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Advent of the doctrine of Santa Claus
1. Advent of the doctrine of Santa Claus
2. Christmas story links
3. Content
4. Christmas talk: 45 minutes
English: O Christmas Tree [fractal tree]
German: O
Tannenbaum (O fir tree)
Why did the Christmas tree idea start?
For (fir) starters, people wanted to spruce things up to forever have a grin (evergreen) on their face.
What is the "
reason for the season"?
https://CreationPie.com or https://CreationPie.org
Let us investigate while we sing some verses from various Christmas carols.
5. Catnip Christmas tree
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Charlie Brown
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Problem
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Solution
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More realistic
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Everyone loves Charlie Brown, Christmas and the tree.
Problem: A catnip bush in the dining room.
Solution: A catnip Christmas tree.
Kitty reaction: A purr-fect tree.
Update: It only worked one year. Never again.
Favorite kitty Christmas carol lyrics:
Here comes Santa Claws, here comes Santa Claws, ...
O’ Christmas tree, O’ Christmas tree, your ornaments are history.
Where did these Christmas customs originate?
6. Traditions from Babel to Pergamus to Rome
Revelation 2:12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges; [kjv]
και τω αγγελω της εν περγαμω εκκλησιας γραψον ταδε λεγει ο εχων την ρομφαιαν την διστομον την οξειαν [gnt]
Many customs originated from the Tower of Babel and Babylon which then went to
Pergamus and then to Rome and then to the rest of the world.
Sunset to sunset: Hebrews, Germanic cultures. (Christmas Eve)
Midnight to midnight: Greece, Rome.
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Spring (renewal, planting, Easter)
Summer (growing)
Fall (harvest, fruit, Halloween)
Winter (Saturnalia, Christmas, Hanukkah)
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[linguistic connections, papyrus vs. parchment, underground pipes]
Some people went north and west, as ended the Germanic tribes with customs of the winter solstice tree.
The Greek for "
two edged sword" means, literally, "
two mouthed sword" as in "
let my sword do the talking".
7. Romans 6:14 Paul and double meaning
The following appear to differ only in the space in the text - there are none in the original Greek. Both are objects in accusative case ending. Accents were added later.
The ancient Greek word "υπό νόμον" ≈ "under (the) law".
The ancient Greek word "ὑπόνομον" ≈ "underground passage, mine, water-pipe, conduit, sewer, vein of minerals".
Romans 6:14 … ye are not under the law, but under grace. [kjv]
αμαρτια γαρ υμων ου κυριευσει ου γαρ εστε υπο νομον αλλα υπο χαριν [gnt]
Paul can be saying (at least) two things (and all can be true).
☐ (on earth)
... you are not under law but under grace. (from above)
☐ (on earth)
... you are not sewer pipes but under purpose. (from above)
This appears to be the main emphasis of Romans. The word for "
grace" is that of "
favor" and can be translated as "
purpose".
8. Merry Christmas in many languages
Merry Christmas
Cristesmæse (Christ's Mass)
Frohe Weinachten (1170, ze den wihen nahten)
felicem natalem Christi
Feliz Navidad (Navidad = birth)
Joyeux Noël (from Late Latin gaudiosus)
καλά Χριστούγεννα (kala Christougenna)
счастливого Рождества (schastlivogo Rozhdestva)
חג מולד שמח (khag molad sameakh!)
9. Christmas word etymology
The word "
Christmas" (modern English) is
from "
Christ's Mass" (Middle English)
from "
Cristesmaese" (Old English)
from "
Christa" (Latin, Christ) and the Latin word
"missus" ≈ "sent from" (source of word "
mission")
from "
Χριστός" (Greek, Christ) and possibly "
מצה" (Hebrew matsa, unleavened bread)
On Christmas Eve, at the end of the service, the fast would end and everyone would be "
dismissed" for the celebrations (12 days) and to do their "
mission", being "
sent out".
[ninth hour, one cookie rule]
Does the "
X" in "
X-mas" take "
Christ" out of "
Christmas"?
10. Merry X-mas
11. Chrismons
The word "
Chrismon" comes from the words "
Christ" and shortened form of "
monogram" and are symbols (or ornaments) used to represent various concepts and ideas in Christianity.
12. Fish in Greek
John 21:11 Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three… [kjv]
ανεβη ουν σιμων πετρος και ειλκυσεν το δικτυον εις την γην μεστον ιχθυων μεγαλων εκατονπεντηκοντα τριων και τοσουτων οντων ουκ εσχισθη το δικτυον [gnt]
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153 = number of the fish.
w/h = sqrt(3) = 265/153.
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The ancient Greek word
"ιχθύς" ≈ "fish, ixthus" or «
ΙΧΘΥΣ» was an
acronym where each letter symbolized an important part of Christianity.
John uses a lot of computer science top-down, backward-chaining thinking in his writing.
[John 1, 1 John 1, John 14-19, etc.]
From a Greek geometric construction, the "
number of the fish" was
153 - the number of fish caught in John after the resurrection. (fish
w/h = sqrt(3) ≈ 265/153)
The approximation ratio is 265/153 and the number 153 was called the "
number of the fish". For more on approximation ratios, see Non-rational number approximation .
13. Seasons greetings
Preference:
"Happy Holidays"
"Merry Christmas"
How many observe Christ's birthday! How few, his precepts! O! 'tis easier to keep holidays than commandments. Benjamin Franklin (American scientist, inventor, philosopher, statesman)
What is the number one item shipped by Amazon at Christmas?
cardboard boxes
14. Happy Holidays and the Wassail
English
"holiday" from Old English
"haligdæg" for
"holy day" with Germanic "
g" to English "
y".
To be physically "healthy" one was "whole". [flour, flower]
The be spiritually "whole" one was "holy", middle English "hooli".
These
"holy days" included all of the
twelve days of Christmas.
Matthew 26:5 But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people. [kjv]
ελεγον δε μη εν τη εορτη ινα μη θορυβος γενηται εν τω λαω [gnt]
… freols-daige… folke. [wes]
… haliday… puple. [wy]
… holy daye … people. [ty]
15. Be healthy
This Old Norse phrase "
ves heil" as "
be healthy" or "
be sound" or "
be saved" is the origin of the Christmas (Winter Solstice yule time) custom of the "
wassail" bowl (from 1275) that typically contains a spiced ale for the celebration time near Christmas Eve.
Matthew 9:21 For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. [kjv]
… byo hal … [wes]
… gesund. [lu]
Be healthy. Be holy. Be saved.
Happy Holy Days, Happy Holidays.
16. Matthew 9:21
KJV: For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.
Greek: ελεγεν γαρ εν εαυτη εαν μονον αψωμαι του ιματιου αυτου σωθησομαι
Latin: dicebat enim intra se si tetigero tantum vestimentum eius salva ero
Wessex: hyo cwaeð soðlice on hire mode. for an ich byo hal gyf ich his reafes aet-rine.
Wycliffe: For sche seide with ynne hir self, Yif Y touche oonli the cloth of hym, Y schal be saaf.
Tyndale: For she sayd in her silfe: yf I maye toche but even his vesture only I shalbe safe.
Luther: Denn sie sprach bei sich selbst: Möcht' ich nur sein Kleid anrühren, so würde ich gesund.
17. Song: Twelve days of Christmas
The "
twelve days of Christmas", is a cumulative song first published in the 1780. It started with pagan origins.
Pre-Christian Yule (geol) festivals during winter solstice. Green and red colors.
Carols such as "Deck the Halls", as a covering as in "Thatch the halls", etc. [decorations, ship's deck, decked out, toga, stegosaurus]
Fast until end of Christmas Eve.
12 days of celebration after Christmas day until Epiphany (magi).
How many total gifts when the song is sung (sing, sang, sung) through completely?
364 plus the baby Jesus
The Christmas song "
The twelve days of Christmas", in the final verse, has
12 lines, or parts, and
78 gifts. The number
78 is an example of a "
triangular number". The song is sung over and over.
18. Final verse
On the
twelfth day of Christmas my true love sent to me:
12 Drummers Drumming, 11 Pipers Piping,
10 Lords
*a Leaping, 9 Ladies Dancing
8 Maids
*a Milking, 7 Swans *
a Swimming
6 Geese
*a Laying, 5 Golden Rings,
4
Calling Birds, 3 French Hens,
2
Turtle Doves, and a Partridge in a Pear Tree
*Older English often used "a" before verbs such as "a Hunting" we shall go.
Calling birds were collie birds or coal birds or black birds.
Turtledoves, sound tur-tur-tur, had nothing to do with turtles.
19. Ultimate dismissal
Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: [kjv]
πορευθεντες ουν μαθητευσατε παντα τα εθνη βαπτιζοντες αυτους εις το ονομα του πατρος και του υιου και του αγιου πνευματος [gnt]
The ultimate "
dismissal" is the Great Commission in Matthew 29:19-20, though the Latin does not "
dismiss" us using those words.
The modern Greek word "μαθητεύσατε" (ma-thee-TEV-sa-teh) ≈ "disciple as in teach" is used in verse 19. The English word "mathematics" comes from thes Greek word, as in a subject that must be taught and cannot be learned without teaching (claimed origin of the word from an ancient Greek writer).
The modern Greek word "διδάσκοντες" (thee-THA-skon-tehs) ≈ "teach as in doctrine" is used in verse 20. The English word "didactic" comes from this Greek word.
20. Old and new images
The word "
holy" comes from the idea of being spiritually "
whole".
In the
resurrection, Jesus can make your body whole, restoring parts that have faded.
[S's, Elsie, R's, D's, Ruthie, Jack, EUB]
21. After
Today,
software can take
old scanned photos and create
new photos that have their colors restored to a large extent.
22. Song: Jingle Bells
"Over the River and Through the Woods", written 1844, Lydia Marie Child, Medford, MA.
"One Horse Open Sleigh", written Thanksgiving, 1850, James Lord Pierpont in Medford, MA (perhaps at a pub).
Inspiration: Looking out the window at Thanksgiving (on Thursday) and needing a church song (for Sunday)
Pierpont later moved to Savannah, GA, where the song was published.
What was "
S.S. Royer Harness Maker"? (in Elizabethtown)
23. Jingle Bells - verse
Dashing through the snow, in a one-horse open sleigh
O'er the fields we go, laughing all the way
Bells on bob tail ring, making spirits bright
What fun it is to ride and sing, a sleighing song tonight!
Jingle bells, jingle bells, Jingle all the way.
Oh! what fun it is to ride In a one-horse open sleigh.
(repeat once)
24. Christmas advent season
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Before
Christmas
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After
Christmas
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Easter
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Second
Coming
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There are many aspects to "
Advent".
Christmas: Christ came (advent as a baby), first coming.
Easter: Christ has died and risen.
Second Coming: Christ will come (advent) again.
The Latin word
"adventus" ≈ "coming, arrival" and is the basis of the English word "
advent" as in the Advent season.
25. Song: Joy to the World
The song and hymn "
Joy to the world" is often sung at Christmas but Isaac Watts (1674-1748) did not compose it for Christmas.
Based on Psalms 98, the verses talk about the
second coming of Jesus and not the first coming. This is the "
thy kingdom come" part of the Lord's Prayer.
The word "
joy" in Greek means "
favor" or "
grace" as in
"χάρη" ≈ "favor, grace".
Joy to the world, the Lord has come!.
As grace to the world, the Lord has come!
As a favor to the world, the Lord has come!
Some may not be "
happy" or have modern "
joy" at that time.
[simple descending scale]
26. Verse 1
Joy to the world, the Lord has come!
Let earth receive her King
Let every heart prepare Him room
And Heaven and nature sing
And Heaven and nature sing
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing
27. Year and season of the birth of Jesus
When you hear that Jesus was born in 6 BC (or 4 BC or 2 BC) does that make the Bible not true? Or is the calendar not accurate?
Some 50 years later: stories of the birth
Some 300 years later: time of year decided
Some 500 years later: calendar years decided
Monk Bede (meaning prayer as in "bid" or "prayer beads") wrote history using dates from Christ.
Best guess for time of year: Spring or fall time frame. Feast of Trumpets in fall provides immaculate conception in December time frame.
[sheep in open field, course of Zechariah and Josephus]
If your thermometer showed that water freezes at 50 degrees, would what you learned about water freezing at 32 degrees not be true? Maybe the thermometer is inaccurate.
28. Christmas advent season
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Before
Christmas
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After
Christmas
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Easter
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Second
Coming
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There are many aspects to "
Advent".
Christmas: Christ came (advent as a baby), first coming.
Easter: Christ has died and risen.
Second Coming: Christ will come (advent) again.
The Latin word
"adventus" ≈ "coming, arrival" and is the basis of the English word "
advent" as in the Advent season.
29. Christmas advent history
Christmas Advent season: (in existence about 480 AD).
Wreath (16th Century Lutherans), with candles (1839)
Christmas tree, Chrismon tree
Decorations, hanging of the greens
Calendar
Daily devotional book
Christingle (object, treat), Christkind (baby Jesus, Luther)
There are many variations of meanings for each part/week of the Advent season. Eastern churches have the "
Nativity Fast".
30. Advent color by weeks
1 Wreath
2 Week 1: Faith
3 Week 2: Hope
4 Week 3: Love
5 Week 4: Peace
6 Week 5: Jesus
Week 1: Green for faith - belief, persuasion
Week 2: Blue for hope - well-founded belief, expectation
Week 3: Gold for love - of God, of neighbor, evidenced in works
Week 4: White for peace - absence of anarchy, commotion, etc.
Week 5: Purple for Jesus - Kinsman Redeemer (Avenger of Blood)
31. Advents
There are two important advents and reasons for each advent.
| First coming |
Second coming (hint in Daniel) |
| Messiah ‑ Kinsman Redeemer |
King ‑ Avenger of Blood |
| Help the oppressed at the bottom |
Replace the evil rulers at the top |
| Not loving neighbor (as yourself) |
Not loving God |
| Hating sin ‑ hating sinner |
Loving sinner ‑ loving sin |
| Paralyzing religious establishment |
Paralyzing religious establishment |
Some prefer to ignore the second coming. Some claim it has already happened. Some claim it will not happen as it is just in our mind, And so on.
What parts of the two advents are the same? Some things never change.
There is nothing new under the sun.
32. Saint Nicholas of Myra and Santa Claus
Bishop/Saint Nicholas of Myra (270-343) was very generous with giving
without letting the anyone know from where the gifts came.
His light was Jesus, not himself.
Saint Nicholas died on December 6, 343 A.D. and the eve,
December 5, was the celebration of Saint Nicholas. In western countries, this date was eventually moved to coincide with December 25 and the eve
December 24.
Western Gregorian (secular and religious) calendar
Eastern Julian (religious) calendar (13 days behind)
Discuss: Has the spirit of Santa Claus made Christmas too commercial and secular?
33. Santa Clause trivia
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What is the cost of Santa's presence/presents? You might think it would be net present value.
Cost if one has a chimney. On the house.
Cost if one does not have a chimney. Through the roof.
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 James 1:8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. [kjv]
Not a good translation: A two-wheeled man is unstable in his presence/presents.
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34. German Christkind
With the date change from December 5 to December 24 (Christmas Eve), many Christian leaders of Europe, especially Martin Luther, did not want Saint Nicholas overshadowing Jesus at Christmas. In Germany parents were to use terms like "
Christkindl".
The German word
"das Kind" ≈ "the child". A "
kindergarten" is a "
garden for children". The lowercase "
L" at the end of "
Christkindl" is a form of
diminutive.
Going through Dutch, "
Kriskind" becomes "
Kris Kringle".
[grammatical gender]
35. The doctrine of Santa Claus
The original Saint Nicholas was a Greek monk called Nikolaos of Myra (270-343). The Christmas name is from "
saint" or "
holy" and
"Νικόλαος" ≈ "Nicholas" which is from
"νίκη" ≈ "victory" and
"λαός" ≈ "people" which is the source of "
laity" and "
lay" (as in a Lay Reader at a church service).
Date change at the time of Martin Luther. [Kris Kringle]
Norse influences in Holland as the Dutch Sinterklaas.
1823 poem: "Twas the night before Christmas".
1881 illustration by Thomas Nast.
1934 song: "Santa Claus is coming to town".
1965: Charlie Brown Christmas [true meaning of Christmas]
Discussion question: Is there a "
doctrine" or are there "
deeds" of the idea of Santa Claus, as a "
holy" "
victory" of the "
people", that might not be in line with the teachings of Jesus?
36. Twas the night before Christmas
In 1822 Clarke Moore wrote a poem for his children about Christmas entitled "
A visit from St. Nicholas".
'Twas the night before Christmas, when all thro' the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar plums danced in their heads
The poem reinforced the notion of gift giving as in integral part of Christmas.
37. Twas the night before Christmas
Clarke Moore's poem known from the first line as "
Twas the night before Christmas" has been translated into many language.
The
Pennsylvania Dutch Night Before Christmas was written by Chet Williamson.
Insurance advice about language services:
To access language services at no cost to you, call the number on your ID card. English
Um Schprooch Services zu griege mitaus Koscht, ruff die Nummer off dei ID Kaart. Pennslyvania Dutch
Um auf den für Sie kostenlosen Sprachservice auf Deutch zuzugreifen, rufen Sie die Nummer auf Ihrer ID-Karte an. German
38. Marketing
1858: Macy's Dry Goods store opened in New York City at the corner of 14th Street and 6th Avenue.
1862: Macy's used Santa Claus for marketing.
1864: Started using illuminated window displays to get passerby attention - the start of "window shopping". [I heard the bells on Christmas day]
1924: Employees started the Macy Thanksgiving parade in New York City. Originally called the "Macy's Christmas Parade". [Christmas season begins]
39. Thomas Nast
In 1881 cartoonist Thomas Nast, a Bavarian immigrant, illustrated Santa, starting as an elf and gradually becoming more like the Santa we know today.
Cartoonist Thomas Nash created an unforgettable image of Santa Claus. What other symbols did Thomas Nast create?
Republican Elephant and the Democratic Donkey
[Fred Orth - Santa Claus in 4th grade]
40. Songs
1934 song: "Santa Claus is comin to town"
1944 song: "Have yourself a merry little Christmas" (Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra)
1941 song: "White Christmas" (Bing Crosby)
1943 song: "I'll be Home for Christmas" (Bing Crosby)
1949 song "Rudolf the red-nosed reindeer" (Gene Autry)
Many secular Christmas songs have made it into church services during the Christmas season.
41. Song: Have yourself a merry little Christmas
During the Christmas season one hears of "
yuletide", as in the words to secular Christmas song "
Have yourself a merry little Christmas". The first performance of note was in 1944 by Judy Garland in the musical "
Meet Me in St. Louis". Here is how the original song started. You can see why it was changed.
Have yourself a merry little Christmas.
It may be your last.
Next year we may all be living in the past.
What is a lamb’s favorite Christmas carol?
Have Yourself a Mary Little Christmas.
42. Rudolph and laughing
Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer had to deal with laughing. The popular animated feature (55 minutes) is from 1964.
What was the name of the other reindeer that laughed and called Rudolph names?
Olive, the other reindeer.
Hermey (who wants to be a dentist): "
This won't hurt a bit".
43. Movies about Santa Clause
There have been many movies about Santa Claus (and Christmas)
1897: Santa Claus Filling Stockings
1898: Santa Claus and the Children
1933: The Night Before Christmas
1937: Miracle on 34th Street (Natalie Wood, Maureen O'Hara, Edmund Gwenn)
1946: It's a Wonderful Life
1952: Holiday Inn (Bing Crosby, White Christmas)
1970: Santa Claus is Coming to Town (Mickey Rooney)
44. TV specials about Christmas
There have been many TV specials about Santa Claus.
1962: Magoo Christmas Carol (cartoon)
1964: Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer
1965: Charlie Brown Christmas [true meaning of Christmas]
1966: How the Grinch Stole Christmas
1969: Frosty the snowman
1970: Santa Claus is comin' to town
1974: The year without a Santa Claus
45. The doctrine of Santa Claus
Revelation 2:6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. [kjv]
αλλα τουτο εχεις οτι μισεις τα εργα των νικολαιτων α καγω μισω [gnt]
… facta Nicolaitarum … [v]
… Werke … Nikolaiten … [lu]
Jesus loves people but hates (sinful) deeds.
The Greek name for "
Nicolaitans" is related to the Greek name from which "
Santa Claus" originates. That is, literally, "
victory of the people".
A "
doctrine" is a "
teaching". [Nicodemus]
46. End of page
Matthew 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. [kjv]
ο γαρ ζυγος μου χρηστος και το φορτιον μου ελαφρον εστιν [gnt]
