The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1883-12-27
The Original Santa Claus.


"Santa Claus" is an interesting archa-
ism carrying the mind acreeably back
ward to those old times which always
have such n charm for the critical in
yestigations or poetic reyeries Of men.
This cheerful Christmas legend was
quite new thing to most OF rs 4 few
years ago-to those, ut least, who got
literature OF our own language. Santa
Claus has come, as everybody il aware,
from Germany to the new world; and
the curiosity Of this matter i. that in
thus coming over the sea he underwent
ation--a sort Of a sea change He was
once honored III Deutschland or Ger
many for both Of these names have OK
actly the same meaning i'll the Celtic
as child, a fact which none Of the
German critics or philologers have con-
descended to notice, at least in any dis
tingnishable way.
Santa Claus was one 81 the Oldest
ideas Of the Celtic West in Pagan times,
as he was OF the Pagan East before. In
Christian times he was still regarded
with religious reverence, sitting. a. no
had sat for ages in Egypt and else
u 4 ~. l,.t
Santa Glars was, III fa,f, th" child
Jesus N the midll" ares. IN through
ont that period the festive creed Ut
German and ali Celtic Europe was that
he visited al family dwellings Of good
Christ ans on tlle,ye Of his anniversary,
and brought with him gifts and bless
ings for tile children. This beautiful
tradition is still t. he found lingering IN
Germany, though Santa Clal.s does not
seem to De special, connected with it
by name. The truth Of tbs original
belief is plainly enough indicated
bv the word claus which, in
tile gothic III all isIt Sititlid.i,
means child and "son. Santa
Claus formerly meant the Holy Child.
1t is not very difficult to see how the
change Of mems religions hclieis $40
O., 400 years ago changed the caara..
ter Of the legend. Those WHO had put
away Catholic sentiment in religion,
and wished to have th.i. own or mern
digniticl sort. thought it too rnae and
simple a thing to max that holy child
] bring knick-naeks and sweetmeats to
/ the children down the chimney, and 80,
by degrees, altered the old idea, max
ing it 4 genial. secular fancy III the per,
son oi benevolent AMI jolly old man,
such rs the Germans and oilers have
welcomed for many generate, II, and
We i'll this country have generally rec
ognized Of late wears. He is such, :
CHEEKY and fcliritoIs old fancy tina
nobody would ever have thought o
challenging him in any respect. but fol
the great mistake, 50 long ago commit
tel, Of sending Inn about the wori,
with that tell-tale Claus pinned on hi
back, us it were. He really should him
self have remembered. with the rest o
lbs rccollections, that his name is inter
preted in Schiller or BnNhorn I'VE for
- L.. II Il,
another
This statement, supported as it is b.
the old Christian traditions clmgin.
around the present season Of the year
will commend itset, perhaps, to tn
critics Of the old customs and old Ian
guage. But the rest Of mankind" don
see it, and, in reply to that Gothic leAi
con, exclaim, in the words Of Gle
Scroggins ghost, that's no rule !.
Santa Claus will still be the old maj
with the beard and the frosty face
frosty. Int kindly" And, indeed
very properly. The popular instinct
/ lIldt III lLtSt 1uI
was right in setting that image of tin
child aside. 1t belonged to far pro
founder sentiment than that Of mer
household game, pastime and festivity
was inevitably displaced by genera
ton in whom the simple old beliefs an,
reverence Of departed ages lived IL
longer. After all, it was lucky tina
Santa Claus was turned SO Very oppor
tunely into an old man. The other ide
could never have come down to such
matter-of-fact age as this, and on
Christmas would have wanted the hap
piest genius Of its festi,ity-the SAINT
Claus of the German vaterland.
How Time, Have Changed!
Changed exclaimed Deacon Gree