Who's ever heard of a jolly old fat man with a stomach the size of Jupiter breaking into your house at night and leaving presents. WTH?!
2007-08-30 09:54:55 · 15 answers · asked by MsMarie1213 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Holidays ➔ Christmas
I never said that I could. I think he exists,but I'm just sayin'.
2007-08-30 10:13:34 · update #1
You're right. When I look at it that way, it is pretty weird. For one thing, he's 'breaking and entering'. He should be arrested.
2007-08-30 16:26:09 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Thomas Nast was the first artist to draw Santa Claus as a fat, jolly, white-whiskered old man. He was born September 27, 1840 in Landau, Baden, Germany and died December 7, 1902 in Guayaquil, Ecuador. He was an American cartoonist after arriving in the United States at the age of six. He was a political cartoonist who happened to create one of the most popular images of Santa Claus. He is also noted for popularizing the Democratic party's donkey.
2007-08-30 18:43:11 · answer #2 · answered by Mustbe 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Santa Claus traces his roots back to St. Nicholas. St. Nicholas is the patron saint of children. According to legend, he would leave gifts in children's shoes (they put them outside their doors for St. Nicholas).
The Santa Claus we know today is based on a story by C. Clement Moore (The Night Before Christmas) and drawings by Thomas Nast.
It does stretch the imagination a bit to ask a jolly man in a red suit to fit down the chimney.... however, stranger things have happened. And, Santa can get into homes in other ways...
2007-08-30 18:27:27 · answer #3 · answered by Daisy 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I dont know where the fat part came in or the chimney. As you know the idea of Santa Claus came from St. Nicholas in the 4th century. He was a rather slender Bishop and he went door to door. I cant even see Paris Hilton fitting into a chimney,much less a hefty Santa.
2007-08-30 17:36:20 · answer #4 · answered by phlada64 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The legend of Santa Claus can be traced back hundreds of years to a monk named St. Nicholas Corbis-Bettman. It is believed that Nicholas was born sometime around 280 A.D. in Patara, near Myra in modern-day Turkey. Much admired for his piety and kindness, St. Nicholas became the subject of many legends. It is said that he gave away all of his inherited wealth and traveled the countryside helping the poor and sick.
In 1822, Clement Clarke Moore, an Episcopal minister, wrote a long Christmas poem for his three daughters entitled, "An Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas." Moore's poem, which he was initially hesitant to publish due to the frivolous nature of its subject, is largely responsible for our modern image of Santa Claus as a "right jolly old elf" with a portly figure and the supernatural ability to ascend a chimney with a mere nod of his head! Although some of Moore's imagery was probably borrowed from other sources, his poem helped to popularize Christmas Eve - Santa Claus waiting for the children to get to sleep the now-familiar idea of a Santa Claus who flew from house to house on Christmas Eve - in "a miniature sleigh" led by eight flying reindeer, whom he also named - leaving presents for deserving children. "An Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas," created a new and immediately popular American icon. In 1881, political cartoonist Thomas Nast drew on Moore's poem to create the first likeness that matches our modern image of Santa Claus. His cartoon, which appeared in Harper's Weekly, depicted Santa as a rotund, cheerful man with a full, white beard, holding a sack laden with toys for lucky children. It is Nast who gave Santa his bright red suit trimmed with white fur, North Pole workshop, elves, and his wife, Mrs. Claus.
Honestly, if it wasn't for Coca-Cola capitalizing and morphing St. Nickolas into Santa Claus...then advertising it 'til it became a household tradition, we would not have the image of Santa that we have today. At least that was what the History Channel had stated during an "Evolution of Santa Clause" episode.
2007-08-30 21:25:04 · answer #5 · answered by TJ 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, that's an awfully negative view of a wonderful, generous, kind tradition. Santa doesn't break in. He comes in by magic! He rewards us for allowing the best in us to come out. Santa is a good thing :)
2007-08-30 21:04:17 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I like the idea of Santa and his Jupiter-sized stomach and so does my daughter. Its a positive thought for those who choose to "believe". Whats wrong with that?
2007-08-30 22:46:10 · answer #7 · answered by ~>M3 N MY 2 GYRLZ<~ 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Thats true what fat man breaks into your house and leaves gifts
2007-08-30 19:39:36 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
That was the image that the writer of "'twas the Night before Christmas" story that he wrote for his sick daughter. The good old US of A adapted that design for all of their commercial sales and the like! Go figure!
2007-08-30 19:31:27 · answer #9 · answered by Rev. Kaldea 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I believe in Santa. I LIKE getting presents. Don't you?
2007-08-30 17:36:14 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋