Faith v Religion

[Black Orchid]

I thought Christmas had pagan origins. Pagab Romans celebrating Saturnalia which was later refined by Christians, not necessarily Catholics

Nobody NORMAL cares. We just put up the Christmas Tree, go off to the Mall to buy gifts, send cards to people we haven't seen in years/decades and stuff ourselves on Christmas Day. What has religion got to do with a Good Time?

Errrr well nothing of course. Just wondering why you were hating on Catholics. It wasn't originally their idea lol

[Black Orchid]

And I like Christmas no matter where or how it originated. Apart from it being too commercialised it is a perfect opportunity to eat good food and be with family. Without it many families wouldn't make the effort

[Neferti]

And I like Christmas no matter where or how it originated. Apart from it being too commercialised it is a perfect opportunity to eat good food and be with family. Without it many families wouldn't make the effort

Wrong. I have no comment about Catholics or any other religion. Sorry if I came through like that.

Actually, the idea of Santa and the Commercialisation of it was American ... Didn't Super Nova post a pix of the original Santa according to COKE?

[annielaurie]

Actually, the idea of Santa and the Commercialisation of it was American ... Didn't Super Nova post a pix of the original Santa according to COKE?

No, the original Santa was not American and was not the one commercializing Coca Cola. Go here for the entire history of Santa Claus,

Saint Nicholas

Saint Nicholas of Myra is the primary inspiration for the Christian figure of Sinterklaas. He was a 4th century Greek Christian bishop of Myra (now Demre) in Lycia, a province of the Byzantine Anatolia, now in Turkey. Nicholas was famous for his generous gifts to the poor, in particular presenting the three impoverished daughters of a pious Christian with dowries so that they would not have to become prostitutes. He was very religious from an early age and devoted his life entirely to Christianity.

In continental Europe (more precisely the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria and Germany) he is usually portrayed as a bearded bishop in canonical robes ........


Influence of Germanic paganism and folklore

Numerous parallels have been drawn between Santa Claus and the figure of Odin, a major god amongst the Germanic peoples prior to their Christianization. Since many of these elements are unrelated to Christianity, there are theories regarding the pagan origins of various customs of the holiday stemming from areas where the Germanic peoples were Christianized and retained elements of their indigenous traditions, surviving in various forms into modern depictions of Santa Claus ........


Dutch folklore

In the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, Saint Nicholas ("Sinterklaas", often called "De Goede Sint"—"The Good Saint") is an elderly, stately and serious man with white hair and a long, full beard. He wears a long red cape or chasuble over a traditional white bishop's alb and sometimes red stola, dons a red mitre, and holds a gold-coloured crosier, a long ceremonial shepherd's staff with a fancy curled top ........


Scandinavian folklore

In the 1840s, an being in Nordic folklore called "Tomte" or "Nisse" started to deliver the Christmas presents in Denmark. The Tomte was portrayed as a short, bearded man dressed in gray clothes and a red hat. This new version of the age-old folkloric creature was obviously inspired by the Santa Claus traditions that were now spreading to Scandinavia ........

Father Christmas

Father Christmas dates back at least as far as the 17th century in Britain, and pictures of him survive from that era, portraying him as a jolly well-nourished bearded man dressed in a long, green, fur-lined robe. He typified the spirit of good cheer at Christmas, and was reflected as the "Ghost of Christmas Present", in Charles Dickens's festive classic A Christmas Carol, a great genial man in a green coat lined with fur who takes Scrooge through the bustling streets of London on the current Christmas morning, sprinkling the essence of Christmas onto the happy populace ..........


19th century

In 1821, the book A New-year's present, to the little ones from five to twelve was published in New York. It contained Old Santeclaus, an anonymous poem describing an old man on a reindeer sleigh, bringing presents to children. Some modern ideas of Santa Claus seemingly became canon after the anonymous publication of the poem "A Visit From St. Nicholas" (better known today as "The Night Before Christmas") in the Troy, New York, Sentinel on December 23, 1823; the poem was later attributed to Clement Clarke Moore ........


20th century

L. Frank Baum's The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, a 1902 children's book, further popularized Santa Claus ........

Images of Santa Claus were further popularized through Haddon Sundblom’s depiction of him for The Coca-Cola Company’s Christmas advertising in the 1930s.

The popularity of the image spawned urban legends that Santa Claus was invented by The Coca-Cola Company or that Santa wears red and white because they are the colors used to promote the Coca-Cola brand. Historically, Coca-Cola was not the first soft drink company to utilize the modern image of Santa Claus in its advertising—White Rock Beverages had already used a red and white Santa to sell mineral water in 1915 and then in advertisements for its ginger ale in 1923 ...........

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Claus

[Jovial Monk]

I remember Sinter Klaas! I think his day was 5 Dec and that is when kiddies got their presents, not at Christmass time (probably all changed, last time I celebrated Sinter Klaas was 1956.

Christmass tree is a German fertility symbol, as is the Easter Egg, way back in pagan times.

That all edumacated and arrogant, boxy?

[boxy]

Pathetic, crybaby.

[AiA in Atlanta]

Religion compromises rules you follow. Faith is demonstrated by the actions you take.

[Jovial Monk]

Hmmm I am pretty sure that the Bishop Annie quoted is credited with restoring life to a child and Sinter Klaas is a festival for children.

There was also Black Peter who punished naughty children.

[Rorschach]

Religion compromises rules you follow. Faith is demonstrated by the actions you take.

you wanna expand on that?

[AiA in Atlanta]

Religion compromises rules you follow. Faith is demonstrated by the actions you take.

you wanna expand on that?

Seems self-explanatory to me.