Ameristar Casino Charles In Mo St

Admin | February 16, 2012 | Comments Off

Ameristar Casino Charles In Mo St

Ameristar Casino Charles In Mo St

As children, the old, white-bearded fat man in red represented everything that was good and noble to us. We would refrain from being mischievous just so we don’t upset this awesome figment of our collective imagination. Even after we find out about the illusion, we still revere Santa Claus as a grandfather figure we love and admire, and remind us of more innocent and pure times from our childhood. But what do we really know about him?

The Origins of Santa Claus

It is commonly believed that the inspiration behind Santa Claus – at least in terms of character - was 4th century Greek Christian bishop Saint Nicholas of Myra (a province of Byzantine Anatolia, now in Turkey). Saint Nicholas was famous for his generous dowries and offerings to the poor.

In terms of Santa Claus’s flight through the sky on Christmas Eve, many have traced his image and actions to that of the pre-Christianity Germanic/Norse god Odin. The god was often recorded as an elderly man with a white beard and large hat, seen to be leading a great hunting party through the skies at the native Germanic holiday of Yule - which similarly occurred during the first day of winter, December 21st – riding an eight-legged horse named Sleipnir (similar to modern day’s Christmas reindeers).