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Wednesday, November 29, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
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Lake Cree k Lodge Has
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On-site chef – Amazing menu
Perfect holiday setting for family or business
Call now to plan your own event or join us
for Christmas Eve dinner at 6 p.m.
Reservations required
So who is Santa Claus, anyway?
By Jim Cornelius, Editor
He comes to Sisters each year on the
Saturday after Thanksgiving to ride in the
annual Christmas Parade. Then he heads over
to the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce
office for a sit-down with hordes of youngsters
who have all their Christmas wishes lined out.
Who is that guy?
Well, it’s Santa Claus, of course. Y’ know,
the guy who is featured in countless songs,
timeless poems and about four thousand TV
commercials? He’s a major celebrity.
And he’s got a surveillance program that
must turn the NSA holly-green with envy:
“He sees you when you’re sleeping/ He knows
when you’re awake/He knows if you’ve been
bad or good/So you’d better be good for good-
ness sake…”
That beats sweeping up metadata by a
North Pole mile.
He had humbler roots, of course.
The folkloric figure we know as Santa
Claus started out as a third-century Roman
bishop in Anatolia (modern Turkey). The St.
Nicholas Center reports that, obeying Jesus’
words to “sell what you own and give the
money to the poor,” Nicholas used his whole
inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and
the suffering. He dedicated his life to serving
God and was made Bishop of Myra while still
a young man. Bishop Nicholas became known
throughout the land for his generosity to those
in need, his love for children, and his concern
for sailors and ships.
Under the Roman Emperor Diocletian,
who ruthlessly persecuted Christians, Bishop
Nicholas suffered for his faith, was exiled and
imprisoned. The prisons were so full of bish-
ops, priests, and deacons, there was no room
for the real criminals — murderers, thieves,
and robbers. After his release, Nicholas
attended the Council of Nicaea in AD 325. He
died December 6, AD 343 in Myra and was
buried in his cathedral church, where a unique
relic, called manna, formed in his grave. This
liquid substance, said to have healing powers,
fostered the growth of devotion to Nicholas.
The anniversary of his death became a day of
celebration, St. Nicholas Day, December 6th
(December 19 on the Julian Calendar).
The historical St. Nicholas became a fig-
ure of folklore as Christianity spread across
Western Europe, picking up characteristics
of pagan figures like Odin (long white beard,
travel across the night sky, etc.).
A few hundred years ago, somebody in
Holland ran the name St. Nicholas through
Google Translator into Dutch and ended up
with Sinterklass. Predictably, when any-
body used Siri on their iPhone, “she” heard
Sinterklass as “Santa Claus” and there you go.
That’s the story, anyway.
Santa Claus has a close cousin in England
called Father Christmas. Flamboyant dresser,
that guy. Drinks a bit.
Santa Claus as we know him in America
dates from 1822, when Clement Clarke Moore,
a professor at an Episcopal seminary in New
York, wrote “A Visit From St. Nicholas,”
which we know better as “Twas the Night
Before Christmas.”
The poem gave Santa his sleigh and rein-
deer and that elfish twinkle in the eye. He
was, however a little fellow, with a miniature
sleigh and eight tiny reindeer. But, hey, this is
America — bigger is better. Now he’s, well,
let’s just say, “generously proportioned.” Must
be all the cookies…
Civil War-era cartoonist Thomas Nast put
Santa at the North Pole in a workshop, build-
ing toys for nice children who were listed in a
big book.
Santa’s red and white uniform wasn’t a
fixed feature till the turn of the 20th century
— before that he wore all kinds of different
colors.
Today, we know a great deal about Santa
Claus, yet there are still many unexplained
aspects to the phenomenon. The exact location
of his workshop has not been determined, nor
are the physics of how he manages to deliver
all those gifts internationally in one night
(even using time zones and the International
Date Line to stretch his hours) well understood
by scientists.
Not to mention how he is able to appear in
different places in Sisters Country at the same
time.
Some things are best left mysterious.
For more information on the origins of the
iconic elf, visit www.unmuseum.org/santa.
htm and www.stnicholascenter.org/pages/
who-is-st-nicholas.
541.516.3030
lakecreeklodge.com
Black Butt e Ranch
Each winter, Black Butte Ranch transforms itself
into a holiday wonderland. The spectacular setting
and heart-warming activities make the Ranch a won-
derful place to create lasting family memories. Take
in a magical horse-drawn carriage ride, December 23,
24, 26-31. Tickets are $12 (free for kids under 5), and
can be reserved by calling 541-595-1252.
Bring the little ones to breakfast with Santa at
the Lodge on Saturday, December 16 and Sunday,
December 17, featuring a special buffet for young
guests. Call 541-595-1260 for reservations.
Additional holiday activities include live music
at the Aspen Lounge December 15, 22 & 29, a Christmas Day Celebration
Dinner at the Lodge, and a special New Year’s Eve dining experience to complete the season.
For details on all holiday events at Black Butte Ranch, visit BlackButteRanch.com/
holidays.