It's only fitting that, because Santa Claus has the magnificent capability to visit homes around the world in a single night, more than one place would claim to be his home. It is a common belief that Santa hails from the wintry North Pole, but folks in Finland will also tell you that Santa calls that country his home. To prove it, the Finns will even invite you to visit Santa in his workshop before Christmas, or during the year, and talk with Santa Claus as he and his elves busy themselves for their end-of-year Christmas expedition around the globe.
In America, the popularity of the image and legend of Santa Claus can be traced to the poem, “Twas the Night before Christmas,” which was written by Clement Clarke Moore in 1822. In that poem, Moore described St. Nicholas as a jolly fellow who flew from house to house in a sleigh pulled by reindeer and who waited for children to go to bed on Christmas Eve before he came down the chimney to deliver Christmas presents for them.
Following the distribution of that poem, between 1863 and 1886, the popular magazine Harper's Weekly published cartoons by Thomas Nast which depicted Santa as a cheerful fellow with a large, round belly and long, white beard who wore a bright red suit trimmed with white fur. In those cartoons, Santa also held a sack, which was filled with toys for boys and girls, over his shoulder. The cartoons also showed Santa reading letters from good boys and girls, working in his workshop with his elves, checking his list to make sure he had all the required toys, and even showed his wife, Mrs. Claus.
The tradition of Santa Claus was brought to America by Dutch colonists who settled in New York City, which was called New Amsterdam at the time. The real St. Nicholas is said to be a minor saint from the 4th Century with a reputation for generosity and kindness, who gave rise to legends of the many miracles he performed for the poor and unhappy. One of the stories about St. Nicholas is that he saved three poor sisters from being sold into a life of slavery or prostitution by their father. According to the legend, Santa Claus provided the girls with a dowry so they could get married.
The legend of St. Nicholas led hundreds of people to be devoted to him. Consequently, thousands of European churches became dedicated to him. After the Reformation period, however, widespread practice and worship of St. Nicholas disappeared in European countries that were Protestant, except in Holland where the legend of St. Nicholas continued. St. Nicholas was known as Sint Nikolaas, but that was later corrupted to Sinter Klaas.
Dutch colonists took this tradition of Sinter Klaas to New York City where it was adopted using the English translation of Santa Claus. Over time, the Dutch legend of the kindly saint was combined with old Nordic folktales about a magician who punished naughty children and rewarded good ones with presents. This gave rise to the stories that now exist about Santa Claus.
The red and white-trimmed suit of Santa Claus is believed to be the colors that the original St. Nicholas wore because red and white were the colors of the robes worn by traditional bishops. It is also believed that the Coca Cola Company played a role in what is regarded as the popular look of Santa Claus today, through paintings by artist Haddon Sundblom, which were used in some of the company's advertisements between 1931 and 1964.
Friday, November 07, 2008
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Christmas Tree Decoration
The decoration of Christmas Trees has undergone many changes, much like many of the early traditions of the Christmas season. Christmas Tree lighting, which started with real candles, probably underwent the biggest change when electric light became commercially available and special Christmas Tree lights were manufactured. It is not surprising that today you can set up Christmas Trees that are expertly decorated with little or no effort.
While many people choose a fresh Christmas Tree for its scent, many others simply want a beautifully decorated tree and will choose an artificial or man-made tree. Artificial trees have been available in America since the start of the 20th century. Many artificial trees are made to have a similar appearance to real Christmas Trees, but changes have been made to make them decorative and different from regular Christmas trees.
As an example, in the 1950s, some artificial Christmas Trees had branches made of aluminum-coated paper to give them a shiny, metallic look. For those who like a Christmas Tree with a unique look, trees with a similar shiny, metallic appearances are available today, however, they are now made with a different material because the older trees were a fire hazard.
For those who are very busy and don't have the time to spend carefully placing Christmas lights on trees, there are many pre-lit Christmas Trees on the market today. These Christmas Trees look like their real counterparts except multi-colored fiber-optic lights can be found scattered throughout their limbs and branches. This arrangement saves the time and effort of having to untangle strings of Christmas Tree lights.
Another type of pre-lit artificial Christmas Tree is one that made completely of fiber optics so that the tree appears to be shaped out of wispy strands of light. Some of these brightly-lit fiber-optic trees also come equipped with pre-recorded Christmas songs and speakers to give the added pleasure of music.
Many pre-lit Christmas Trees have electric lights which need to be plugged into an electrical outlet. The advantage of these trees is that the lights are already strung on them from the factory and you need only to follow the instructions about how to assemble the tree for it to appear lighted. Once this is done correctly, the tree will look as if it was manually decorated with lights.
Another ready-made decorative feature of artificial Christmas Trees is the appearance of snow-covered branches. This trend is an evolution of faux snow which is often sprinkled in garlands and wreaths to add a Christmas quality to those decorations. Icicle ornaments are also used to decorate real and artificial trees and icicle lights are commonly used along rooflines and outdoor areas. These decorations, along with the ready-made snow-covered branches of artificial trees, convey the frosty, cold feel of the winter season.
Christmas trees that arrive from the factory with lights also have decorations such as apples and small red berries to provide additional color, or real pinecones that may or may not be frosted or sprinkled with faux snow. They may also be pre-decorated with red or gold bows, round ornaments, flower-like patterns, dried bow and twigs, and gold frosted branch tips to give an appealing, sparkling appearance. The trees also have varying hues of green similar to real Christmas Trees.
Pre-lit and pre-decorated Christmas Trees are an excellent way to brighten the holiday in your home and enable you to gain more time to enjoy the festivities of the season.
While many people choose a fresh Christmas Tree for its scent, many others simply want a beautifully decorated tree and will choose an artificial or man-made tree. Artificial trees have been available in America since the start of the 20th century. Many artificial trees are made to have a similar appearance to real Christmas Trees, but changes have been made to make them decorative and different from regular Christmas trees.
As an example, in the 1950s, some artificial Christmas Trees had branches made of aluminum-coated paper to give them a shiny, metallic look. For those who like a Christmas Tree with a unique look, trees with a similar shiny, metallic appearances are available today, however, they are now made with a different material because the older trees were a fire hazard.
For those who are very busy and don't have the time to spend carefully placing Christmas lights on trees, there are many pre-lit Christmas Trees on the market today. These Christmas Trees look like their real counterparts except multi-colored fiber-optic lights can be found scattered throughout their limbs and branches. This arrangement saves the time and effort of having to untangle strings of Christmas Tree lights.
Another type of pre-lit artificial Christmas Tree is one that made completely of fiber optics so that the tree appears to be shaped out of wispy strands of light. Some of these brightly-lit fiber-optic trees also come equipped with pre-recorded Christmas songs and speakers to give the added pleasure of music.
Many pre-lit Christmas Trees have electric lights which need to be plugged into an electrical outlet. The advantage of these trees is that the lights are already strung on them from the factory and you need only to follow the instructions about how to assemble the tree for it to appear lighted. Once this is done correctly, the tree will look as if it was manually decorated with lights.
Another ready-made decorative feature of artificial Christmas Trees is the appearance of snow-covered branches. This trend is an evolution of faux snow which is often sprinkled in garlands and wreaths to add a Christmas quality to those decorations. Icicle ornaments are also used to decorate real and artificial trees and icicle lights are commonly used along rooflines and outdoor areas. These decorations, along with the ready-made snow-covered branches of artificial trees, convey the frosty, cold feel of the winter season.
Christmas trees that arrive from the factory with lights also have decorations such as apples and small red berries to provide additional color, or real pinecones that may or may not be frosted or sprinkled with faux snow. They may also be pre-decorated with red or gold bows, round ornaments, flower-like patterns, dried bow and twigs, and gold frosted branch tips to give an appealing, sparkling appearance. The trees also have varying hues of green similar to real Christmas Trees.
Pre-lit and pre-decorated Christmas Trees are an excellent way to brighten the holiday in your home and enable you to gain more time to enjoy the festivities of the season.
Monday, November 03, 2008
Care and Disposal of Christmas Trees
Since so much time and effort is put into selecting the perfect Christmas Tree, it follows that similar consideration should also be given to caring for the tree. Otherwise, there will be disappointment if needles start to brown or turn yellow, or branches begin to break with days or weeks to go before the season is over. Safety is also an important reason to take proper care of your Christmas Tree because a drying Christmas Tree also presents a fire hazard. The average Christmas Tree should last for about five to six weeks if the proper care is given to it.
After selecting a Christmas Tree and getting it home, the first thing that should be done is to make a fresh cut and place it into a stand with water. A Christmas Tree shouldn't be mounted dry and the water in its stand should be replenished regularly. A fresh cut is made by cutting about an inch off the bottom in a slightly diagonal shape to help with the absorption of water. If a fresh cut isn't going to be made immediately after getting the tree home, it should be placed in a container with water and left to stand in a shaded area away from the wind.
If a fresh cut isn't made and the Christmas Tree is left exposed to air, the vessels for transporting water can become blocked. If this happens, another fresh cut can correct the problem and the tree then needs to be immediately put in a container with water.
Your Christmas Tree should be secure in its stand and it should be placed away from open flames or sources of heat such as furnaces, fireplaces, and air vents, all of which may dry it out. Decoration of the tree should also begin after it has been mounted in its stand. Several decoration precautions should be taken to lessen or avoid a fire hazard.
Ornaments that have an open flame or candles should never be used for decoration. Christmas Tree lights should be checked to make sure the bulbs are working properly, the connections are intact, and that no part of the cord is damaged. If there appears to be any exposed wiring or bulbs that are not working, that string of lights shouldn't be used.
A good Christmas Tree stand should be used because water is the most important aspect of getting the longest possible life out of your Christmas Tree. In selecting a stand, determine the amount of water it can hold when a tree is placed in it. Some water will be displaced from the space taken up by the base of the tree, so it is important not to base your selection on the total volume of water each stand can hold.
According to the National Christmas Tree Association, the average Christmas Tree may absorb up to one gallon of water each day, so it is important to check the water every day and to replenish it frequently. To make sure your Christmas Tree gets enough water, the National Christmas Tree Association recommends that one quart of water is required for each inch of the diameter of the tree's trunk.
After Christmas is over and your wonderfully decorated Christmas Tree has provided much joy, it is important to remove it before it dries out. Options to discard your Christmas will likely depend on the services offered in your area. Some town or cities will pick up Christmas Trees on particular days. Some may require that residents take their trees to specific locations, while in other areas, Christmas Trees will be picked up with the garbage.
Christmas Trees should never be burned in the fireplace as it can cause the build up of creosote, a colorless, oily substance.
There's also the option of putting your Christmas Tree to a different use by cutting it into pieces yourself and using it for mulch.
After selecting a Christmas Tree and getting it home, the first thing that should be done is to make a fresh cut and place it into a stand with water. A Christmas Tree shouldn't be mounted dry and the water in its stand should be replenished regularly. A fresh cut is made by cutting about an inch off the bottom in a slightly diagonal shape to help with the absorption of water. If a fresh cut isn't going to be made immediately after getting the tree home, it should be placed in a container with water and left to stand in a shaded area away from the wind.
If a fresh cut isn't made and the Christmas Tree is left exposed to air, the vessels for transporting water can become blocked. If this happens, another fresh cut can correct the problem and the tree then needs to be immediately put in a container with water.
Your Christmas Tree should be secure in its stand and it should be placed away from open flames or sources of heat such as furnaces, fireplaces, and air vents, all of which may dry it out. Decoration of the tree should also begin after it has been mounted in its stand. Several decoration precautions should be taken to lessen or avoid a fire hazard.
Ornaments that have an open flame or candles should never be used for decoration. Christmas Tree lights should be checked to make sure the bulbs are working properly, the connections are intact, and that no part of the cord is damaged. If there appears to be any exposed wiring or bulbs that are not working, that string of lights shouldn't be used.
A good Christmas Tree stand should be used because water is the most important aspect of getting the longest possible life out of your Christmas Tree. In selecting a stand, determine the amount of water it can hold when a tree is placed in it. Some water will be displaced from the space taken up by the base of the tree, so it is important not to base your selection on the total volume of water each stand can hold.
According to the National Christmas Tree Association, the average Christmas Tree may absorb up to one gallon of water each day, so it is important to check the water every day and to replenish it frequently. To make sure your Christmas Tree gets enough water, the National Christmas Tree Association recommends that one quart of water is required for each inch of the diameter of the tree's trunk.
After Christmas is over and your wonderfully decorated Christmas Tree has provided much joy, it is important to remove it before it dries out. Options to discard your Christmas will likely depend on the services offered in your area. Some town or cities will pick up Christmas Trees on particular days. Some may require that residents take their trees to specific locations, while in other areas, Christmas Trees will be picked up with the garbage.
Christmas Trees should never be burned in the fireplace as it can cause the build up of creosote, a colorless, oily substance.
There's also the option of putting your Christmas Tree to a different use by cutting it into pieces yourself and using it for mulch.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
