Santa Claus's story begins with Saint Nicholas, a 4th-century bishop from Myra (modern-day Turkey), known for his generosity. The tradition of gift-giving on his feast day, December 6th, spread across Europe. In the 1820s, the poem 'The Children's Friend' introduced a reindeer to Santa's sleigh, and 'A Visit from St. Nicholas' in 1823 named the eight reindeer. Rudolph was added in 1939 by Robert L. May.
According to legend, Saint Nicholas helped a man who had lost all his money and couldn't provide dowries for his three daughters, which would have prevented them from marrying and possibly led them to become prostitutes. Saint Nicholas secretly provided the dowries, inspiring the tradition of gift-giving.
The Protestant Reformation, led by Martin Luther, rejected the Catholic cult of saints and discouraged the veneration of saints. Luther transferred the practice of gift-giving from St. Nicholas's feast day to Christmas Day, focusing attention on Christ as the original gift to mankind.
Reindeer were introduced to Santa's story in the early 19th century, likely due to the cold weather and the association of reindeer with snowy regions. The poem 'The Children's Friend' in 1821 and 'A Visit from St. Nicholas' in 1823 popularized the idea of Santa's sleigh being pulled by reindeer.
Gingerbread houses have a dark history involving superstitions and folklore. In the 17th century, some believed that witches would make gingerbread figures to eat and harm their enemies. Gingerbread shapes were also thought to be either charmed or cursed, and the gingerbread man story has a moral about the dangers of trusting others.
Gingerbread was once a symbol of fertility and a luxury item in medieval Europe. It was often decorated with gold leaf and foil and shaped into various forms. Only the wealthy could afford sugar, so blackened teeth from excessive sugar consumption identified the elite. Gingerbread was also a favorite of Queen Elizabeth I.
This week on The Broski Report, Fearless Leader Brittany Broski researches the origins of Christmas traditions.
👕 **Get your merch here: **https://broski.shop/)
Follow The Broski Report: https://www.linktr.ee/broskireport )https://www.tiktok.com/@broskireport) https://instagram.com/broskireport)
Follow Brittany: https://www.tiktok.com/@brittany_broski) https://instagram.com/brittany_broski) https://youtube.com/brittany_broski)
Follow Royal Court: https://www.youtube.com/@royalcourt) https://www.tiktok.com/@bbroyalcourt) https://www.instagram.com/royalcourt) https://www.twitter.com/bbroyalcourt)
Reproductive Resources: https://aidaccess.org) https://plancpills.org) https://Ineedana.com) https://www.reprolegalhelpline.org/) https://heyjane.com)
LGBTQ+ Resources: https://Translifeline.org) https://Glaad.org) https://Pflag.org) https://www.thetrevorproject.org/)
Climate Resources: https://Oceanconservancy.org) https://Climateemergencyfund.org)
Some helpful credible resources/links to help Free Palestine:
Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund - https://www.pcrf.net/)
UNICEF - https://www.unicefusa.org/stories/helping-gazas-children-cope-trauma)
World Central Kitchen - https://wck.org/)
World Health Organization - https://www.who.int/)
Headcount - https://www.headcount.org/)
IG ACCOUNTS TO FOLLOW:
@eye.on.palestine @aljazeeraenglish @palestinianyouthmovement @byplestia @motaz_azaiza @impact
CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Intro 00:51 - Reminiscing 03:10 - Christmas Deep Dive 04:50 - Santa’s Reindeer 07:47 - Nosferatu Tangent 10:36 - Elvis Impression 13:25 - Santa’s Reindeer Cont. 27:46 - Christmas Music 29:09 - Gingerbread Houses 32:39 - Outro
#brittanybroski, #broski, #broskination, #broskireport, #holiday, #christmas, #santa, #santaclaus, #reindeer, #rudolph, #saintnick, #saintnicholas, #christmascarols, #paulmccartney, #hozier, #brandicarlile