(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Itzl Alert Network: Tuesday, 26th of December, 2023: The Three Santas [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2023-12-25 Our current popular American icon, Santa Claus, has been assembled from the two earlier versions. Most of us have heard of the other two, but it seems to me that most folks just skim over those two, without taking a closer look. As you can see by Itzl's concerned look, this group is for us to check in at, to let people know we are alive, doing OK, and not affected by such things as heat, blizzards, floods, wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes, power outages, or other such things that could keep us off Daily Kos. If you're not here, or anywhere else on Daily Kos, and there are adverse conditions in your area (floods, heatwaves, hurricanes, etc.), we are going to check up on you. If you are going to be away from your computer for a day or a week, let us know here. We care! IAN is a great group to join, and a good place to learn to write diaries. Drop one of us a PM to be added to the Itzl Alert Network anytime! We all share the publishing duties, and we welcome everyone who reads IAN to write diaries for the group! Every member is an editor, so anyone can take a turn when they have something to say, photos and music to share, a cause to promote or news! This is our current schedule of regular IAN diary writers: Monday: Youffraita Tuesday: bigjacbigjacbigjac Wednesday: Pam from Calif Thursday: art ah zen Friday: FloridaSNMOM Saturday: FloridaSNDad Sunday: loggersbrat The little dog is named Itzl. Here is the earliest Santa Claus, or at least the earliest one that I am going to write about here. There might be a legend even older, and you may feel free to write about that older legend, in the comments. But here we go, with a little information about Saint Nicholas: en.wikipedia.org/… That last paragraph seems like the most important point. Anything ever written or said about him might be pretty much fairy tales, based loosely on some historical legend. So, he was a real man who actually lived and did things, a long time ago. Nobody actually knows any of the details, beyond that. But he was most likely a nice guy, so we can feel good, when we think of him. Seems to me. Now, let’s take a close look at a certain poem, that we have all heard. But does anyone pay attention to the actual words of the poem? Anyone? www.gutenberg.org/… Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1862 by JAMES G. GREGORY, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, for the Southern District of New York. 1862. Before the Wright Brothers: en.wikipedia.org/… We, meaning humankind, had no aircraft in 1862. Those came along in 1903. Santa and his reindeer and his sleigh were not flying in towards the home of the author of the poem. They were not flying: The moon, on the breast of the new-fallen snow, Gave a lustre of mid-day to objects below; When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny rein-deer, With a little old driver, so lively and quick, I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick. Objects below. On the ground, on the snow. Reindeer run on the ground. Sleighs slide on the snow. Over and over and over, artists show the reindeer and the sleigh and Santa, flying along like the Wright brothers, with their silhouette against the full moon. That is not in the poem. They were down on the ground, sliding along on the new-fallen snow. As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky, So, up to the house-top the coursers they flew, They flew in the same way that leaves fly, momentum, light weight, a gust of wind. They flew from the ground to the housetop. From the ground. To the housetop. This is all a silly fairy tale anyway, but there is simply no need to embellish and embellish, over and over, such a silly fairy tale. Next, we need to take a look at the outward appearance of Santa: a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny rein-deer, With a little old driver, so lively and quick, I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick. Since this is only a silly fairy tale, I feel free to give measurements to Santa and his reindeer. Santa is no taller than two feet. His reindeer are about the size of Chihuahuas. Tiny. So, the modern Santas are way too big. What about his fur coat? What did it look like? He was dressed all in fur from his head to his foot, And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot; Bright red? Perfect white cuffs and collar and gloves? Nope. Medium grey, all the way, the color of actual animal fur, tarnished with ashes and soot. Ha! Then they left: away they all flew like the down of a thistle; Once again, does it say they flew away, into the sky, like a jet aircraft? Nope. They flew in like a leaf, and flew out like the down of a thistle, eventually landing on the snow. On the ground, on the snow. Reindeer run on the ground. Sleighs slide on snow. But in modern times, here in the USA, we ignore the legend of Saint Nicholas. We ignore the fairy tale in the poem, “A Visit From Saint Nicholas.” We ignore all that. We embrace this guy: Wow. I watched this video, and it made me cry, so hard. About halfway through, it switched over from everyone looking the same, old white men, white beards and white hair, etc., it switched over to everyone looking normal, as we really are. Then, towards the last, a young Black man puts on a Santa hat, just before his mother opens the door, to see him coming for a visit, with gifts in his hands. The look on her face, made me cry. Well, I know I am a day late, since I have Tuesdays, so it is now the 26th of December. But I want to wish you happy holidays, any old way: But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight, "Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!" Hugs. Holiday hugs, from me to all of you. [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/12/25/2213342/-Itzl-Alert-Network-Tuesday-26th-of-December-2023-The-Three-Santas?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=latest_community&pm_medium=web Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/