You had to do a lot of research on Christmas and how it was celebrated in different lands. Can you share some of your findings?
I certainly can. The following pieces of information were used by Ian during his speech training. He and the other trainees had to share a new item during warm-up exercises at each of their ten weekly sessions.
1. St. Nicholas was the child of wealthy parents. When they died, they left him a large inheritance. He decided to use his inheritance to help those less fortunate. This was the name of the early Santa Claus.
2. The first portrait of our present day Santa Claus was painted by Thomas Nast. He was inspired by Clement Moore's famous poem, "The Night Before Christmas"
3. Kris Kringle, another name for Santa, comes from the German word for Christ Child - "Christkindl"
4. There are 350 million Christians in Africa. On Christmas Day, carols are sung from the Congo on down to South Africa. Meats are roasted, gifts are exchanged and family visits made.
5. A Buddhist thought: "Santa is actually very important to adults, teaching us unselfish, anonymous generosity."
6. A Muslim thought: "If it were not for the Christmas or Thanksgiving holidays, family relationships would not be as good as they are."
7. While Christmas Day is not a public holiday in China, Christmas decorations are now becoming more popular there. Santa is called Dun Che Lao Ren.
8. In Brazil, they create a nativity scene, or "presepio" which comes from the Hebrew word "presepium" or bed of straw, upon which the Baby Jesus first slept in Bethlehem.
9. Santa is called "Santa no ojisan" by children in Japan. It means "Uncle Santa"
10. Gene Autry, famous American cowboy, recorded a song about Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer in 1949. It sold two million copies on its release and is still very popular to this day.
