Everybody’s favorite holiday is Christmas. Why should it not be? There are gifts and treats and Santa Claus. There are flying reindeer and screaming kids when their personalized Santa letter comes. It is a season of magic. Few things make the holiday more real than a personalized letter from Santa, it makes the holiday more real. This has not always been the case. The jolly old elf had an up hill fight to rein king of the holidays.
Can you imagine a year without Santa Claus and Christmas? Well that was the way it was back in the early days of America. In fact, Christmas was illegal. Back in the 1700’s this was a land primary filled with English, Irish, and Scottish settlers and Christmas was not big in the home lands of these people. In fact, in Scotland, the tradition on Christmas Eve was to light huge fires in the fire place to keep elves from coming down the chimney. Santa would have been smoked! So these settlers saw Christmas as “pope-ish” and outlawed it. In fact, you were required to work on Christmas. Well, with the arrival of settlers from Scandinavia, Germany, and Italy it grew to become accepted and our version of Santa started to form. We think of him as ageless but the American Santa has aged from his first appearance. Back then he was thin, had brown hair, and was clean shaven. Our present day view of Santa made its appearance in the 1850’s. About the same time he got reindeer, though Rudolph would have to wait another 100 years. This, however, does not explain our love of the great elf.
It can really be summed up with things like the Santa at the mall and at the end of parades. He’s real, the kids reason, they have seen him and even sat in his lap and told him the endless list of toys they wanted. Their personalized letter from him shows that he really does watch and know them. That is enough to make him king.
The 4th of July is loads of fun. There is swimming and hot dogs and playing outside all day. Then, just when you think you can’t have anymore fun, the night sky explodes in color to a song by Lee Greenwood. Now this is all fun, but it’s just not Christmas. Uncle Sam does not send letters or bring gifts. He is a rather impersonal holiday icon.
There is the Easter Bunny. He brings eggs but his eggs are made of chocolate. He even plays a little game by hiding some of them and you have to go find them. That’s fun and interactive but a little scary too. Think about it wouldn’t you run terrified from a 6 foot pink bunny? Besides, the Bunny doesn’t talk. The other childhood icon is tooth fairy. Granted, it’s not on a holiday, the fairy might come anytime of year but she still has icon status. Once again, the tooth fairy doesn’t talk so it misses the endearing quality of Santa. You should think of the tooth fairy this way. It’s a mystic being that comes to you in your sleep to steal your teeth. It’s no wonder children don’t write her letters.
It is easy to see why Santa has such a special place in our hearts and the hearts of children. He is the personification of all things good.
Create magic in your child’s eyes with our Letters. EZSantaLetters.com offers fully personalized Santa letters and 15 pre-written Letter From Santa items. All letters are postmarked from the North Pole and will definitely put a smile on your child’s face. Written by: Ellie Evergreen
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