The Real Santa Claus

[orangekea]

You better watch out ~ You better not cry ~ Better not pout ~ I'm telling you why ~ Santa Claus is coming to town.





The knotted ‘Valknut’ symbolized Scandinavian deity Odin's (the original Santa!) access to the Nine Worlds or Dimensions, which included heavens and hells, and our world of course.




SO WHO’S BORN ON DECEMBER 25TH

I most definitely am not, very much a Dutch child of summer instead, and I remember my parents one afternoon taking me to my elementary school to attend my first Sinterklaas party (Dutch version of Santa, celebrated Dec 5). This Sint closely guarded by his willow cane wielding Black Peters was expected at the warm, brightly lit auditorium, filled with excited to terrified kids, some time BEFORE enlightened educators began re-evaluating such gatherings for psychologically harmful effects, things non-PC like ‘Peters’ dressed/made up like Dutch colonial slaves(!), little girls at risk from losing bladder control as the brightly red mitered and robed Bishop strode in, golden shepherd’s staff in hand, his reputation going before him of gifting good children, yet stuffing the naughty in bags destined for ‘Spain’. Here my guilty conscience got the better of me: almost peed myself then and there.





Now I was initiated into Santa’s ancient cultural heritage. Terror had come and gone. The simple gift told me I am a good child! Forever my mind filled with happy song, bright color and light.




Somehow I did get home without turning mental wreck forever, or stinking up the bus. Sinterklaas even had given me a present, a wooden puzzle, my little hand tightly clutching its prize of bagged Pepernoten (spice nuts) and chocolate. Parents and teachers and all adults around me colluded to DECEIVE my tiny mind into belief that the arrival of the Dutch Santa Claus was a real event. I’m not mad (have to keep telling myself this!), so no harm done: now I was initiated into Santa’s ancient cultural heritage. Terror had come and gone. The simple gift told me I am a good child! Forever my mind filled with happy song, bright color and light. And very soon after I understood Sinterklaas was not real, and why he reminded me and a few others so strongly of Master Graves, a kind, normally beardless middle aged teacher at the school. In possession of secret knowledge I henceforth could afford to look down on the LITTLE kids who still ‘believed’, and do my part in maintaining the Santa Claus fiction for them.





Ho!!Ho!!Ho… so who might be this fat and jolly Santa then, eagerly awaited to sneak down our chimney, if not a Holy Catholic Bishop?




What’s with 12/25? Well, there was no historical Bishop St Nicholas. I hear Jesus Christ very probably was born in September. Leaving not much Christ or Christianity in December’s ‘Christmas’! Actually, the 25th is Julius Ceasar’s version of Solstice, the midwinter feast marking the longest night of the year, after which nights grow shorter and days longer once more, and winter begins. Immediately following Saturnalia, the winter festival, it marks the ‘birth’ of the Sungod. Just prior, the cattle was slaughtered, wine stored for fermentation, so this allowed for one last plentiful celebration, including fresh meat and wines. Then communities faced the uncertain struggle to survive the cold season.


GOING OUT THERE TO MEET SANTA





“Roger, please be informed there is a Santa Claus.”. Photo: NASA 1971 Apollo Moon Mission.




On Christmas Day 1968 the Apollo 8 command module swung back to planet Earth from behind the Moon, and NASA mission Pilot James Lovell, part of a three man crew, told Houston “Roger, please be informed there is a Santa Claus.”. On his mind as he did so was one unnamed little girl, who had expressed doubt about Santa, and he wished to reassure her such a force for good actually existed. Many in the UFO community since then have come to believe the Apollo missions were followed by unknown spacecraft, resulting in multiple sightings by astronauts. So maybe Lovell was reaching out to all little girls and boys, and grownups too, using the only way he could safely circumvent the CIA/NASA cover-up regarding alien encounters: openly calling a space UFO he was observing by its NASA-codeword SANTA CLAUS as he left the Moon on December 25.





Odin and his flying horse, called Sleipner, was depicted with the Valknut near its legs, symbolizing the deity’s access to the Nine Worlds or Dimensions, which included heavens and hells, and our world of course.





The tree, called Yggdrasil in Scandinavia, with reindeer and Odin’s 9 Worlds, often yet not always a fir, relates to the worship of ancient deity Odin/Wodan.




We Dutch really are a confused lot you know, we go out to meet our good Sint (our SANTA) on December 5th, then twenty days later Kerstfeest (=X-mas) gets celebrated with the Kerstman, the jolly Santa Claus of the English speaking world. No Christmas party can do without traditional decorations, including holly and mistletoe, and ABSOLUTELY a tree, ours has both many colored balls, bells and angels, as well as (electric) candles, the works. Needless to say these are religious symbols: the plants fir, yew, laurel, holly, ivy and mistletoe were used to venerate human fertility and sexuality, tracing back many thousands of years to ancient Egypt, and are part of the Roman Saturnalia festival. The tree, called Yggdrasil in Scandinavia, shown directly above with reindeer and Odin’s 9 Worlds, often yet not always a fir, relates to the worship of the Mother of the Sungod, of the Scandinavian deity Odin/Wodan, and is repeatedly mentioned in the Bible as central to the religions of non-Hebrew cultures since 1800 BCE.





When Santa and his helpers come to town you’d better be good, since he occasionally ABDUCTS the naughty!!




Ho!!Ho!!Ho… so who might be this fat and jolly Santa then, eagerly awaited to sneak down our chimney, if not a Holy Catholic Bishop? Turns out the Catholic-invented ‘Nicholas’ (this church had a knack for relabeling Pagan feasts and deities!) has his antecedents in deity Wodan/Odin (of Celtic/Germanic/Norse tradition) whose Scandinavian and European cult attributed to him the power to ride the skies, usually on a flying horse. Odin’s horse, called Sleipner, was depicted with the Valknut near its legs, symbolizing the god’s access to the Nine Worlds or Dimensions, which included heavens and hells, and our world of course. Dutch ‘Black Peters’, or Elves to Santa Claus, are analog to Odin/Wodan’s frightening slave, who follows and helps him wielding a branch-like cane or broom. Don’t forget that sack Santa and his helpers carry, slung over their shoulders: it identifies them as the Sack Man, or Bogey Man, a wide-spread demon myth told by parents frightening their children into obedience. When Santa comes to town you’d better be good, since he occasionally ABDUCTS the naughty!!


WISHING YOU A MERRY MERRY CHRISTMAS





Santa and his sleigh, pulled on high by nine reindeer could be the collective memory of ancient UFOs, and the idea that most of our myths and religions were caused by extraordinary Visitors.




I love Christmas! Myself, my family and many of the Dutch (chime in/object if you’re a Dutch member or guest) have become Anglicized and Americanized, and the emphasis of the Holiday Season has shifted to the last week of the year. We even have turkey scheduled! But the deep pagan roots of Christmas beg the question WHAT we are really celebrating. The birth of Christ is out, although I celebrate the kindness and wisdom of his teachings all the year round. I’m not too hot on Odin either, reminiscent of Evil Santa, a great demon of the sky climbing into our homes to terrify Mankind. I really dig the idea that Santa and his sleigh, pulled on high by nine reindeer could be the collective memory of ancient UFOs, and that most of our myths and religions were caused by extraordinary Visitors. It is a mystery that could make one shiver.

Time to set up our tree, and plan dinners. I already can taste the turkey! Hope ya’all have a great holiday season.



orangekea

[Miss Deetective]

Every year I get more and more disgusted with Christmas!! It is all about Santa Claus and elves and reindeer and snowmen and decorated trees......but wait!!....isn't it SUPPOSED to be about celebrating the birth of Jesus??? Even though he was actually born in the spring....so ok...it was decided to celebrate his birth on Dec. 25th. So why don't Christians celebrate THAT instead of caving in to all the commercialization??? Then they scream about the phrase...Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas......welll gee maybe if they were actually celebrating Christs birthday instead of Santas visit...they MIGHT be taken more seriously!!!!
Imo, no matter if you are a Santa fan or a Jesus fan.....it's still just an excuse to spend money and go in debt and overdo everything from decorations to food to presents.
Come on now all you believers...is that what Jesus REALLY wants???????
I have downplayed all the excesses every year and this year is no exeption.
So....Happy Holidays no matter how you celebrate them!!!

[spaceboy]

Keep that sense of humor everyone.....

[orangekea]

Originally Posted by Miss Deetective

Every year I get more and more disgusted with Christmas!! It is all about Santa Claus and elves and reindeer and snowmen and decorated trees......but wait!!....isn't it SUPPOSED to be about celebrating the birth of Jesus??? Even though he was actually born in the spring....so ok...it was decided to celebrate his birth on Dec. 25th. So why don't Christians celebrate THAT instead of caving in to all the commercialization??? Then they scream about the phrase...Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas......welll gee maybe if they were actually celebrating Christs birthday instead of Santas visit...they MIGHT be taken more seriously!!!!
Imo, no matter if you are a Santa fan or a Jesus fan.....it's still just an excuse to spend money and go in debt and overdo everything from decorations to food to presents.
Come on now all you believers...is that what Jesus REALLY wants???????
I have downplayed all the excesses every year and this year is no exeption.
So....Happy Holidays no matter how you celebrate them!!!

Well, the point I'm making that in spite of its name, Christmas is an all-pagan feast. It should be about Santa and his Elves, and gifting and enjoying a nice meal together imo!

May all your good wishes return to you threefold, MD (my fam is gonna go turkey and jingle bells American style !)


orangekea

[orangekea]

Originally Posted by spaceboy

Keep that sense of humor everyone.....

I don't have one, I just shout at funny people.

[Nimue]

Hey Everyone,

Orangekea, everyone, I don't know who you REALLY are, but you have been a rock for me. Especially since my extended family seems to be divorced from me this year. I'm working through that. So I am blue this Christmas.

To all the others who are blue. Look for laughter. It's the best medicine in the world. Let me tell you. Self-doubt is a . So fight it with all your might. I know what is happening to me. It is criminal. I expect things are going to just keep accelerating everyone.

Better buckle up. I know I am.

Blessings,
Nimue

[Miss Deetective]

Originally Posted by orangekea

Well, the point I'm making that in spite of its name, Christmas is an all-pagan feast. It should be about Santa and his Elves, and gifting and enjoying a nice meal together imo!

May all your good wishes return to you threefold, MD (my fam is gonna go turkey and jingle bells American style !)


orangekea

I'm turning into Scrooge more and more each year!!! I like to keep things simple....just seems to me that Christmas gets crazier every year!!

[orangekea]

Originally Posted by Nimue

Hey Everyone,

Orangekea, everyone, I don't know who you REALLY are, but you have been a rock for me. Especially since my extended family seems to be divorced from me this year. I'm working through that. So I am blue this Christmas.

To all the others who are blue. Look for laughter. It's the best medicine in the world. Let me tell you. Self-doubt is a . So fight it with all your might. I know what is happening to me. It is criminal. I expect things are going to just keep accelerating everyone.

Better buckle up. I know I am.

Blessings,
Nimue

Sorry to hear you've hit a spot of turbulence this year, Nimue. So I wish you lots of 'merry', meeting the good santas (not those evil twins), and a sturdy seatbelt!

Know what: I've checked out the internet scene, and found the UFO community the most decent (no idea why ...), so maybe we are the real Santa !!





Want a really really cold nose for Christmas?




orangekea

[Skeptical]

I agree the whole celebration of Christmas in December is just another example of how early Christian missionaries co-opted and integrated pagan celebrations into the religion. Christmas pretty much grew out of the old Winter Solstice celebrations. Easter is very much related to the old Spring equinox traditions.

The whole idea of Christmas being a holy season is actually relatively new. Even into the 18th and 19th centuries, Christmas was a time for people to cut loose. The biggest component of the celebration back then involved getting drunk (e.g. Here we come a'wassailing). Oddly, the current idea of Christmas seems to coincide with the Industrial Revolution and the rise of (egad!) capitalism.

It really is too bad that the celebration of Christ's birth is lost in the commercialism. But the good news is that the really important part of his story - his death and resurrection - never really got lost amid the goofy Easter Bunny traditions. Christians ought to get a little comfort and joy out of that.

S

[Darrell]

It seems that everyone has this season to celebrate something.

First the retailers who make much of their profits at this time of the year.

Second the advertisers whose job it is to fill the stores and shopping centers.

Third the restaurants and bars whose party catering fills the cash registers.

Fourth the entertainers who are suddenly devout Christians that act and sing whereever opportunity presents itself.

Fifth the transportation industry who shuffles families back together for a brief reaquaintence (and renewed bickering).

Sixth for the Salvation Army volunteers that brave freezing temperatures while collecting meager donations for stocking the community soup kitchens that feed the poor and hungry members of the local community.

Seventh for the many hired Santa imposters that work in the department stores listening to what spoiled children want for Christmas (as though it was their birthday).

Eight for all those entertaining mothers that have to prepare hectic feasts of stuffed roast beast with veggies and pies.

Ninth for all participants in Christchild plays and special choir entertained church services and those who feel obligated to view them.

And lastly tenth for all lonely persons dumb enough to think that they have nothing to celebrate if not included in the other nine categories.

SO remember to do your part in helping to keep the "X" in "X-MAS!" CHEERS!