December 22, 2014

There's Magic in the Air

He is mystery and magic, compassion and caring, giving and graciousness.  His legend is celebrated the world over in various fashion year after year at Christmas time and through the ages his gleam has never tarnished nor appeal diminished.   Those of us who believe in magic, whatever our age, celebrate annually the joy of the season, the birth of the Christ child, and the magic of St. Nicholas.

The man, by any other name, would be as sweet, (to borrow Shakespeare's famous line from Romeo and Juliet).  Indeed, he carries many different monikers including Father Christmas in the United Kingdom, Pere Noel in France, Christ Kind in Germany, Sinterklaas in Holland and Kris Kringle here in the United States.  

Whatever his name and however he visits the children around the world, the legend born of St. Nicholas, a  Bishop who lived in the fourth century AD, lives on in infamy.  Story has it that Nicholas, a very kind and wealthy man, was known for helping the poor and giving secret gifts to people in need.  

The custom of hanging a stocking in hopes of it being filled with a secret gift by St. Nicholas, originated from the story that, seeing that a rather poor family did not have enough money to provide a dowry for the eldest of three daughters, the benevolent man climbed upon the housetop and secretly dropped a bag of gold down the chimney where it feel into a stocking that had been hung there to dry.  Nicholas, upon being discovered by the father, begged him not to reveal his secret for he didn't wish to bring attention to himself.  The word got out as it is apt to do, and from then on it was believed that whenever someone received a secret gift, it was from Nicholas.

In 1823 the famous poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas", or "T'was the Night before Christmas", was published by Clement C. Moore, describing eight reindeer and a lively, rotund St. Nicholas.  The reindeer were given names and further immortalized in the story, "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer", written by Robert L. May for a Montgomery Ward as a holiday give away, in 1939.  

Santa Claus has remained immortal for hundreds of years and isn't likely to disappear any time soon.  (At least in my home, that is.)  There will always be  magic in the air and a twinkle in the sky on Christmas Eve.  And isn't that what Christmas is all about?  

Merry Christmas to one and all!!

Consider Santa Claus at work...

He must clamber in and out of his precariously perched sleigh, 

To march steadily along the icy slops of rooftops.

He must tiptoe on carpets to cause sleeping dogs no distress, 

Read notes, fill stockings, and empty his pack,

Reflected in the cat's glowing eyes.

Santa will kiss sweaty curly-tops,

Gently bless a cast or bandage, and dry tears,

Fetch a hanky or a very small drink of water,

Or sprinkle sand into sleepy eyes.

He may need to tuck in a blanket,

Plug in a night-light, button a button,

Or zip up a zipper.

He may turn off a dripping faucet,

Or a burner on the stove,

Straighten a rug, draw the drapes,

Or smother an ember at the fireplace.

Then there is warm milk or col cocoa with which to deal,

And cookie crumbs to brush away.

Santa Claus must be a Grampa!

Written by JoAn Bakker