Christmas Triva

Merry Christmas!!! I hope your stockings were filled with fun goodies, and your tree loaded with pretty presents.

As much as I love the day itself, there is something particularly special about Christmas Eve. The anticipation. As a kid my parents would take us out for a drive to look at Christmas lights in the neighborhood, and then we would all go to midnight mass together. Even though it was late by the time I finally got between the covers, I would invariably spend an hour tossing and turning, wondering what surprise I might find under the tree.

The Night Before Christmas. I recently heard on the radio that it was this classic book that popularized the version of Santa Claus that we all know today. I think it's just amazing that a book written over a 100 years ago is still a important part of the national Christmas tradition. My mom read this poem to me every Christmas Eve when I was little, and I do the same with my boys.

So just why was Santa invented? Well the hint is with the older name: St. Nick. The original Santa was a Saint, and he did not give out presents. He was added to Christmas by the upper class in America. They were anxious about the direction the country was taking, and saw the middle and lower class as "the mob." Back in the 1700 and early 1800s, this so called mob was especially rowdy on Christmas. People would riot in the streets, spend the day in bars, and pull destructive pranks! Much different from today. So by appointing St. Nickolas to Christmas, they hoped to give the holiday some dignity.

But it didn't work. At least, not until the Night Before Christmas came out, which turned St. Nick from a Saint to a plump and lovable man. Understandable why a magical man who passes out presents would be appealing.

So that's the story of Santa Claus. Hope he was good to all of you!