Santa Claus is coming to town, Jack Frost is nipping at your nose and all you want for Christmas is to learn the story of how it became the holiday it is today. Well just keep reading for the goods!
History of the Holiday
Christmas is a Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem. Christians believe Christ is the son of God. No one knows the exact date of Christ's birth so in the 4th Century, Pope Julius I chose December 25th.
Christmas is a celebration of Christ's birthday
Celebrations Around the World
Christmas is celebrated worldwide in a variety of ways:
- In Brazil a turkey dinner is made on Christmas Eve and Saint Nicholas brings presents for children on December 6th.
- Christmas is a three-day event in Finland, starting with rice porridge and plum fruit juice Christmas Eve morning. Many families also visit cemeteries and put candles on the graves of family members.
- In Portugal, Father Christmas leaves gifts under the tree or in shoes by the fireplace. The special dinner is usually salted cod fish with boiled potatoes and is eaten at midnight on Christmas Eve.
Christmas is celebrated around the world
What's the Deal With Santa?
But where did Santa come from? In the 4th century a shy bishop in Turkey named Saint Nicholas would leave goodies for children. Dutch children called him Sinter Klass and made it a tradition to put shoes by the fireplace to put gifts in. Dutch settlers told the legend of Sinter Klaas when they came to North America and he quickly became known as Santa Claus.
Santa and his reindeer
In North America, the Santa we know today is a grandfatherly man with a round belly, a bushy white beard and a red and white suit. Santa used to wear a lot of different colored suits but Coca-Cola popularized the red outfit that he wears today. Artist Haddon Sundblom began drawing Santa Claus for a Coca-Cola ad campaign in 1930.
Coca-Cola made Santa's red and white outfit popular
