Christmas is never complete without a guy in red suits who will fly from the North pole to grant all our Christmas wishes. How we believe this as children.
But does anyone think to question some of these traditions, or are we just too busy stuffing our faces with turkey? Like why does Santa have flying reindeer? And what happens to all those letters children send in the post to him?
Well, we have answered 5 of them so you don’t have to wonder anymore.
Who Is Santa?
Santa Claus is a combination of mythological and real figures of myth and history. From the Norse God Odin, pictured often with a long beard and an eight-legged horse named Sleipnir (possibly the inspiration for the reindeer). To the Greek, Christian Bishop Saint Nicholas who made his name by giving gifts to the poor.
How Does Santa Make It To Children Around The World
Well, he probably wouldn’t because it’s physically impossible really. But it’s fun to think about what Santa would have to do to complete his yearly mission. According to Centre for Economics and Business Research, Santa would have to visit over 5,000 houses per second and eat around 1.5 billion calories. No wonder he’s always portrayed as a bit overweight.
Why Kiss Under A Mistletoe
The magic of mistletoe originates in Celtic legend. The plant is meant to have healing properties, increase fertility and ward off evil spirits. It’s still a bit of a mystery when and how kissing came into it. But it’s reckoned that it was part of a custom to steal a kiss from a woman standing under the mistletoe (though apparently, it was bad luck to refuse).
Where Did The Flying Reindeers Come From?
They’re not in the Bible, nor the Saint Nicolas story. So how on earth have flying reindeer made it into Christmas lore? ‘Santa is a modern counterpart of a shaman, who consumed mind-altering plants and fungi to commune with the spirit world,’ said anthropologist John Rush. So Santa’s ‘trip’ with flying reindeer might have more literal origins than you thought.
What Happens To All The Letters Sent To Santa
Do they just disappear into thin air? Are they thrown away? You can’t help but wonder. The Royal Mail has a specific scheme where they encourage children to send their letters to an actual address. When asked what happened to those letters, they said that a dedicated team sorts through them and ‘forwards onto Santa to read’. They received around 600,000 letters last year, 200,000 more than in 2013.
