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| 1 - Nicola of Bari (Santa Claus) |
Nicola of Bari (Lycia 304 ca. - ? 345 ca.), Christian bishop, patron saint of Russia. Traditionally match with Christmas celebrations. We think that the legendary tales about his life had few historical bases: probably the hagiographers had written a biography putting him a lot of the life of another Nicola, called Zionite, who founded, in the VI century, a monastery in Zion, near Mira, in Lycia. The tales say that Nicola, originally came from Asia Minor, went into the monastery of Zion, becoming later archbishop of the metropolite Church of Mira and taking part, perhaps, at the first council of Nicaea. At the end or the XI century some Italian traders, carried his remains , in may 9th 1087, from Mira to Bari, where nowadays on his grave there are a basilica.
Nicola is the patron saint of children, studious, virgins, sailors and traders. A legend says of the secret presents done by Nicola at the 3 daughters of a poor man who, as he couldn’t give them their dowry, wanted to leave them to a life full of sins. From this legend come the habit to give secret presents the night of S. Nicola (6 December); As the two dates are near, Christmas and S. Nicola are celebrated together in many central and northern European countries. Santa Claus (Babbo Natale in Italy), who give presents to the children on the Christmas Eve, is the corruption of Sanctus Nicolaus.
THE ORIGIN OF THE CHRISTMAS TREE
The tree was sacred in the ancient times by some European and Asian populations. It was sacred also by the Longobards for example, and certain rites (they seemed sacrilegious to the Church) stayed alive, also after the Carolingian conquest, in the Spoletos’s and Benevento’s duchy, until the late middle ages. Also witches, influenced by these heathen believes, celebrated their Sabbah under big oaks. A Nordic legend tell about a lumberjack who, while he was coming back home, remained charmed by a fir, shining because of the ice on its branches. He liked it so much that he wanted to decorate like it a little fir near his house to show it to his children. The tradition of the Christmas tree, as we know it, begin in Germany in 1611. They tell that the duchess of Brieg had yet prepared all, in her castle, to celebrate Christmas but she noticed that a corner of the hall was empty. So she went out in the park to search something suitable and she found a little fin. She putted it in a pot and she putted it in her hall. In France, indeed, the first Christmas tree was introduced in 1840 by the duchess of Orleans. The fir covered by ribbons and bows had origin in Alsace, in Strasburg, to spread then in Germany. It’s first fan was in the XVII century the prince Albert, husband of the Queen Victoria, who made it know to the English people. At the end of the century the Christmas tree came also in Italy. A novelty? Not exactly. Yet in the XVI century in Liguria, branches of bay were decorated with dried figs and coloured paper. Another tradition says indeed that the peasants, during the Christmas night, hanged to a big fir the fruits of their work to thanks the Earth of it generosity.
Translated By Roberta "Nemo085"
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