Re: Santa Claus WAS: meanings not in english

Quoting Joe Fatula <fatula3@...>:

> From: "Christophe Grandsire" <christophe.grandsire@...>
> Subject: Re: Santa Claus WAS:  meanings not in english
>
>
> > En réponse à Joe Fatula :
> > >I wonder how many people participate in (what is to me the quite
> ridiculous)
> > >Santa Claus thing, and to what degree.  I know that at least my
> family
> > >thinks it's stupid.
>
> > Here in Holland people rather do Sinterklaas (Saint Nicholas). Santa
> is
> > considered to be only a commercial American thing. And since
> Sinterklaas
> is
> > actually a Christian feast, the more Christian the family is the
> more
> > celebrated it gets ;)) . Still, the myth has quite changed, since
> > Sinterklaas now lives in Spain, comes by boat to the Netherlands
> (always
> in
> > front of the camera and with an official welcome ;))) ) and rides with
> his
> > horse on the roofs of the houses to distribute the presents to the
> nice
> > Christian children ;))) .
>
> And in old Scandinavia, Thor used to ride through the sky (dressed much
> as
> Santa) pulled in a sleigh by Cracker and Gnasher (which sound very much
> like
> names of Santa's reindeer).  I wouldn't be surprised if the Saami talk
> of
> him being pulled by reindeer (if they talk of him at all).
They "borrowed" him from Germanic Scandinavian mythology. I can't recall any
Saami version of his name, but 'twas something based on _Åke-Tor_, where "Åke-"
refers to his habit of riding thru the sky on a sleigh/wain.

                                                   Andreas