The spirit of Christmas goes by many names.

The midwinter holiday gift giver appears in many forms, a man, a woman, child, a goat, and several other creatures. Here is a partial list of the names by which this holiday spirit goes by. Below are a listing of various names that this personification is known by. No matter which name you use the essence of the midwinter gift giver is the same. The midwinter holidays have existed long before Christianity. The holiday season extended from what Americans know as Thanksgiving through to Twelth Night activities in the begining of January. Ceremonies, rituals and festivals were held in honor of a successful harvest, the ending of the year and the birth of a new year. Various cultures attributed their survival to their gods, such as Odin, Thor, and Brechta, in the Germanic regions, and Saturn in the Roman regions.  Often these dieties were known to travel through the air in sleighs or chariots pulled by a variety of creatures. Odin rode on a eight legged horse, while Brechta rode on a broom. They would fly down the chimneys of homes to inspect if the children had behaved and if the home was tidy and orderly. These dieties would leave gifts of fruits and nuts to those that behaved and switches for those that had not. As the Christian Faith grew, missionaries under the direction of Pope Gregory the Great (601 AD) began to replace existing celebrations with their own saints days and other Christian festivals. The replacement of the Pegan holidays made it easier to convert societies, since they did not have to sacrifice their existing traditions. The spirit of the midwinter gift giver survived this replacement process and took on many names through out the western world based on the traditions and cultures of each regions. Santa Claus as most know him now, is an American amalgamation of these regional personifications. Thanks to Washington Irving, C. Clement Moore, Thomas Nash, Norman Rockwell,  and others, Santa Claus as we know him formed and spread due to the popularity of publications like Harpers and the Saturday Evening Post.

Why I chose to go by Kris Kringle

When I began the journey or process that culminated in this project, I wanted a secular figure. Not someone tied to a particular religion. I wanted an old world appearance rather than a modern image. I wanted something separate from the common mythology that families inevitably share with their decendants. This was because I did not, do not, want to create confusion when families meet me. Most families view Santa as a modern figure with a short fur lined coat of red with matching pants, a big black belt with a gold or brass buckle and shiny black boots. This is not the image that I want to convey. To me the spirit of the gift giver is ambiguous, anonomous, someone that does what they do for the good it will bring, not the fame or glory. To me Kris Kringle is a quiet unassuming backwoodsman. He spreads hope and joy without intentionally drawing attention to himself. With that said, his coat is covered in bells, to ring out the hope and joy he spreads. He is a kindly old man, a little jolly, but not overly so. As C. Clement Moore noted, "With a nod of his head he went straight to his work " (Moore, 1823). My suit is dark red and green, to appear less like a uniform and more like someone's clothing. If you look closely, when you visit with me, there are Nordic runes stitched into the jacket sleeves representing, Hope, Charity, Love, and Kindness. His clothes are well worn and are patched in places, as would be expected of someone that lived in the woods. My buckles are simple, not ornate, and are made of brass and iron.

ATTENTION TO ALL PARENTS WHO NEED TO TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT SANTA 🎅

Son: "Dad, I think I'm old enough now. Is there a Santa Claus?."

Dad: "Ok, I agree that your old enough. But before I tell you, I have a question for you. You see, the ​“truth” is a dangerous gift. Once you know something, you can't unknow it.

Once you know the truth about Santa Claus, you will never again understand and relate to him as you do ​now.

So my question is: Are you sure you want to know?"

Brief pause...

Son: "Yes, I want to know"

Dad: "Ok, I'll tell you: Yes there is a Santa Claus"

Son: "Really?"

Dad: Yes, really, but he's not an old man with a beard in a red suit. That's just what we tell kids. You ​see, kids are too young to understand the true nature of Santa Claus, so we explain it to them in a way ​that they can understand.

The truth about Santa Claus is that he's not a person at all; he's an idea.

Think of all those presents Santa gave you over the years.

I actually bought those myself.

I watched you open them.

And did it bother me that you didn't thank me?

Of course not!

In fact it gave me great pleasure.

You see, Santa Claus is THE IDEA OF GIVING FOR THE SAKE OF GIVING, without thought of thanks or ​acknowledgement.

When I saw that woman collapse on the subway last week and called for help, I knew that she'd never ​know that it was me that summoned the ambulance.

I was being Santa Claus when I did that."

Son: "Oh."

Dad: "So now that you know, you're part of it. You have to be Santa Claus too now. That means you can ​never tell a young kid the secret, and you have to help us select Santa presents for them, and most ​important, you have to look for opportunities to help people. Got it?"

Help each other this Christmas🎄🎅 and...be kind ❤💕