His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
Though this passage I pulled from Clement Clarke Moore's famous poem, "T'was the Night Before Christmas," doesn't mention the name of person it describes, I'm sure you've already guessed who it is--Santa Claus, of course!
Moore's poem pictures Old St. Nick as we know him today and gave us the idea of his appearance and personality (plump and jolly) and his activity on the night of Christmas Eve (coming down the chimney to deliver gifts and his eight reindeer.)
Originally, Santa (St. Nicholas) was just an ordinary man.
He was a Bishop dubbed "Saint" by Catholics, who would give to the poor in his town, often anonymously. He was mainly known for leaving coins and treats in the shoes of children who would leave them outside for that purpose.
But over the last 200 years, "belief" in Santa Claus has permeated most families in America, ingraining the Christmas tradition of getting presents from and giving cookies and milk to a magic man from the North deep into modern American culture.
And believing in Santa can be very beneficial. So sticking with the whole Christmas song theme, here are my "12" reasons for spreading "Santa cheer."
One, it's fun for parents to watch the wonder and excitement of their young children.
Two, believing in Santa is great for developing a child's imagination.
Three, you can teach your child thankfulness by emphasizing the importance of giving Santa a "thank you" and/or some cookies and milk.
Four, one mother described in a letter to her child that believing in Santa helped teach about believing in something/someone you can't see or touch.
Five, children can learn the virtue of generosity from Santa, and hopefully many will desire to reciprocate in the future.
Six, it's a great way to remind your child of the need to be good throughout the year.
Santa teaches many other virtues as well, such as...
Seven, joy of the Christmas season.
Eight, love. Anyone who lets screaming children sit on his lap and whine about what they want for Christmas has to have a great capacity to love, even the unlovely.
Nine, compassion because Santa is kind enough to "visit" all the children in the world. And often he "overlooks" some of the bad children did throughout the year and still gives them gifts instead of a lump of coal.
Ten, patience. Children must wait until Christmas to get their gifts.
Eleven, writing to Santa can be an opportunity for your child to develop his or her writing skills, and you can also see the progression of your child's writing over the years.
Twelve, children can learn how to prioritize what they want most, especially if you limit the number of things they can put on the list.
Obviously, a child will come to know the truth about Santa at some point, (usually starting around the age of eight according to psychologists). And if you're worried about how to tell your child the truth about Santa, here are some tips to help you break the news gently to your child.
Moore's poem pictures Old St. Nick as we know him today and gave us the idea of his appearance and personality (plump and jolly) and his activity on the night of Christmas Eve (coming down the chimney to deliver gifts and his eight reindeer.)
Originally, Santa (St. Nicholas) was just an ordinary man.
He was a Bishop dubbed "Saint" by Catholics, who would give to the poor in his town, often anonymously. He was mainly known for leaving coins and treats in the shoes of children who would leave them outside for that purpose.
But over the last 200 years, "belief" in Santa Claus has permeated most families in America, ingraining the Christmas tradition of getting presents from and giving cookies and milk to a magic man from the North deep into modern American culture.
And believing in Santa can be very beneficial. So sticking with the whole Christmas song theme, here are my "12" reasons for spreading "Santa cheer."
One, it's fun for parents to watch the wonder and excitement of their young children.
Two, believing in Santa is great for developing a child's imagination.
Three, you can teach your child thankfulness by emphasizing the importance of giving Santa a "thank you" and/or some cookies and milk.
Four, one mother described in a letter to her child that believing in Santa helped teach about believing in something/someone you can't see or touch.
Five, children can learn the virtue of generosity from Santa, and hopefully many will desire to reciprocate in the future.
Six, it's a great way to remind your child of the need to be good throughout the year.
Santa teaches many other virtues as well, such as...
Seven, joy of the Christmas season.
Eight, love. Anyone who lets screaming children sit on his lap and whine about what they want for Christmas has to have a great capacity to love, even the unlovely.
Nine, compassion because Santa is kind enough to "visit" all the children in the world. And often he "overlooks" some of the bad children did throughout the year and still gives them gifts instead of a lump of coal.
Ten, patience. Children must wait until Christmas to get their gifts.
Eleven, writing to Santa can be an opportunity for your child to develop his or her writing skills, and you can also see the progression of your child's writing over the years.
Twelve, children can learn how to prioritize what they want most, especially if you limit the number of things they can put on the list.
Obviously, a child will come to know the truth about Santa at some point, (usually starting around the age of eight according to psychologists). And if you're worried about how to tell your child the truth about Santa, here are some tips to help you break the news gently to your child.
One of my favorite Christmas movies, ironically, is "The Year Without a Santa Claus." The whole plot of the movie is to convince everyone that Santa does indeed exist so he won't skip his annual Christmas Eve run. In the end, even a father who had long since passed the age of innocent belief, once again embraces the "magic" of Christmas by believing in Santa.
Belief in Santa is fun for innocent children and nostalgic for most adults. Keeping up the tradition of Santa Claus in your family can create some wonderful memories and teach your children the joy of giving at Christmas.
Interesting fact: Coca-Cola created the first modern Santa Claus.
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