Merry X-Mas...
Santa Claus, is the American god.
Invented in the 1800's,
Imbued with supernatural omniscience and omnipresence,
Presented as an Icon,
Turned into a myth.
Worshiped by the culture.
The question is, what is Santa Claus the god of?
Consumerism and obedience.
The new American religious ritual incorporated a variety of European mythic icons, and traditions.
Santa Claus, and American Christmas actually has nothing to do with either Christian or Pagan traditions.
At best the American Christmas ritual/religion, is an intentional mockery of ALL traditional European practices, both Christian and Pagan.
The new religion teaches obedience to material power, glorifies material desire and reduces both pagan and Christian beliefs to deliberate insignificance.
Now in the second decade of the twenty first century, every year, neo pagans and Christians argue about the winter solstice, yule, Christmas. Pointing their fingers at each other.
Odd how as the two sides bicker, neither consider that both are wrong.
Modern Christmas has NOTHING to do with either Christian or Pagan holy days.
Modern Christmas is about the celebration of materialism and obedience to authority.
It celebrates the surveillance state,
It glorifies debt.
It celebrates greed.
So, to my Atheist materialist friends Merry Christmas.
To my Pagan friends Blessed Yule.
To my Christian friends, Joy to the World, HE is born!
To who ever this offends.
I don't care.
Saint Nicholas approves your punching heretics. He punched out Arius at the Council of Nicea.
He was the inspiration for secret gift giving.
His most iconic story sees Nicholas as the secret benefactor of a poor man who could not provide for his daughters. He secretly visited their home at night to give purses of gold coins. It's the legacy of secret gift giving that inspired the legend of Sinterklaas, who became Santa Claus, the generous gift giver now known to many as Father Christmas.
Another famous story tells of a feisty interaction between Nicholas and the heretic Arius at the historic Council of Nicea in AD 325 – the very first ecumenical council. In this decisive council, Arius taught that Jesus was not co-equal to God the Father, but was created by him. Unable to restrain his dispute with Arius, Nicholas approached Arius and slapped – or punched – him in the face.
Washington Irving is credited with introducing St. Nicholas to Americans and helping to create the figure of Santa Claus:
St. Nicholas in A History of New York
In his 1809 book A History of New York, Irving featured St. Nicholas in a vision to Olof Van Cortlandt, the first Van Cortlandt to settle on Manhattan Island. Irving described St. Nicholas flying over Manhattan in a wagon, descending to smoke a pipe, and then returning over the treetops.
The crass commercialism… meh 😑