No. The best version of Robin Hood is Mel Brooks classic, Robin Hood Men In Tights. No, you can't change my mind on that fact either. Just accept you're wrong and move on. Merry Christmas and happy holidays to you and yours, btw. 😊
In my own research I came across a fella by the name of Thomas Nast who produced the first image of Santa clause in 1863 and went on in 1866 to produce “The Works of Santa Clause” which contained much of the lore you mentioned and what we now associate with Santa. Another thing I found was that the song “Santa Clause is coming to town” produced in the same time period as the coke ads was one of that factors that led to a fully formed American Christmas tradition
I love that you go for quality over quantity with your channel but I think we're due for a new video. Some more content on religious art like your Rembrandt video would be great. Would also love to hear you get into the relationship between some classical composers and religion as well.
Another great video that I didn't know I needed until I heard it. Your catalog of work is one that I look forward to showing my kids as they get older. Thank you for all your effort and dedication to the truth, God bless.
Was “the night before Christmas” originally meant to refer to December 5th? I don’t think it’s mentioned when the transition to the holiday being on the 25th first happened
Great question. Depends on country initially. So Germany and a few others they make that move quickly with the Christ Child thing. In New York they are celebrating St Nicholas’ day but when they invent the new modern Santa Claus stories they make it Christmas Eve.
8:40 Not only does Sinterklaas bring a switch for naughty kids (according to family legend one of my uncles actually did this to his kids once), the really bad ones are put in Piet's sack and taken away. This was always a source of hilarity for children if Sint and Piet showed up somewhere and asked if a particular kid had been nice and they would be met with cries of "In the bag! In the bag!"
Best version of Robin Hood is the 1938 version featuring Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland and the best version of A Christmas Carol is the Alastair Sim film 1951. Merry Christmas to one and all!
What about Thomas Nast, J.C. Leyendecker, and Norman Rockwell, all of whom pretty much created the look of Santa prior to Haddon Sundblom? History doesn't happen at stops in time--it is ongoing even when historians aren't noticing. I'm sure it is hard to explore all of Santa in 26 minutes. But there is a lot here that was left out.
Great video thank you! One minor thing, though, my understanding is that the link between Christmas and Saturnalia is likely overstated (with maybe some cross-pollination re: specific traditions) and that 25th December was identified due to an older tradition that calculated the date of someone's death based on the date of their conception. Can you speak to this at all?
At the very start of the video he says “there’s almost no connection between the practice of Christmas and Saturnalia”…or are you saying there’s more connection than what he’s representing (which he says scholars would not agree with)? Regarding your question on the nativity, sounds like a topic for a separate video.
Thanks for this Ryan, very historical and informative. Could you please do one on the origins of Easter? The historically inaccurate narrative that it was a pagan holiday has become has become mainstream, even among Christians.
Thank you for another awesome video. You are incredible! Sending you many blessings and best wishes for a very merry Christmas and happy new year. Peace from the blind guy!
"Modern Turkey" in stead of "The Byzantine Empire" sounds a bit odd in this story. The oldest reference to "Black Pete" in the Netherlands is found in the works of a school teacher from around 1850. In other European countries, Saint Nicholas was then still travelling with a devil (Krampus) as companion.
Your content is a joy to watch and absorb. A shining light of well researched knowledge amongst all the cacophony of bells and whistles that choke the web. All the best for the festive season and for 2024. I eagerly await more.
Would love if you could pick up where you left off with the church history series. Tracing the modern church through the Jesus culture movement and the emergent church.
@@RyanReevesM Glad you are back. I first saw your videos in 2016. Have you considered doing a series on American based Christianity such as JW, LDS and or 7 day Adventism? 👍
That was very informative. Over here in the UK some of us tend to cling to the name Father Christmas as opposed to Santa Claus but he really has no separate identity.
I live in the former Soviet Union where they traditionally have Father Winter, or Ded Moroz who comes on New Year's Day. But due to Americanization you're now seeing more and more of the Coke-a-cola Santa replace Ded Moroz.
Thomas Nast also had an important role in the image of Santa Claus as a jolly fat man given how widely his cartoons were published. Many late 19th century newspapers also contributed to the lore around Santa over time like the fact that he lived at the North Pole or had a wife.
Dear Ryan , relative, relatable research. Refreshing in recognizing reality from rumoured ramblings. ( Hmmmm....) wRapped with red ribbons of rationality.
Fascinating video. I enjoyed that it gave this cozy feeling as well how apropos. Indeed it seems while having the kernel of European winter season traditions, Santa Clause is a product of modernity and forming new traditions for a relatively nascent culture in America. Right down to the iconic imagery coming from commercialization.
Three different Church Fathers calculated December 25 as Christ's birthday, and they did it from Scripture. It has to do with the timing of Zechariah's service as priest in Luke chapter 1. There isn't any evidence that it had anything to do with Saturnalia.
Another idea Dr. Reeves for a video is about The Shroud of Turin . Probably you can give us more Historical Context of this particular piece of history.
@@RyanReevesM I learned so much years ago from your channel. I would get home from work, start cooking and just listen to your lectures. I learned so much. If I had more $$ right now I'd donate. Keep up the great work.
A fellow I know has an ugly Christmas sweater with both Jesus and Saint Nicholas. A friend sacrilegiously said to me: Look at the sweater with two fictional characters. I responded: wrong and wrong! As a new Catholic (converted from Protestantism) it continues to amaze me how effectively the reformers have scrubbed away not just the saints but also the true meanings. Yet our culture celebrates St Patrick’s Day, Saint Valentines Day, all Hallows Eve and yes Christmas with no remembrance of why we do these things.
I did know most of these little facts about Saint Nick already, but another one, which hasnt been mentioned is that the 8 reindeers and Santa's sleigh is based on odins 8 legged horse pulling his sleigh through the sky on Yuletide?? Also wassailing was the original pagan version of carol singing
Like this song, (there are several more verses)? Sometimes people sing caroling instead of wassailing. "Here we come a-wassailing Among the leaves so green; Here we come a-wand'ring So fair to be seen. Love and joy come to you, And to you your wassail too; And God bless you and send you a Happy New Year And God send you a Happy New Year."
I just had this chat with my 12 year old daughter. Our Santa doesnt have a naughty and nice list...everyone is on the naughty list. Santa gives because Christ gave to him. His giving is his response to the Gospel. You're right to wrap up, Santa is very malleable.
Could you please do a video about the origins and rise of Evangelical eschatology? Particularly premillennial dispensationalism? Things in the vein of rapture theology or Revelations/Daniel end times prophecy.
Do you have a video on the early churches' understanding of spiritual gifts? If not that would be amazing. A series of Christian canonization would be great too. Thank you 🙇
Just one aspect that you left out: the contributions to theSanta Claus mythology by political cartoonist Thomas Nast in the mid 19th century. It was his drawings that gradually changed the image from the elf like guy to the tall standing jolly old man who lived in the North Pole.
The 1552 BCP kept the season of Advent which is a very pennitential season. Was the Anglican Church trying to stomp down the partying during this seasom or in general?
Absolutely. They want to keep it about Jesus and liked Advent (even though they were pretty restrictive about keeping medieval traditions). London was sort of infamous for da parties.
@@RyanReevesM I'm sure the priests and monks of the monasteries enjoyed plenty of beer and fruit cake during the Christmas season as well. Thank you so much for the wonderful lectures. Merry Christmas!
How does all this fit with C.S. Lewis use of Jovial themes? Lewis felt the need to use Santa/Father Christmas. I am curious what influence Jupiter had on clement moore
Hey Mr. Reeves. I heard that German Lutherans invented the Christmas Tree by combining the Paradise Tree with the Christmas Pyramid, but now I'm hearing that Catholics invented it when they adopted the evergreen after the story of St. Boniface and started hanging wafers representing the eucharist from it. Do you know which one came first?
Hi, I enjoyed this summary. The title could us an adjective. "The Secret History...", "The Real History...", "The True History...", something to make it a little less dry.
There is no connection between Saturnalia and the original Christmas i.e. the mass celebrating the birth of Christ (except for the date) but aspects of the Saturnalian festival continued to be practiced. I agree that Christmas didn't evolve out of Saturnalia or some Norse tradition but in the popular celebrations of Christian holidays, pre-Christian (what came to be known as "folk") traditions did indeed survive which happens in all religions since there is always something that came before. If anything, it seems the reverse is true whereby overt aspects of Saturnalia has been _added_ to the Christmas celebration and this somewhat recently.
Thank you for solid research. But the Christmas tree was not a 20th-century creation -- it's an old Germanic tradition, which Luther "baptized" for Protestant celebrations of the season. Still ... good stuff. Thanks!
@@timsolomon50 Luther did not do this. The Christmas tree is mentioned and discussed in nothing during the 16th century. The legend of Luther and the Christmas tree is from an engraving in the mid 1800s. Which is....when the tree was becoming globally popularized by people as I mentioned in video. It was a loose tradition in middle ages for Germany. I don't mention that but it was not a common practice however untill the 1800s when it spread to multiple other countries.
Manufactured "controversy", as usual. If you can dress up like some version of "Santa', then you can dress up as "Black Pete." (Or however it's spelled.) You'd think it would be more "problematic" to eliminate him from the story, entirely. Y'know, like they did to Aunt Jemima. People need to grow up. Anyway, this was great fun! If you are ever bored, I'd love to hear the Russian strand of the story.
Learn better from audio book Jeff Guinn - The Autobiography Of Santa Claus. From about 400AD as a monk then a bishop. But he that is too tedious and he would rather send give to the less fortunate. Fascinating how famous history people. I highly recommend listening or a copy of the book if you can find it. To me I was disabled before 2000 and I had to give up reading. I have audio books from cassettes, to text file and epub then Text to speech software then online and download audio books like this current book. I lost count I tears from the wonderful story about the history and how he (they) become what is now. Please! I hope you can love this as much I love this book.
I'm from the Dutch Reformed tradition. I don't like Santa Claus and gift giving on Christmas, because I think it distracts too much from celebrating the incarnation of Christ. So I'm trying to revive Sinterklaas for my kids, but we're putting more focus on generosity and gratitude. I also try to remove the later Sinterklaas legends, focusing on the history of Nicholas of Myra, and how he was a Christian man that exemplified generosity. I think we protestants should celebrate the saints more, and we can do that without venerating the Saints ifykwim
The problem with Western scholars saying we do not know the date when Jesus was born is that they do not study the Eastern Fathers. There is a homily by Saint John Chrysostom where he justifies the date of December 25th as being just and biblical. There is also a record that shows that Cyril of Jerusalem asked Poe Julius I to look up the archives and tell him the exact date of Jesus's birth. Julius responded with December 25th.
No. The best version of Robin Hood is Mel Brooks classic, Robin Hood Men In Tights. No, you can't change my mind on that fact either. Just accept you're wrong and move on.
Merry Christmas and happy holidays to you and yours, btw. 😊
Agreed, there's no discussion warranted unless men wear tights.
Agreed
"Because unlike some OTHER Robin Hoods, I can speak with an English accent..."
tight TIGHT tights
😡😡😡😡 You Forgot Finland where Santas Town is in Rovanniemi.
Oh boy 530am time for a highly detailed and interesting lecture about the Church
nobody's twisting your arm.
Your history lessons are pure gold. Amazing stuff you’ve produced over the years.
You are a wonderful man for doing this. Please keep it up.
I don’t think Ryan realizes what he has here. People love his style and presentation. It is like lightning in a bottle for TH-cam.
Thank you, Ryan. Once again your videos prove to be a great joy and blessing.
Grace to you in the celebration of the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Hey brother, I’m sure you’ve been asked before, but could you do a video or lecture series on Brother Lawrence and his impact?
In my own research I came across a fella by the name of Thomas Nast who produced the first image of Santa clause in 1863 and went on in 1866 to produce “The Works of Santa Clause” which contained much of the lore you mentioned and what we now associate with Santa. Another thing I found was that the song “Santa Clause is coming to town” produced in the same time period as the coke ads was one of that factors that led to a fully formed American Christmas tradition
The exclusion of the work of the cartoonist Thomas Nast weakens this history. It makes me question the veracity of the remaining information.
I love that you go for quality over quantity with your channel but I think we're due for a new video. Some more content on religious art like your Rembrandt video would be great. Would also love to hear you get into the relationship between some classical composers and religion as well.
@@therevolvingmonk Soon
Another great video that I didn't know I needed until I heard it. Your catalog of work is one that I look forward to showing my kids as they get older. Thank you for all your effort and dedication to the truth, God bless.
Was “the night before Christmas” originally meant to refer to December 5th? I don’t think it’s mentioned when the transition to the holiday being on the 25th first happened
Great question. Depends on country initially. So Germany and a few others they make that move quickly with the Christ Child thing. In New York they are celebrating St Nicholas’ day but when they invent the new modern Santa Claus stories they make it Christmas Eve.
8:40 Not only does Sinterklaas bring a switch for naughty kids (according to family legend one of my uncles actually did this to his kids once), the really bad ones are put in Piet's sack and taken away. This was always a source of hilarity for children if Sint and Piet showed up somewhere and asked if a particular kid had been nice and they would be met with cries of "In the bag! In the bag!"
That's both hilarious and kinda terrifying. LOL!
I would love to see a video from you on the history of Krampus and other holiday foils.
Best version of Robin Hood is the 1938 version featuring Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland and the best version of A Christmas Carol is the Alastair Sim film 1951. Merry Christmas to one and all!
What about Thomas Nast, J.C. Leyendecker, and Norman Rockwell, all of whom pretty much created the look of Santa prior to Haddon Sundblom? History doesn't happen at stops in time--it is ongoing even when historians aren't noticing. I'm sure it is hard to explore all of Santa in 26 minutes. But there is a lot here that was left out.
I've enjoyed your work for years now going back to to heresies, Jan Huss, Luther and much more. Great to see you back.
Great video thank you! One minor thing, though, my understanding is that the link between Christmas and Saturnalia is likely overstated (with maybe some cross-pollination re: specific traditions) and that 25th December was identified due to an older tradition that calculated the date of someone's death based on the date of their conception. Can you speak to this at all?
At the very start of the video he says “there’s almost no connection between the practice of Christmas and Saturnalia”…or are you saying there’s more connection than what he’s representing (which he says scholars would not agree with)? Regarding your question on the nativity, sounds like a topic for a separate video.
i live near a large dutch community in canada and the black students at my school kept trying to cancel the dutch kids for dressing like black peter 🤣
Been watching you since I was 17 (24 now) and so glad you're back with new videos!!
I took your class at Kairos
I remember going over this topic . It sure did help further my knowledge. Hope things are going well blessings 🙏🏻
Thanks for this Ryan, very historical and informative. Could you please do one on the origins of Easter? The historically inaccurate narrative that it was a pagan holiday has become has become mainstream, even among Christians.
Thanks much Mr. Reeves... Merry Christmas, I hope you and yours are well.
Excellent! Well balanced and factual! Thank you!
Im not quite finished with the video yet, but are you going to mention how Gandalf is Father Christmas??? 100% BELIEVE!
Thank you again!
I wish more people would learn history from you. Our world would be a better informed and wiser place.
Thank you for another awesome video. You are incredible! Sending you many blessings and best wishes for a very merry Christmas and happy new year. Peace from the blind guy!
I just love the idea of Santa decking Arius at Nicea.
Those Arians are hard-headed.
I can only imagine how obnoxious and arrogant Arius was. He probably deserved it🖐️
Merry Christmas. Love your videos!
Hello Ryan. ? Will you be posting new videos ? Miss your content, thx
@@endoftheagereality // I'll be back soon 😊
More awesomeness for the holidays! Thank you! ❤
"Modern Turkey" in stead of "The Byzantine Empire" sounds a bit odd in this story. The oldest reference to "Black Pete" in the Netherlands is found in the works of a school teacher from around 1850. In other European countries, Saint Nicholas was then still travelling with a devil (Krampus) as companion.
@Ryan Reeves, this was good man. And thanks for posting sources !!
Your content is a joy to watch and absorb. A shining light of well researched knowledge amongst all the cacophony of bells and whistles that choke the web.
All the best for the festive season and for 2024. I eagerly await more.
Superb! Bless you brother. Thank you.
I have been waiting for this.
Thank you.
Excellent research! Thank you for your hard work!
Would love if you could pick up where you left off with the church history series. Tracing the modern church through the Jesus culture movement and the emergent church.
That sounds fun. Great suggestion
Yes please!
@@RyanReevesM Yes please!
@@RyanReevesM
Glad you are back. I first saw your videos in 2016. Have you considered doing a series on American based Christianity such as JW, LDS and or 7 day Adventism?
👍
Thank you! Consistently excellent and easy to follow along.
Good video, will watch it again, the many changing faces of Santa 🎅, ... where will we be in 100 years time?
That was very informative. Over here in the UK some of us tend to cling to the name Father Christmas as opposed to Santa Claus but he really has no separate identity.
I live in the former Soviet Union where they traditionally have Father Winter, or Ded Moroz who comes on New Year's Day. But due to Americanization you're now seeing more and more of the Coke-a-cola Santa replace Ded Moroz.
Thomas Nast also had an important role in the image of Santa Claus as a jolly fat man given how widely his cartoons were published. Many late 19th century newspapers also contributed to the lore around Santa over time like the fact that he lived at the North Pole or had a wife.
Totally true. Also the letters from kids to Santa or asking if he’s real were published in papers. Lot of cool stuff didn’t make it in the video!
Qui Bono Merchant?
Dear Ryan , relative, relatable research. Refreshing in recognizing reality from rumoured ramblings. ( Hmmmm....) wRapped with red ribbons of rationality.
Wrapped*
Really regret ruining radically rhetorical rants. 😢
Fascinating video. I enjoyed that it gave this cozy feeling as well how apropos. Indeed it seems while having the kernel of European winter season traditions, Santa Clause is a product of modernity and forming new traditions for a relatively nascent culture in America. Right down to the iconic imagery coming from commercialization.
Thank you Ryan something to think about.
so no more RR? No more videos? Sad. And it all did not come to a head :(….
Waiting for the history of Christmas itself 🎄✝️🙏🎅🏻
Good explanation! I enjoy your history lessons. 😊
Three different Church Fathers calculated December 25 as Christ's birthday, and they did it from Scripture. It has to do with the timing of Zechariah's service as priest in Luke chapter 1.
There isn't any evidence that it had anything to do with Saturnalia.
Timely!
Thank you, professor!
Merry Christmas. God bless you & yours Ryan.
Another idea Dr. Reeves for a video is about The Shroud of Turin . Probably you can give us more Historical Context of this particular piece of history.
Great work, thank you, Happy Christmas.
You restarted your channel, don’t leave us hanging Dr Reeves
Just needed a moment. On my way back
@@RyanReevesM I learned so much years ago from your channel. I would get home from work, start cooking and just listen to your lectures. I learned so much. If I had more $$ right now I'd donate. Keep up the great work.
A fellow I know has an ugly Christmas sweater with both Jesus and Saint Nicholas. A friend sacrilegiously said to me: Look at the sweater with two fictional characters. I responded: wrong and wrong! As a new Catholic (converted from Protestantism) it continues to amaze me how effectively the reformers have scrubbed away not just the saints but also the true meanings. Yet our culture celebrates St Patrick’s Day, Saint Valentines Day, all Hallows Eve and yes Christmas with no remembrance of why we do these things.
I did know most of these little facts about Saint Nick already, but another one, which hasnt been mentioned is that the 8 reindeers and Santa's sleigh is based on odins 8 legged horse pulling his sleigh through the sky on Yuletide?? Also wassailing was the original pagan version of carol singing
Like this song, (there are several more verses)? Sometimes people sing caroling instead of wassailing.
"Here we come a-wassailing
Among the leaves so green;
Here we come a-wand'ring
So fair to be seen.
Love and joy come to you,
And to you your wassail too;
And God bless you and send you a Happy New Year
And God send you a Happy New Year."
Where are you man???
Merry Christmas!
Thanks Dr. Ryan. Any books to cite for further reading? Asking for a friend…
I just had this chat with my 12 year old daughter.
Our Santa doesnt have a naughty and nice list...everyone is on the naughty list. Santa gives because Christ gave to him. His giving is his response to the Gospel.
You're right to wrap up, Santa is very malleable.
Sounds like Santa is reformed lol
Could you please do a video about the origins and rise of Evangelical eschatology? Particularly premillennial dispensationalism? Things in the vein of rapture theology or Revelations/Daniel end times prophecy.
Very interesting.
The people demand more Dr. Reeves videos!
Do you have a video on the early churches' understanding of spiritual gifts? If not that would be amazing. A series of Christian canonization would be great too. Thank you 🙇
Hello, are you planning to do easter history like these last couple?
Just one aspect that you left out: the contributions to theSanta Claus mythology by political cartoonist Thomas Nast in the mid 19th century. It was his drawings that gradually changed the image from the elf like guy to the tall standing jolly old man who lived in the North Pole.
Come back please
Drawing a straight line from cocaine (in Coca-Cola) to modern Santa is, chef’s kiss 👨🍳 💋
Holidays in English language actually originates from 'Holy Days,' thus 'Happy holidays,' is not so far off from the gospel.
Great video. Although your thumbnail of Santa Claus looks strangely reminiscent of Daniel Wallace.
The 1552 BCP kept the season of Advent which is a very pennitential season. Was the Anglican Church trying to stomp down the partying during this seasom or in general?
Absolutely. They want to keep it about Jesus and liked Advent (even though they were pretty restrictive about keeping medieval traditions). London was sort of infamous for da parties.
@@RyanReevesM I'm sure the priests and monks of the monasteries enjoyed plenty of beer and fruit cake during the Christmas season as well.
Thank you so much for the wonderful lectures. Merry Christmas!
Awesome.
Hey Ryan, do you still teach at Gordon-Conwell?
How does all this fit with C.S. Lewis use of Jovial themes? Lewis felt the need to use Santa/Father Christmas. I am curious what influence Jupiter had on clement moore
Hey Mr. Reeves. I heard that German Lutherans invented the Christmas Tree by combining the Paradise Tree with the Christmas Pyramid, but now I'm hearing that Catholics invented it when they adopted the evergreen after the story of St. Boniface and started hanging wafers representing the eucharist from it.
Do you know which one came first?
Thank you!
OH OH! I may have learned something. I'm scared...Hold Me!
🙂
I’d be VERY interested analyzing the representation of Santa Claus in advertisements. Well done , Ryan 👏🏽
Mr Beet recomended this channel.
Hi, I enjoyed this summary. The title could us an adjective. "The Secret History...", "The Real History...", "The True History...", something to make it a little less dry.
Those are usually used in clickbait titles. Also "It will shock you."
Dr./Mr. Reeves. Are you still at Gordon Cromwell?
Cheers! Thanks!
Great videos
Great video
This was interesting.
There is no connection between Saturnalia and the original Christmas i.e. the mass celebrating the birth of Christ (except for the date) but aspects of the Saturnalian festival continued to be practiced. I agree that Christmas didn't evolve out of Saturnalia or some Norse tradition but in the popular celebrations of Christian holidays, pre-Christian (what came to be known as "folk") traditions did indeed survive which happens in all religions since there is always something that came before.
If anything, it seems the reverse is true whereby overt aspects of Saturnalia has been _added_ to the Christmas celebration and this somewhat recently.
I sent that to the men in our church, thank you
One can only hope that maybe the one in the 3RD and 4TH centuries lives on in spirit and more.
Thank you for solid research. But the Christmas tree was not a 20th-century creation -- it's an old Germanic tradition, which Luther "baptized" for Protestant celebrations of the season.
Still ... good stuff. Thanks!
@@timsolomon50 Luther did not do this. The Christmas tree is mentioned and discussed in nothing during the 16th century. The legend of Luther and the Christmas tree is from an engraving in the mid 1800s. Which is....when the tree was becoming globally popularized by people as I mentioned in video. It was a loose tradition in middle ages for Germany. I don't mention that but it was not a common practice however untill the 1800s when it spread to multiple other countries.
FishermensCorner sent me here!
Manufactured "controversy", as usual. If you can dress up like some version of "Santa', then you can dress up as "Black Pete." (Or however it's spelled.) You'd think it would be more "problematic" to eliminate him from the story, entirely. Y'know, like they did to Aunt Jemima. People need to grow up.
Anyway, this was great fun! If you are ever bored, I'd love to hear the Russian strand of the story.
You forgot Santa Claus in Finland where Santatown is.😢
I've seen several conflicting accounts of the origin of O Holy Night. Can you set us straight?
Some of it sounds mythological.
Greetings! I like all of your videos and just wanted you to know. Is there anything you want me to pray for you? God Bless you!
THANK YOU
Learn better from audio book Jeff Guinn - The Autobiography Of Santa Claus. From about 400AD as a monk then a bishop. But he that is too tedious and he would rather send give to the less fortunate. Fascinating how famous history people. I highly recommend listening or a copy of the book if you can find it. To me I was disabled before 2000 and I had to give up reading. I have audio books from cassettes, to text file and epub then Text to speech software then online and download audio books like this current book. I lost count I tears from the wonderful story about the history and how he (they) become what is now. Please! I hope you can love this as much I love this book.
I'm from the Dutch Reformed tradition. I don't like Santa Claus and gift giving on Christmas, because I think it distracts too much from celebrating the incarnation of Christ.
So I'm trying to revive Sinterklaas for my kids, but we're putting more focus on generosity and gratitude. I also try to remove the later Sinterklaas legends, focusing on the history of Nicholas of Myra, and how he was a Christian man that exemplified generosity. I think we protestants should celebrate the saints more, and we can do that without venerating the Saints ifykwim
GREAT HISTORY THANK YOU
Dude really? How many times u gonna bail on us for 2 months + long breaks
The problem with Western scholars saying we do not know the date when Jesus was born is that they do not study the Eastern Fathers. There is a homily by Saint John Chrysostom where he justifies the date of December 25th as being just and biblical. There is also a record that shows that Cyril of Jerusalem asked Poe Julius I to look up the archives and tell him the exact date of Jesus's birth. Julius responded with December 25th.
Q. Where does Santa Claus come from?
A. The North Pole.
Easy