Just Who is Santa Claus?

This has been on my mind for several days now and today was brought to 'head' so to speak. So briefly I shall discuss something today in this blog with which will help you the reader to understand and to determine whether you want to celebrate the aspects of what we call ‘Santa Claus”.  As we know when we were children it brings thoughts of good memories and I would be safe to say this too would be many of you as well.  The very thought of receiving presents underneath a ‘tree’ all decorated.

Well what many of you do not know is this.  According to the legend, Santa began as a fourth century Catholic bishop named Saint Nicholas. The cult of St. Nicholas was one of history’s most widespread religious movements. According to St. Nicholas historian, Charles W. Jones, ". . . the cult of St. Nicholas was, before the Reformation, the most intensive of any nonbiblical saint in Christendom. . . there were 2,137 ecclesiastical dedications [churches] to Nicholas in France, Germany, and the Low Countries alone before the year 1500." (Jones, Charles. W. "Knickerbocker Santa Claus." The New-York Historical Society Quarterly, October 1954, Volume XXXVIII Number Four, p.357)

Miraculous folklore and legend surround the mysterious St. Nicholas. Among the more popular legends of St. Nicholas is the rescue of three poverty-stricken girls destined for prostitution. These girls were poor and did not have the dowry for marriage. St. Nicholas saved them from a life of shame, by providing marriage dowries of gold. They then were able to get properly married.  Now that sounds very proper for a man of God to do.

Another amazing miracle in the life of St. Nicholas is the three young boys who were sadistically murdered by a wicked innkeeper. Their bodies were chopped up and preserved in pickle barrels, with the cannibalistic intent of feeding their flesh to unsuspecting house guests. Of course, the amazing St. Nicholas resurrected the boys and their mutilated bodies. And like Santa, Saint Nicholas gave gifts to poor children, hence, his veneration as Patron Saint of Children. During the Middle Ages, hundreds of plays and paintings told and re-told the amazing feats of St. Nicholas.  To me this implies that St. Nicholas as much power as Christ Jesus!  To me this seems highly ‘Satanic’ in nature.

The mysterious St. Nicholas.

The first major problem in the Santa Claus saga is the person of St. Nicholas. There is very little evidence, if any, that the man St. Nicholas actually existed.

A. Nicholas' existence is not attested by any historical document, so nothing certain is known of his life except that he was probably bishop of Myra in the fourth century. ("Nicholas, Saint" Encyclopedia Britannica 99)

B. Nicholas, Saint (lived 4th century), Christian prelate, patron saint of Russia, traditionally associated with Christmas celebrations. The accounts of his life are confused and historically unconfirmed ("Nicholas, Saint" Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 99).

C. Unfortunately, very little is known about the real St. Nicholas. Countless legends have grown up around this very popular saint, but very little historical evidence is available. (Del Re, Gerard and Patricia. The Christmas Almanack. New York: Random House, 2004, p. 130).

In 1969, the final nail in the coffin to the feeble fable of St. Nicholas was officially hammered down. Despite the fact, St. Nicholas is among Roman Catholicism’s most popular and venerated "Saints," Pope Paul VI officially decreed the feast of Saint Nicholas removed from the Roman Catholic calendar. UPI Wire Services reported that St. Nicholas and forty other saints were deleted because "of doubt that they ever existed." ("Pope Marches 40 Saints Off Official Church Calendar."UPI Wire Services. )

Therefore, who then would be masquerading as ‘Santa Claus’?  Well in examination of falseness within the world and knowing Satan oversee's every false aspect of this world then just who is this Santa Claus, or just who is the evil character behind this?  Well briefly without going in so deep into this controversy I have been able to surmise it is one to (2) False Gods.

1. Case study - The first study for a false god portraying the 'Santa Claus theme' is known as Odin/Wodan. Now Odin/Wodan rode a horse of 8 legs which we now take today as 8 reindeer. Odin/Wodan was the Norse god of runes, magic, wisdom, occult knowledge, war and poetry. Odin/Wodan had a white beard long and his name refers to 'the inspired one'. He was characterized as old, tall and he carried a long spear also known as a crosier. Realize in modern times we added "Rudolph" later. Around the late 1400's to 1500's his name was changed to 'Sinterklaas'. Now Odin/Wodan also had helpers and they were called 'black jack's who would leave gifts for people Odin/Wodan liked under his 'element' or preferred place which he liked, that being a Fir Tree. In the 1700's Sinterklaas was portrayed as a wise old man, white beard, red cloak, crosier flying the skies. Now if you had been bad then his ‘black jacks’ would beat you.

2. Case study - The second study for a false god portraying the 'Santa Claus' theme is known as Thor. Now a very convincing case can be made that this might just be the character. Thor was the god of the peasants and the common people. Thor was represented as an elderly man, jovial and friendly, of heavy build, with a long white beard too. However, Thor's element was the fire, his color red. The rumble and roar of thunder were said to be caused by the rolling of his chariot, for he alone among the gods never rode on horseback but drove in a chariot drawn by two white goats (called Cracker and Gnasher). Thor was fighting the giants of ice and snow, and thus became the Yule-god. He was said to live in the "Northland" where he had his palace among icebergs. By the pagan forefathers, Thor was considered as the cheerful and friendly god, never harming the humans but rather helping and protecting them. The fireplace in every home was especially sacred to him, and he was said to come down through the chimney into his element, the fire. (Guerber, H.A. Myths of Northern Lands. New York: American Book Company, 1895, p. 61).  The unusual and common characteristics of Santa and Thor are too close to ignore.

So which ever one of these false gods is linked to the 'Santa Claus' theme as we now understand, one can see that it is not of the Lord God Almighty. Remember Satan is a master of disguise for Satan can make it appear so innocent, good and pleasant but yet it is so deadly.

Blessings and hopefully this has made you think more about reviewing being proper with the Lord God Almighty especially when it comes to Christmas and knowing it represents falseness and stems from Satanic aspects.

Rev. Bradley Luoma