Christmas Hints & Tips

• Because the German Christmas tree has its "roots" dug deep in pagan religions, New England Puritans refused to accept it until 1875.  Still, trees have always been used in religious services.  Early Druids for example, worshiped the oak.  And because fir trees were "evergreen", they became symbols of various gods.
• Did you know Santa Claus never traveled alone?  Besides eight (or nine) "miniature reindeer", dear ol' St. Nick used to visit the children with a character named Krampus.  Known also as Pelznickel, Rumpleklas, Klaubauf, Zwarte Pitt, Hans Muff and Black Peter.  Krampus was a shaggy little devil with horns who's main job was to pass out the switches and coal to the bad children Santa visited. He was also known as Knecht Ruprecht, who wore tattered robes and carried a sack to put the bad children in!  In Salzburg on December 5th, there are events called Krampus Runs where good children chase after "St. Nikolaus" and bad children get tossed in a sack carried by a masked man dressed as the devil.  As for us, we'll just stick to sitting on Santa's lap at Macy's.
• The term Christkindlein (meaning Christ Child) became "Americanized" into the name Kris Kringle
• There really was a St. Nicholas.  He was a bishop in Myra in Asia who died on December 6 (St. Nicholas Day) in 343 AD.  This bishop was a far cry from the Santa we know today whose legend got its start in 1822 with the famous Clement C. Moore poem, "A Visit from St. Nicholas".  In the 1930s, artist Haddon Sundblom of the Coca-Cola Company gave us our modern visual interpretation of the "jolly old elf".
• Did you know you can track Santa's progress across the entire world on Christmas Eve?  The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has been doing it since 1957.  It all started when a Colorado Springs newspaper ran the Operations Hotline phone number for the Continental Air Defense Command (NORAD's predecessor) as a "Santa Hotline".  Imagine the surprise on the military officers' faces when a bunch of children began calling asking about Santa's whereabouts.  The first call was answered by Col. Harry Shoup who quickly figured out what was happening and replied that he was tracking Santa's progress by radar.  The media picked up the story and by the next year, a tradition was born. Phone calls came pouring in.  NORAD's Santa Tracking hit the Internet in 1997.  It's live, it's incredible, and it even has video footage!  Simply go to the Web site for details:  www.norad.mil/NORADTracksSANTA.htm    Or you can call them at (719) 554-5816 for more information. This has to be one of the most incredible ways to spend a modern Christmas Eve with children--of any age.
• Santa Claus ought to know.  He has many names, among them:  in Austria, he is Chriskind; in Brazil, it is Papai Noel; in China, Dun Che Lao Ren; in Denmark, Julemanden; in Holland, he is called Sinterklaas (an early version of the now Americanized Santa Claus); in Sweden, the kindly gift-giver is called Jultomten; in Norway, Julenissen ; in Japan, Santa Kurousu; and Pere Noel in France.  In Italy, the gifts are delivered by, of all things, a witch known as La Befana.  Let's hear it for the Christmas witches.
• The Christmas tree dates back to a seventh century legend about a monk in Devonshire, England who used the triangle shape of the fir tree to represent the Holy Trinity.  By the twelfth century, the tree was being hung from the ceiling....upside down.
• Tinsel isn't exactly a new thing.  It dates back to around 1610 and was made originally of real silver.  In fact, it was still being made of silver well into the 20th century.  
• The first decorated Christmas tree was in Latvia in 1510. Martin Luther is said to have first put candles on the tree to depict the stars that were shining the night Christ was born.
• The son of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright first introduced Lincoln Logs to the public in 1916.
• Glass ornaments in all shapes and sizes had been made in Germany for centuries, but weren't imported to the U.S. until around 1880.  They were sold in such stores as Woolworth's, Sears, and Montgomery Ward.  Americans first filed for patents on Christmas lights in 1882 and the metal hook for hanging ornaments in 1892.  By this time, trees had decidedly grown into floor models, replacing the now old-fashioned tabletop varieties.