2006-12-16 11:46:35 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Holidays ➔ Other - Holidays
I still remember the day I asked my mom if Santa Claus was real. She sat down with me (I was in second grade at the time), smiled and said, "As long as you still believe in Santa, he still comes to visit you on Christmas Eve."
I'm 31 and I still believe in Santa... and every Christmas morning he has filled my stocking with all the goodies I love. So, he MUST be real because I still believe. :)
2006-12-16 11:58:47 · answer #1 · answered by amalamadingdong 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
A little history of Xmas...
Roman officials decided on December 25th as the date for Christmas because they were trying to convert their heavily Pagan nation to the religion. The Pagan's Mid-Winter festival, Saturnalia, was held at this time of the year. In order to lure them over, many holidays that are now associated with Christianity were decided by the dates of corresponding Pagan holidays and festivals.
Christmas was more like Mardi Gras than the holiday we know today up until as late as the late 19th century. Yes, that's right, Mardi Gras! In England, during the 17th century, Protestants had taken over the country. Being very religiously strict they actually outlawed Christmas for it's vulgarity. Of course the people wanted their celebration so they in turn reinstated the Monarchy.
In the United States, after the Revolutionary War, anything English as shunned. Therefore Christmas was reinvented. It was decided the holiday would be about family and togetherness rather than raucous partying.
The Christmas tree also has it's roots in Pagan culture. Evidence of "Christmas" trees date back as far as Egypt. Santa Claus in his modern form was also only recently invented. In the 1940's he was revamped as the jolly old man we all know. Actually this was done by advertising agencies and stores of the time in order to help sell merchandise. Before that, Santa was more in line with the partying ideology of the Pagan Christmas. In fact, Santa's image evolved from a Pagan gnome like creature. Very much unlike what we know today.
2006-12-16 13:07:14 · answer #2 · answered by Shuggaloaf 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sure I do. Why not? Saint Nicholas live a few hundred years ago whose claim to fame was dropping small sacks of gold down the chimneys of families whose children were always good. What's not to believe?
2006-12-16 11:51:29 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
NO, don't know if I ever did; but the thought of a fat man in a red suit coming to my house at night, would have been hilarious, because we didn't have a chimney and our dogs barked when anyone not in our family come on to our driveway.
2006-12-16 11:57:01 · answer #4 · answered by amazon 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no
2006-12-16 12:25:16 · answer #5 · answered by Melinda 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋