket with red-and-white striped pants, and a red hat with a holly sprig in it (while the copy of the cover page of that issue appears below in sepia tone, and was originally black-and-white, I know the appearance of the clothing, because I've seen historical re-enactors portray him, and I've seen color drawings of it). That was the first appearance of Santa Claus in the U.S. EVER...during the midst of the American Civil War in the 1860s. It was drawn by the famous political cartoonist Thomas Nast, and would later inspire other drawings of him, soon enough in the well-known red and white suit. He appeared this way because, before this first drawing, he had never really been described in any great detail (even in Clement Clarke Moore's 1822 poem "A Visit From St. Nicholas", or "The Night Before Christmas", which he had written ON Christmas Eve that year for his family. It was never even intended to be published or released to the public by Moore. A family friend saw it, copied it in her own album, and then submitted it to the editor of the Troy [New York] Sentinel, where it was first published on December 23rd, 1823. Moore himself didn't even take credit for it until he later published a book of his own poems, in 1844).

Now have a look at the Harper's Weekly drawing (below that is a pic of one Santa Claus re-enactor who portrays the Thomas Nast American Civil War version of him...there are a few nice fellows who do this):



[img]http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a389/JerseyCaptain/fw-santa2.jpg [/img]

I believe in Santa, 'ya don't believe 'ya don't receive^^

Mm...I detect a hint of greed in this statement. I don't think that's what the belief is supposed to be based upon. It's supposed to be based upon the idea that if you have a good heart, and behave in a kind, friendly, and charitable way towards your fellow man, ol' St. Nick will pay you a visit. Of course, believing in him does help.

That being said...

I did as a kid. I don't now. I know that Santa Claus (or Father Christmas, or whatever other version you believe in) is representative of the spirit of Christmas. He is a symbol. And a fantasy presented to children to brighten their hearts at Christmas time, and to encourage them to the behavior I mentioned in the previous paragraph in order to receive gifts from him. At least, that is how it once was. Kids receive gifts on Christmas now no matter what...good or bad. During the Victorian and Edwardian eras, bad kids really did sometimes receive coal in their stockings, or NOTHING.

Anyone happen to notice that "Santa Claus" is a sort of reworking of the words "Saint Nicholas", upon whom he is loosely based? The gift-giving Catholic saint? This probably came about, at first, from verbal mispronunciations of the saint's Dutch name and title ("Sinterklaas"), first by the English settlers of New York (once called "New Amsterdam", because the state was first settled by the Dutch when it was still a colony of that country, before it was sold to the English), and the building of the "jolly old elf" myth around him. Note this link for more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Claus

Without going into too much of a history lesson (which might bore some of you who couldn't care less), the Santa Claus known in America first made his appearance in the January 3rd, 1863 issue of Harper's Weekly magazine, showing him giving gifts to Union soldiers in camp. He's clad differently too...in a blue, starry jacket with red-and-white striped pants, and a red hat with a holly sprig in it (while the copy of the cover page of that issue appears below in sepia tone, and was originally black-and-white, I know the appearance of the clothing, because I've seen historical re-enactors portray him, and I've seen color drawings of it). That was the first appearance of Santa Claus in the U.S. EVER...during the midst of the American Civil War in the 1860s. It was drawn by the famous political cartoonist Thomas Nast, and would later inspire other drawings of him, soon enough in the well-known red and white suit. He appeared this way because, before this first drawing, he had never really been described in any great detail (even in Clement Clarke Moore's 1822 poem "A Visit From St. Nicholas", or "The Night Before Christmas", which he had written ON Christmas Eve that year for his family. It was never even intended to be published or released to the public by Moore. A family friend saw it, copied it in her own album, and then submitted it to the editor of the Troy [New York] Sentinel, where it was first published on December 23rd, 1823. Moore himself didn't even take credit for it until he later published a book of his own poems, in 1844).

That's not one bit true. I don't believe, yet I still get presents. My mum and dad ask me for what I want every year.



Thank you Seppala! ^_^