An Interview with Santa Claus
by Rev. Terrence G. Clark
Biagio, one of his aliases not normal listed with the rest of his titles, had moved from his traditional setting in front of Macy’s—this be the branch located inside the Moorestown Mall, Moorestown NJ.
This Santa fit the sagely Kris Kringle or Father Christmas image—full length beard and mustache, all his own. He had a twinkle in his eye, but his conversation with me revealed himself as someone who whose long hours called for R&R. After the last kid sat on his knee, before his break, I pulled him away for an interview, at the corner coffee shop, between his traditional loft and Lord & Taylors.
He actually started the interview, a historian emerged. A Nicholasarian —one who is an expert on the evolution of Santa Claus. Okay I made up the word—sounds good, so for now we will sleigh with it.
Santa: Do you know how I got my name Santa Claus in America—referencing foremost the United States?
Vof1: Not totally.
Santa: The name originates from the dutch Sinterklaas, in pronunciation shifts we get Saint Nicholas and of course at the canonization of Nicholas to saint hood we get Saint Nicholas—drop the first syllable and we get Saint Klaas or Santa Claus. The concept of Santa Claus has evolved over the centuries. His most modern identity can be attributed to a poem written by Clement Clarke Moore in 1822 called A Visit from Santa Claus” aka The Christmas Story. It was Moore’s rendering of St Nick that took Santa to a more mystical motif putting, this man in red, on a magical journey that including flying reindeer, roof tops and chimneys, elves and the ability to flash up the flute with the touch of his nose.
Moore an ordained minister and theology professor wrote the ballad as a Christmas Eve tale for his six kids. The poem was sent unauthorized to the Troy Sentinel in New York and published anonymously. He was not acknowledged as the author until 26 years later. The real Santa Claus, and I am indeed thankful for this interview, traces his history back to the Middle East in the region of modern day Turkey. Nicholas grew up as an orphan in the village of Patara - in 275. He was raised by his uncle, the Bishop of Patara, after his father and mother - Epishanus and Joanna, wealthy land owners, and philanthropist died during a plague. He was thirteen when he inherited his parent’s wealth. Nicholas continued in their piety, and charity.
The story varies but Nicholas most noted seal of sainthood by the Catholic Church was his salvation of three young women - daughters of a poor peasant. In order to be married, in those days, a father had to present with his daughter, to the proposing family a dowry—a treasure of sorts or money that accompanied the bride in to her new life and family. The poor peasant had three daughters, for which he could not provide the dowries. Which would have meant his daughters may have been forced into prostitution. One telling is that he tossed gold coins up through an open window of the peasant’s home which anonymously landed into drying stocking (hung by the fire with care). The discovered act, along with his other acts of giving, later in church history earned him sainthood.
Saint Nicholas has many other acts of faith and miracle connected with his life and ministry. Miracles include lost children returned to their families. Children raised from the dead through his prayers. He is known in sainthood as the protector of children. He is also known as the protector of sailors and voyagers as is attributed to his prayer the calming of sea storm when returning on ship back from a pilgrimage to the Holy Lands. Most notably, Nicholas was a Christian a believer and follower of Jesus Christ. He actually became the bishop (pastor) of a church in Myra at age nineteen. Despite of himself and what American lore painted him to be - a fat man, a jolly old elf, which indulges in cookies and dairy, because of the church observation of regular prayer & fasting, he was probably thin.
Vof1: So how long have you been Santa at the Moorestown Mall?
Santa: 35 years.
Vof1: Want is your most memorable moment: (I was expecting perhaps, an answer of, some cute little kid request for peace in Sudan, or a new sibling. He said there was many, but chose to share differently. His response was still interesting. I later found out about the 18 foot boa constrictor that he had to take a picture with on pet night, the previous Monday.)
Santa: I have met with two Popes including John Paul and Frances. Scheduled was a meeting again with the presiding Pontiff via the upcoming papal visitation in Philadelphia. This pope will be visiting the city of brotherly love for the World Meeting of Families upcoming in 2015. I don’t believe the Pontiffs have sat in Santa lap, but I wonder what their Christmas list read. Conversely I wonder if Santa has some confessions of his own for peace. I prefer the direct route to God the Father through Jesus Christ. I would hope the tradition of every Santa from the North to South Poles would be of this affirmation. Nicholas of Myra served the Lord Jesus Christ and was an example of Him. The bible says you would know a true believer by his fruits. The Bishop was undoubtedly a giver. Still, the content and motive of any man’s heart is only known by Christ. Scripturally, salvation is never by works or acts of kindness, but faith in the blood, of the Christ of Christmas.
Still again, the beginning of Santa Claus has its roots in children. The salvation of an orphan by his uncle and that orphan being used by God to save the children of a peasant. What is not told in the legend is found in scripture. The concept, I believe, of children coming to sit on his knees to be heard and blessed is from the Bible. It was Jesus who called the children unto himself. He took them in his arms and blessed them. It is to be sure that the lives of those kids were never the same again. The little boy in St John 6 came to Jesus not with a petition for toys, but with a gift of fish and bread. His meagerly gift would turn by the master into that which would feed a multitude. The young, rich, ruler went away sad at Jesus’ response. He was the quintessential man with everything - toys and all - but needed eternal life. He couldn’t give up what he had at the moment. His Christmas list was unanswered and destined for coals - fire and brimstone. I wrote and directed a skit some years ago featuring the man from the North Pole.
In the skit Santa has lost it all. Corporate had shut down his operation. The IRS was on his back for past taxes. The elves were threatening strike. His wife has left him because he had lost himself in his work. The original eight reindeer were displaced. Rudolph was sick. Santa was on the verge of a breakdown. Depression had entered. While downing a bottle of gin, he had stashed in his desk drawer, he stared at the photo of Martha. A voice speaks to him from behind. It’s Satan. Familiar to Santa - as the supernatural is. Santa simply asks, “Who let you in?” Satan’s response, “You did some years back.” But Santa’s despair, and the Holy Spirits prompt, led him to watch a TV evangelist. Santa yielded to his message, bowed his knees, and accepted Christ as Savior.
Biagio, one of his aliases not normal listed with the rest of his titles, had moved from his traditional setting in front of Macy’s—this be the branch located inside the Moorestown Mall, Moorestown NJ.
This Santa fit the sagely Kris Kringle or Father Christmas image—full length beard and mustache, all his own. He had a twinkle in his eye, but his conversation with me revealed himself as someone who whose long hours called for R&R. After the last kid sat on his knee, before his break, I pulled him away for an interview, at the corner coffee shop, between his traditional loft and Lord & Taylors.
He actually started the interview, a historian emerged. A Nicholasarian —one who is an expert on the evolution of Santa Claus. Okay I made up the word—sounds good, so for now we will sleigh with it.
Santa: Do you know how I got my name Santa Claus in America—referencing foremost the United States?
Vof1: Not totally.
Santa: The name originates from the dutch Sinterklaas, in pronunciation shifts we get Saint Nicholas and of course at the canonization of Nicholas to saint hood we get Saint Nicholas—drop the first syllable and we get Saint Klaas or Santa Claus. The concept of Santa Claus has evolved over the centuries. His most modern identity can be attributed to a poem written by Clement Clarke Moore in 1822 called A Visit from Santa Claus” aka The Christmas Story. It was Moore’s rendering of St Nick that took Santa to a more mystical motif putting, this man in red, on a magical journey that including flying reindeer, roof tops and chimneys, elves and the ability to flash up the flute with the touch of his nose.
Moore an ordained minister and theology professor wrote the ballad as a Christmas Eve tale for his six kids. The poem was sent unauthorized to the Troy Sentinel in New York and published anonymously. He was not acknowledged as the author until 26 years later. The real Santa Claus, and I am indeed thankful for this interview, traces his history back to the Middle East in the region of modern day Turkey. Nicholas grew up as an orphan in the village of Patara - in 275. He was raised by his uncle, the Bishop of Patara, after his father and mother - Epishanus and Joanna, wealthy land owners, and philanthropist died during a plague. He was thirteen when he inherited his parent’s wealth. Nicholas continued in their piety, and charity.
The story varies but Nicholas most noted seal of sainthood by the Catholic Church was his salvation of three young women - daughters of a poor peasant. In order to be married, in those days, a father had to present with his daughter, to the proposing family a dowry—a treasure of sorts or money that accompanied the bride in to her new life and family. The poor peasant had three daughters, for which he could not provide the dowries. Which would have meant his daughters may have been forced into prostitution. One telling is that he tossed gold coins up through an open window of the peasant’s home which anonymously landed into drying stocking (hung by the fire with care). The discovered act, along with his other acts of giving, later in church history earned him sainthood.
Saint Nicholas has many other acts of faith and miracle connected with his life and ministry. Miracles include lost children returned to their families. Children raised from the dead through his prayers. He is known in sainthood as the protector of children. He is also known as the protector of sailors and voyagers as is attributed to his prayer the calming of sea storm when returning on ship back from a pilgrimage to the Holy Lands. Most notably, Nicholas was a Christian a believer and follower of Jesus Christ. He actually became the bishop (pastor) of a church in Myra at age nineteen. Despite of himself and what American lore painted him to be - a fat man, a jolly old elf, which indulges in cookies and dairy, because of the church observation of regular prayer & fasting, he was probably thin.
Vof1: So how long have you been Santa at the Moorestown Mall?
Santa: 35 years.
Vof1: Want is your most memorable moment: (I was expecting perhaps, an answer of, some cute little kid request for peace in Sudan, or a new sibling. He said there was many, but chose to share differently. His response was still interesting. I later found out about the 18 foot boa constrictor that he had to take a picture with on pet night, the previous Monday.)
Santa: I have met with two Popes including John Paul and Frances. Scheduled was a meeting again with the presiding Pontiff via the upcoming papal visitation in Philadelphia. This pope will be visiting the city of brotherly love for the World Meeting of Families upcoming in 2015. I don’t believe the Pontiffs have sat in Santa lap, but I wonder what their Christmas list read. Conversely I wonder if Santa has some confessions of his own for peace. I prefer the direct route to God the Father through Jesus Christ. I would hope the tradition of every Santa from the North to South Poles would be of this affirmation. Nicholas of Myra served the Lord Jesus Christ and was an example of Him. The bible says you would know a true believer by his fruits. The Bishop was undoubtedly a giver. Still, the content and motive of any man’s heart is only known by Christ. Scripturally, salvation is never by works or acts of kindness, but faith in the blood, of the Christ of Christmas.
Still again, the beginning of Santa Claus has its roots in children. The salvation of an orphan by his uncle and that orphan being used by God to save the children of a peasant. What is not told in the legend is found in scripture. The concept, I believe, of children coming to sit on his knees to be heard and blessed is from the Bible. It was Jesus who called the children unto himself. He took them in his arms and blessed them. It is to be sure that the lives of those kids were never the same again. The little boy in St John 6 came to Jesus not with a petition for toys, but with a gift of fish and bread. His meagerly gift would turn by the master into that which would feed a multitude. The young, rich, ruler went away sad at Jesus’ response. He was the quintessential man with everything - toys and all - but needed eternal life. He couldn’t give up what he had at the moment. His Christmas list was unanswered and destined for coals - fire and brimstone. I wrote and directed a skit some years ago featuring the man from the North Pole.
In the skit Santa has lost it all. Corporate had shut down his operation. The IRS was on his back for past taxes. The elves were threatening strike. His wife has left him because he had lost himself in his work. The original eight reindeer were displaced. Rudolph was sick. Santa was on the verge of a breakdown. Depression had entered. While downing a bottle of gin, he had stashed in his desk drawer, he stared at the photo of Martha. A voice speaks to him from behind. It’s Satan. Familiar to Santa - as the supernatural is. Santa simply asks, “Who let you in?” Satan’s response, “You did some years back.” But Santa’s despair, and the Holy Spirits prompt, led him to watch a TV evangelist. Santa yielded to his message, bowed his knees, and accepted Christ as Savior.
Biagio Evangelisto…My name, it’s Italian. It's where we get the English word "evangelist". We know an evangelist as a preacher of the gospel whose ministry is noted by souls being saved and gifts of the Spirit - following. Mr. Evangelisto acknowledged he himself didn’t profess the faith, but believed he still was doing the mission. St. Nicholas of Myra was a devoted follower of Jesus Christ and living under the tyranny of Emperor Diocletian. He was imprisoned for his faith and refusal to deny Christ. Again, I was thankful to Santa at the Mall for taking time out of his busy schedule.
The closer the calendar gets to Christmas Eve, the more demanding is his time. We were interrupted by one of his helpers - not an elf - but marketing. The line had started to grow again. |
Where does Santa always vote?
The North Pole |
Website: www.StNicholasCenter.org