I had to share this...

[mari4212]

Because it's so cute!




And in other thoughts, maybe it's just the Christmas lists going around, but I've been thinking about Santa Claus/St. Nickolas recently. More specifically, my conceptions of him. Because, really, I don't think I share the mainstream view of him at all. I don't do the fat man in the red suit. My images of him come partially from a tradition in my church, and partially from a small statue I saw only last year, but which I thought did a great job of expressing what he was about.

The image from church is of a bishop who arives on a Sunday in December close to the sixteenth to tell his story, and who would also tell his story on the annual holiday hunt after Thanksgiving. The image of a man in bishop's robes resonates more, probably because I heard that story so much.

The second image came from a display of Santa Clauses in the library on campus where i worked last year. Amoung the various others, there was a version which had a man in rich robes who had dropped a bag at his side as he knelt in wonder at the manger. It was just very moving to me.

So, now that I've bored you with my mental images of Santa, do any of you have any to share? A memory that sticks in your mind, the time you stopped really believing, (if you did, I won't deny him if you don't) maybe the time you started to believe again?

Comments

[hermionesviolin.livejournal.com]

My parents absolutely hate lying to their children, so they were always wishy-washy around the issue of Santa Claus. All of our presents had the giver's name on them, and we knew Mommy filled our stockings (since the bulk of it was baked goods we'd been watching her make for the past month). I really wanted there to be a Santa Claus for the kids whose parents couldn't afford to buy them presents but saw no need for Santa Claus to come to my house. I don't remember any specific moment of *knowing* Santa wasn't real, but I suspected quite early.

P.S. Your picture doesn't show up.

[mari4212.livejournal.com]

Edited my post, so it should show up now.

My parents have large sense of whimsy, so they have been jokingly serious about Santa Claus for as long as I remember, and have always told me the story of how he evolved from St. Nickolas to the modern Santa Claus. It was a gradual process of realization that Santa wasn't real as in a real person coming down the chimney, but I suspect I was a slow learner in that respect, and the adults around me didn't force it.

And to this day we still get cards marked from various made up characters. The book fairy, the music fairy, the duct tape fairy...

[ljmckay.livejournal.com]

I don't remember ever believing in Santa, but my parents assure me I did. Like yours, they still jokingly sign tags with "Santa" -- even though we all know each other's hand writing too well!

I've always loved the story of St. Nicholas, though I don't remember when or what version I first heard.

My favorite image of Santa is probably just my dad in a Santa hat. We pull out the hat every Christmas and it starts off on his head, before getting passed around the room and usually ending up on mine. My dad means more to me than some plump stranger with a beard. Although I enjoy that image just because of the cultural inundation.

[mari4212.livejournal.com]

That's a good image to me. I like hearing this kind of details about my friends.

I think the version of the story that I remember the most is the one my Dad used on the Holiday Hunt thingie. Various businesses had stations set up and the kids would go past and get a treat and some sort of talk/Santa thing. Our church was the only church participating in it, and we decided to do St. Nicholas instead. So Dad got dressed up in robes and a miter and would tell the St. Nicholas story, and then ask the kids what they were planning on doing for someone else for Christmas. And then we'd pass out those little candy canes stapled to sheets of paper with the story of the candy cane printed on them.

[murdocsangel.livejournal.com]

The kitten in the pumpkin is very cute. :)

As for Santa...I believe that a man existed once who was kind enough to make/give toys to children, and I still believe the spirit of that lives on through such things as Angel trees, the Marines Teddy Bear drive and so on, but I stopped believing in the magical being, the guy in the red suit when I was about seven or eight (even though I knew my parents were the ones who got all our presents, because I was nosy and was able to put two and two together...I just had a very healthy imagination).

I kinda remember what I thought of Santa, and it wasn't an image really. It was more like an idea--like Santa was the wind or something else, only at that age I wasn't thinking in terms like that. Hm. I haven't really thought about that in a while.

[mari4212.livejournal.com]

It was too cute to pass up, my dad e-mailed me the picture.

It's been so fascinating to see what people think of about Santa. And Santa as something like the wind is a very interesting concept. And you make a good point of addressing the spirit of giving as well as the actual concept of Santa Claus.

[nikkinor.livejournal.com]

Aw, the little pumpkin kitty is so adorable!

[mari4212.livejournal.com]

It is, isn't it?

[heylittleriver.livejournal.com]

OMG KITTY!!!

That is so so so cute. *hugs it and you*

As for Santa... I'm not sure when I stopped believing, or if I really ever did. I know we used to get a bag full of pressies - but I think that was family. For the last few years we've gotten presents from 'Mum and Santa' which makes me wonder just what Mum's been up to...

Anyway, I think I do have a fairly mainstream image of Santa, except he really shouldn't be wearing that ridiculously hot suit in these temperatures. I like it when they dress him like wearing boardies and a tank.

I guess I separate two images - there's St Nicholas, the guy who (maybe?) was real and who the Santa legend emerged from, and Santa: the jolly old fat guy.