The Legends Behind Holiday Characters St. Nicholas would have to travel 650 miles per second and visit 822 homes a second for every person to receive presents on Christmas. No wonder he eats so many Christmas cookies. 90 million chocolate bunnies are produced each year for Easter. Just about 120 pounds of Easter candy is purchased annually. From the Easter Bunny to Krampus our childhood tradition for thousands of years have been celebrated by people all over the world. Legends from Germany, Russia, and even Scandinavia influence our culture.
Krampus is a type of demonic creature in German legends. It is said that he carries birch sticks along with thick chain and bells to beat naughty/saucy children. He is half-goat half-human with horns, …show more content…
It can be traced back to when a monk named St. Nicholas was around in 280 A.D living in Patara, near Myra in modern-day Turkey. St. Nicholas was admired for his piety kindness. It was said that he gave away all of his inherited wealth to help the poor and sick along the country side. One of the most popular stories among St. Nicholas is that he saved 3 poor sisters from being sold into prostitution or slavery by their father. He provided them with a dowry so that they could get married.
Over the years, St. Nicholas’s name and popularity spread and he became known as the protector of children and even sailor’s. His feast day is celebrated one the day of his death, December 6th. This was known as a good day to make large purchases or getting married. In the Renaissance era St. Nicholas was the most popular saint in Europe. During the Protestant Reformation, when the veneration of saints was starting to be discouraged, St. Nicholas was still able to keep a positive reputation, especially in …show more content…
The storm was dreadful, raging around them and the men were terrified that their ship would sink. They then prayed to St. Nicholas for help. He was then suddenly standing on the deck in front of them. He ordered the sea too clam itself, and just like that, the storm died away, and they were able to sail safely back to port.
The Easter Bunny legend has been brought to America by German immigrants in the 1700s; Whom settled in Pennsylvania and brought their tale of an egg laying-hare, known as the “Oster Hare” or “Oschter Haws.” Their children would make colorful nests where the bunny would lay it’s brightly colored eggs. Bunnies are associated with fertility since they are such fertile animals. So the bunny was compared to Spring and it’s renewal of life.
The word Easter is supposedly comes from a pagen goddess named Eastre (or Eostre) who was celebrated by the Saxons of Northern Europe. A festival named after the goddess was held during the spring equinox by these people to honor her. The goddess’s earthly symbol was the rabbit, the symbol of fertility. Since rabbits/hares give birth to their litters in the early spring, it is no surprise it is the symbol of fertility. The holiday was later changed to fit into Christian beliefs as the celebration for the resurrection of Christ and the new era he
Krampus is a type of demonic creature in German legends. It is said that he carries birch sticks along with thick chain and bells to beat naughty/saucy children. He is half-goat half-human with horns, …show more content…
It can be traced back to when a monk named St. Nicholas was around in 280 A.D living in Patara, near Myra in modern-day Turkey. St. Nicholas was admired for his piety kindness. It was said that he gave away all of his inherited wealth to help the poor and sick along the country side. One of the most popular stories among St. Nicholas is that he saved 3 poor sisters from being sold into prostitution or slavery by their father. He provided them with a dowry so that they could get married.
Over the years, St. Nicholas’s name and popularity spread and he became known as the protector of children and even sailor’s. His feast day is celebrated one the day of his death, December 6th. This was known as a good day to make large purchases or getting married. In the Renaissance era St. Nicholas was the most popular saint in Europe. During the Protestant Reformation, when the veneration of saints was starting to be discouraged, St. Nicholas was still able to keep a positive reputation, especially in …show more content…
The storm was dreadful, raging around them and the men were terrified that their ship would sink. They then prayed to St. Nicholas for help. He was then suddenly standing on the deck in front of them. He ordered the sea too clam itself, and just like that, the storm died away, and they were able to sail safely back to port.
The Easter Bunny legend has been brought to America by German immigrants in the 1700s; Whom settled in Pennsylvania and brought their tale of an egg laying-hare, known as the “Oster Hare” or “Oschter Haws.” Their children would make colorful nests where the bunny would lay it’s brightly colored eggs. Bunnies are associated with fertility since they are such fertile animals. So the bunny was compared to Spring and it’s renewal of life.
The word Easter is supposedly comes from a pagen goddess named Eastre (or Eostre) who was celebrated by the Saxons of Northern Europe. A festival named after the goddess was held during the spring equinox by these people to honor her. The goddess’s earthly symbol was the rabbit, the symbol of fertility. Since rabbits/hares give birth to their litters in the early spring, it is no surprise it is the symbol of fertility. The holiday was later changed to fit into Christian beliefs as the celebration for the resurrection of Christ and the new era he