Thursday Twisted Links

Elf Satisfied: This Christmas, Deirdre’s
own, personal elf has a delicious
present waiting for her! 

This week's link might be more interesting than twisted. But it involves a part of our culture that I find fascinating this time of year. 

Santa.    Elves.   Reindeer

Aside from the obvious link with Christmas, why do you suppose these three characters have been linked together throughout history? I've always believed that they sprang from history fully-formed, woven together in a timeless story of love and giving and holiday fun. But this actually isn't true.

Santa Claus has been a part of US tradition since the early nineteenth century. Based on Saint Nicholas, the secret gift giver, we created him from a mix of  European Christmas traditions. In her unpublished story entitled Christmas Elves, Louisa Alcott gave us the first yule-time elves in 1850. The elves appear to have first joined Santa in his workshop in a Christmas issue of Godey's Magazine and Lady's Book, a United States magazine that was published in Philadelphia and had a circulation of over 70,000. Godey's popularized the idea of elves helping Santa prepare for Christmas with a front cover illustration of Santa in his workshop, surrounded by toys and elves. The picture apparently bore the caption, "Here we have an idea of the preparations that are made to supply the young folks with toys at Christmas time".

Much of popular fiction portrays Santa himself as an elf. In the poem 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, Santa is described as a "jolly old elf". In the first half of the 19th century, Scandinavian culture tied Christmas presents to elves when they associated the elves with their Tomte, a small, humanoid race that protected children in their sleep.

But there might be one other connection there.  In the way of a child's drawing, where the father is pictured larger than life, the idea of a big, fat elf being the leader among a bunch of smaller elves in the business of Christmas makes sense. If you look at the origins of the Santa figure, Saint Nicholas the secret gift giver being the most well-known, the larger-than-life history might contribute to Santa being portrayed as a much larger elf. Or, it could boil down to something as simple as perception. Children perceive someone who is as important to them as Santa Claus to be much bigger than they are.

So we've made the link between Santa and the elves. Now what about the reindeer? That one's a little tougher. Clement C Moore's 1823 poem A Visit from St. Nicholas (also known as The Night Before Christmas or 'Twas the Night Before Christmas) has been credited for the idea of eight flying reindeer pulling Santa's sled. However, there is possibly another connection. Reindeer (or Caribou) live in the areas where the Santa Claus legend originated. They predominate in the snowy regions of the northern United States and in Scandinavia. In fact, the word “caribou” comes from a Native American word for “snow scraper”. So, in snowy environs, if Santa was looking for a creature to propel his flying sled, the reindeer would probably seem an obvious choice. And anyone who has seen a deer "fly" over a fence would understand the concept of flying reindeer.

So that links Santa and the elves and Santa and the Reindeer. What about the elves and the reindeer? To answer that I'll simply ask you this question: Who cares for Santa's flying reindeer? Well, the elves do of course.

Snap! Link closed.  #:0)

Whatever the origin of Santa Claus and his helpers, one thing is sure. He embodies our better natures and inspires us to embrace the kindness in our souls for at least part of every year. And for that alone I'm glad he's part of our culture.

Merry Christmas everybody!

Fun Christmas tidbit: In Sweden, prior to the influence of St. Nicholas, the job of giving out gifts was done by the Yule Goat.  Man, am I glad I'm not Swedish! I'm thinking it wasn't a lump of coal that naughty Swedish kids got in their stockings! If you know what I mean... LOL

Thursday Tidbit - The Magic of Mistletoe!

Many of us have grown up with the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe, but I’m guessing most of us don’t have any idea about the plant or the origins behind its magical aura.

First, about the plant. Mistletoe is actually a predatory plant, which evolved and prospered by leeching nutrients from other plants. It’s considered a partial parasite, because it can grow on its own, but is more commonly found growing out of the branches and trunks of trees. You might not be aware that the pretty white berries found on mistletoe are poisonous. (Hmm, there’s plot potential there!) Mistletoe’s earliest ancestor is sandalwood, another predatory plant which has also been portrayed romantically in fiction. When I hear sandalwood I think ancient Egypt, mummies, and vampires. Like mistletoe, sandalwood is a parasitic plant, stealing other plants’ nutrients to live. Harsh though this history seems after all the romance, it does make sandalwood the perfect icon for a great vampire story!

Now for the magic. The ancient Druids prized Mistletoe as an agent of fertility, luck, and peace. They hung the plant over their doors and used it in ritual sacrifices to ensure prosperity. The tradition of kissing under the mistletoe seems to have initiated in Greece, tied to the festival of Saturnalia, and originated under the belief that the plant harbored a life-giving force and had fertility and aphrodisiac powers. Scandinavian history gave mistletoe peace-enhancing properties. Often, warring factions would declare a truce under the mistletoe. Battling spouses also made up under it. In eighteenth century England, young girls standing under a ball of mistletoe at Christmas could not refuse a kiss, and if they were not kissed that night, it was considered a sign that they wouldn’t marry the following year. Kissing under the mistletoe was seen as a promise to marry as well as an assurance of a long and happy life.  

Today, kissing under the mistletoe is a fun party game. It means little more than an excuse to kiss someone you favor. But it’s no less fun and interesting for this lack of a deeper meaning. Even if we don’t know the history behind the act, the reasons for doing it have persisted for centuries. The human animal seeks love and acceptance through any means necessary. Even by kissing someone we cherish under a parasitic plant with poisonous berries!

Whatever the tradition involving this unique and tenacious plant, one thing is clear, it has inspired many centuries of hope and fun, and no holiday season would be the same without it!

Have a great holiday season everybody!

~~*~~

Perdition guide Damian is supposed to escort sexy Amanda to Hell. But he’d much rather keep her.

Damian Noire is a Perdition Guide. He escorts people who die to their rightful spot in Hell. Business always seems to pick up around the Holidays and this Christmas is no exception. Damian’s assignment is to bring a beautiful young woman to Hell to stand before the judgment assembly, and then take her to her assigned circle of Hell. It sounds simple. But it’s about to become the hardest assignment he’s ever performed.

Amanda Wright might have been unjustly judged. She might not belong in Hell at all. Problem is, Damian really kind of likes her. He especially likes enjoying her lush, willing body under the mistletoe. If he gets her the judgment she truly deserves, he’s probably going to lose her forever. But if he doesn’t help her, an innocent may spend eternity in Hell. It appears to be a lose/lose situation on all fronts. Proving once again that holidays truly are hell!

Buy the book…

Traditions - Old and New

I love this time of year for what it represents. Love, hope, and charity. One of the things I love most about the holidays are the traditions...all of the big and little things we do as a family to celebrate the season.

We’ve always celebrated Christmas just like millions of other families. Great food, enforced family togetherness #:0), and lots of brightly wrapped packages under the tree. But as my girls get older, and the economic state of the country becomes more challenging, we have naturally re-examined our traditions and considered ways to improve on them. Rather than buy each other the obligatory gift each year, my extended family has looked into options such as giving to toy and food drives and have taken great pleasure from helping others. This type of giving is still a priority in my family, but last year we started a new tradition which was meant to take us back to the things that are most important to us, especially in these tougher times. We returned to family.

Everyone came to our little farm for a weekend sleepover. Our goal was just to be together, eat a lot of great food, and share the season in as simple a way as possible. For our gift exchange, each family member was charged with making a simple gift that could be used and loved for years of Christmases to come. Because the gifts were hand made they meant so much more, and it was fun to see what the less ‘creative’ among us came up with! #:0)

Fortunately we had snow so the kids got to be pulled around on sleds behind our utility vehicle. We had a fun scavenger hunt, and took the 15 family dogs for long walks. The weather was mild, the snow was beautiful, and the company was wonderful. Most importantly, for me at least, the weekend reinforced the importance of the season. It should be a time of laughter, of love, of assessing priorities, and of great promise for the coming years together.

Whatever your family’s traditions, may they be wonderful and long lived...and may you and yours continue to enjoy good health and happiness for many, many years to come!

Do you have a family tradition you'd like to share? Leave a comment with your email addy and I'll send you a copy of my new Christmas free read, Astra Gets a Lump of Coal for Christmas!

Thanks for stopping by!