“this
time line is a document that authorities discovered in B’s
journal that is believed researched and compiled by B and is presented
to the public as further evidence of her action”.
1517 AD
Martin Luther posts his 95 theses on the front door of the Castle
Church, signaling the beginning of the Protestant Reformation.
Well, those Protestants decided to put sizable distance between
themselves and the gift giving Patron Saint Nicholas of the Catholic
Church and set about to create their own gift giving characters.
In Germany he became Christmas Man ( Weihnachtsmann ) or Kris Kringle
from the German term for "the Christ Child" also Belsnickle
a term derived from Pelz-nickle meaning "St Nicholas in fur"
and that was probably based on an earlier character known as Knecht
Ruprecht ( Rupert the Servant ) dressed in "high buskins, a
white robe, a mask, and an enormous flax wig".
In the Netherlands he was known as Kerstman and later Sinterklaas
and rides a white horse and leaves gifts in wooden shoes. Sinterklaas
was mispronounced ( of course ) by those New, New Yorkers to become
Santa Claus. The French called him Pere Noel. In Norway he was Pa
Norsk and in Sweden it's Jultomten and arrives the day before Christmas
pulling a big bag of julklapper (Christmas presents). In Russia
he was Ded Moroz and even the commies called him Grandfather Frost
who was dressed in blue rather than red. i would have guessed red
would have been completely appropriate.
Editors note: Not to ignore, or exclude other parts of the worldly
neighborhood, the gift giver is known in Spain as Papa Noel, in
Italy as Babbo Natale ( Father Christmas), In Japan he is Santa
Clause or sometimes Santa no ojisan ( which means uncle santa ),
in Findland he is Joulupukki, in most all of Latin America, Costa
Rico, Columbia and Mexico, el Nino Jesus ( the infant Jesus ) who
brings the gifts to children and in Morocco he is good old Black
Peter.
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1587
AD
Christmas as it was practiced for several centuries was temporarily
"outlawed" in the American Colonies. Nice move by the
fun loving Puritans. |
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1600's
In most all European counties Saint Nicholas Day, December 6th is
a feast day to celebrate "the entry of the saint's soul into
heaven". The Saint usually arrives the night before accompanied
by an ugly, chain-rattling little devil, "Krampus" who
is the one to deal with the naughty children because Saint Nicholas
is much to kind to do any punishing.
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1626
AD
A ship with a figurehead of Saint Nicholas sails for the new world
with Dutch settlers. They land and name the new settlement New Amsterdam
know known as New York City and Nicholas became the Patron Saint.
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1644
AD
British Puritan Parliament decreed December 25 to be a day of fasting
and repentance to renounce the "traditional" Christmas
celebration. |
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1650's
AD
Riots in many towns and villages to protest the banning of the traditional
Christmas celebration. |
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1660
AD
British Monarchy reverses Parliaments decree and restores Christmas.
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1659
-1681 AD
Massachusetts Bay Colony passes a law making it illegal to celebrate
Christmas. Five shillings was the fine for anyone "found observing
any such day as Christmas". |
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1662
AD
" The Day of Doom" A little poem
written and published by Michael Wigglesworth, a Massachusetts clergyman,
depicting the church approved frightening judgment day, not the
"nice" judgment day of St. Nicholas day celebration of
December 6. This poem was very popular in its own time up to the
early 1800's. |
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1663-1665
AD
"Hes feest van Saint Nicholaas" by the Dutch painter Jan
Steen.
The painting depicts St Nickolas day as a kind of judgment day with
both gifts and punishments which was associated with the day
in most of north central Europe and apparently St Nicholas was the
judge.
This links to the idea of "you'd better watch out...Santa Claus
is coming to town"... "he knows if you've been bad or
good" " so be good, etc".
The good got a cookie, the bad got hit with a stick.
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1668
AD
The Christmas demon Knecht Rupprecht first appeared in a play in 1668 and was condemned by the Roman Catholic as being a devil in 1680. . . To the Pennsylvania Dutch, he is known as Belsnickel. Other names for the same character are Pelznickle, "Furry Nicholas," and Ru-Klas, "Rough Nicholas." From these names, it is easy to see that he is looked upon as not merely a companion to St. Nicholas, but almost another version of him. (Del Re, Gerard and Patricia. The Christmas Almanack. New York: Random House, 2004, pp. 93,94)
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1686
AD
A British book "The Tryal of Father Christmas" was published
mocking the Puritans who suppressed Christmas. An early Murdock
publication, no doubt. |
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1690
- 1700 AD
Due to the fun of Christmas's past it began to show signs of a come
back in the American Colonies. It was hard to keep a good cross
dresser out of the village square.
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