Origin of Santa Claus and Significance of Christmas tree

 Origin of Santa Claus

Yeah, it's December which is mostly meant for Christmas celebrations. When we heard of Christmas what usually hits in our mind is a Baby Christ in feeding trough along with marry, Joseph, Angel Gabriel, Shepherds, Wisemen and the Star which reminds of the Salvation, love, hope, Sacrifice, celebration that this world should have. 

Nowadays, Christmas celebrations needs a lighted Star, Christmas tree 🎄, decoration and definitely A Santa  Claus 🎅. From where had these Christmas tree 🎄 and Santa Claus 🎅 came?  Were they in the Bible? Let's digg Deeper in their origins.

Who is Santa Claus 🎅?

What we know about Santa Claus 🎅 is  an older person with white Beard, red cheeks always with a smiley face. Santa Claus 🎅 wears white fur trimmed red Jacket, pant with a broad buckled belt and white fur trimmed red hat. He used to travel by a sleigh which was drawn by 8 reindeer. All that he do is offering gifts, chocolate... and mostly children believes that Santa Claus 🎅 will lives with Mrs Santa in North pole all through the year making the gifts ready for Christmas Eve. That was really awesome right. Sorry for bringing you into the reality...

To know the origin of Santa Claus 🎅 we need to travel long back to 280 AD. The real name of Santa Claus is Saint Nicholas. Saint Nicholas was born sometime around 280 AD in Patara, near Myra which is today's modern Turkey.

 He was born with inherited wealth and  was grown with the wisdom of God and love that he experienced from his parents. As he grew older he started helping the needy children, orphans and poor people. That's good but what matters the most is that Nicholas used to help the needy people in a way that they can't know from whom they got benefited.

This is how it was written in the Bible about Charity and helping.

" But when you help a needy person, do it in such a way that even your closest friend will not know about it . Then it will be a private matter. And your Father,who sees what you do in private, will reward you."  -Matthew 6:3,4 

One of the well known offerings of Santa Claus is like this. There was a poor  father who had three daughters. The poor father was not able to lead his family. Then the poor father decided to sell his daughters to the prostitution. This news went to the Santa Claus and one night the Santa Claus went into the poor father's house and placed three bags of gold at the door of poor father. Next morning the father checked the bags which were filled with gold. He was amazed and he used those gold for his daughters marriage and his living.

And in the same way Santa Claus used to help the needy people without letting them to know who he was. As he came to know that someone need help he used to reach their house in the night and place the money, gold... Anything that they get benefited. This news went all over the city and one day they found that Sant Nicholas doing all those things.   And he becomes famous as Santa Claus 🎅. From then it's become a part in Christmas to include Santa Claus. 

 If you want to be a Santa Claus. It's not a mandatory to wear Santa costume and sleigh with the reindeers.  If you have that willing to help the needy irrespective of recognition then you are Santa Claus 🎅 of this generation. Happy Christmas.

Significance of Christmas tree 🎄

 Along with Santa Claus 🎅 Christmas tree 🎄 is also a reserved thing in the  Christmas celebrations. Instead of its origin let me tell you the significance of the Christmas tree 🎄 and the decoration involved in it. 

Usually fir trees are to be selected as Christmas trees 🎄.  Later, due to lack of  availability artificial Christmas trees are being employed.

The green tree symbolizes the eternal life in Christ.

The star on the top of the tree resembles the star which guided the Wisemen during the birth of Christ.

Those bells represents the joy and celebration of Christmas.

The candy cane symbolizes the shepherd's crook which Jesus said " I'm the good shepherd" and In the Bible it was further quoted that the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

So finally for this Christmas share your love , forgiveness , Celebrate...  let this Pandemic (covid) be a lesson for us. 

Happy Christmas.