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THE OLD MAN WITH THE SACK   

'Father Christmas' (or 'Santa Claus') has become the human face of Christmas.

Pictures will be seen everywhere of the old man with long white beard, red coat, and bag of toys.  

Children are taught that he brings them presents the night before Christmas (or in some countries on December 6th - St. Nicholas' Day), and many children up to the age of 7 or 8 really believe this is true. In most countries, it is said that he lives near the North Pole, and arrives through the sky on a sledge (snow-cart) pulled by reindeer.  

He comes into houses down the chimney at midnight and places presents for the children in socks or bags by their beds or in front of the family Christmas tree.

Who was he?  

Father Christmas is based on a real person, St. Nicholas, which explains his other name 'Santa Claus' which comes from the Dutch 'Sinterklaas'. Nicholas was a Christian leader from Myra (in modern-day Turkey) in the 4th century AD.  

He was very shy, and wanted to give money to poor people without them knowing about it. It is said that one day, he climbed the roof of a house and dropped a purse of money down the chimney. It landed in the stocking which a girl had put to dry by the fire!  

This may explain the belief that Father Christmas comes down the chimney and places gifts in children's stockings.

How did Christmas start?  

Since about 400 AD, Christians have celebrated the birth of Jesus. 'Christ' means 'Messiah' or 'Anointed One' - the title given to Jesus. 

The real meaning of Christmas is often forgotten. It has become a non-religious holiday! More children believe in Father Christmas than in Jesus. Christmas Day is a time for eating and drinking too much and watching television.  

But the real Christmas story is found in the Christian Bible.

Continued from page 1: It is told in two different books: Matthew and Luke chapters 1 and 2. These chapters tell how Jesus was born as a baby to Mary. This was no ordinary birth! She was not married, she was a virgin and an angel had told her she would bear a special baby. Her husband-to-be, Joseph, did not believe her at first. Who would? Then an angel told him in a dream that it was true! Probably no one else believed it. So when they had to travel from their home in Nazareth to Bethlehem (near Jerusalem), to register their names with the ruling Roman government, they probably escaped many hard words from other people. 

 Arrival in Bethlehem brought worry and upset: there was no room for them to stay at the hotel. There was only space in the stable - the animal house for travelers' donkeys and horses.

 Jesus was born that night, and as they had no bed for him, they used an animal feeding box filled with the dry grass the animals ate.

At that time, sheep farmers were seen by other people as low and of no value. Yet it was to these shepherds that the birth of Jesus was first announced in an amazing dramatic way:

"That night there were some men looking after sheep in the fields nearby. Suddenly they saw a great light. It was an angel, who said,

Don't be afraid. I have good news for you, and for all people. Someone great has been born today. He is Christ, the great King you have been waiting for. He will save you from all that is wrong and evil. You will find him dressed in baby clothes, lying on a bed of dry grass.'”

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