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    The Story of Santa Claus
    The Story of Santa Claus
    The Story of Santa Claus
    Ebook87 pages51 minutes

    The Story of Santa Claus

    By Joseph A. McCullough and Peter Dennis

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    About this ebook

    The perfect Christmas gift, this beautiful book explains how the bearded, red clad, big bellied, reindeer driving jovial gent came to be the face of Christmas, and reveals the historical origins of Saint Nicholas over seventeen hundred years ago in the Eastern Roman Empire.

    In a winding, magical tale filled with mystery and good will towards all men, Joseph McCullough travels across Europe (and the North Pole… of course) to uncover the exploits of Santa in a book that is sure to fill even the most jaded scrooges with a little bit of Christmas magic.

    And for any nervous parents out there – don't worry, there are no Father Christmas 'spoilers' between the pages of this book – ensuring the wonderous children's whisperings of Santa will continue… for another couple of years at least!
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBloomsbury Publishing
    Release dateSep 20, 2014
    ISBN9781472803443
    The Story of Santa Claus
    Author

    Joseph A. McCullough

    Joseph A. McCullough's first brush with writing for games was as co-author of The Grey Mountains supplement for the Middle-Earth Role-Playing Game, and he has remained passionate about Fantasy gaming since, going on to become an award-winning game designer. He is the creator of the “Frostgrave Family” of skirmish wargames (the Fantasy titles Frostgrave, Ghost Archipelago, Rangers of Shadow Deep, and the Sci-Fi evolution, Stargrave) and of the Oathmark Fantasy battle game and The Silver Bayonet, a game of Napoleonic Gothic Horror. The latest information on his game design and other writing can be found at: josephamccullough.com.

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    • 3/5
      A short and sweet introduction to the history and legends of Santa Claus. This book is a good start for children and illustrates the different versions of Saint Nick from various time periods and cultures. It also includes Twas the Night Before Christmas poem and a few illustrations. Get the epub version to be able to see all the pictures. For children.Net Galley Feedback

    Book preview

    The Story of Santa Claus - Joseph A. McCullough

    Introduction

    Every year on Christmas Eve, Santa Claus visits millions of people all over the world, bringing presents and Christmas goodies and doing his best to spread peace and goodwill. With his red coat, white beard, sack full of presents, and magical reindeer and sleigh, he is one of the most famous and recognizable figures in the world today. Yet, despite his popularity, most people actually know very little about him. They might know that his original name was Nicholas, or Saint Nicholas, or that he was once a bishop a long time ago, but how did such a man become Santa Claus?

    Even today, when he is loved by millions, Santa Claus remains a shy and quiet man. He rarely leaves the North Pole except on Christmas Eve, and only a few very lucky individuals have ever had the chance to visit him there. He has little interest in self-promotion, and values his fame only for the help it gives him in spreading Christmas cheer. Despite many requests, and several lucrative offers, he has never shared his full life story.

    So to fully learn about this great man, it is necessary to collect all of the stories of the people who have known him, those who have had the chance to speak with him, and even the ones who have just seen him from afar. From ancient writers to modern poets, this book collects many of those stories and combines them into a simple tale that can be read and enjoyed by everyone. It is a strange and mysterious story, filled with prayers and miracles and even a few monsters. For some people, it will be hard to believe. However, for those who can keep an open mind and, more importantly, an open heart, they will probably discover that the full tale of Santa Claus is even more magical than they ever suspected.

    CHAPTER 1

    Nicholas, Bishop of Myra

    The story of Santa Claus begins nearly seventeen hundred years ago in the town of Patara in the modern country of Turkey. At that time, Patara was a part of the vast Roman Empire that stretched from Britain in the east all the way to Syria in the west. Despite its size and power, however, the empire was often a dangerous and unstable place. Barbarians and pirates raided along the borders, while Roman generals and senators plotted against each other in an effort to become the next emperor. Even among the common townsfolk there was tension between the citizens who worshiped the old Roman gods and the growing minority that followed the teachings of Jesus Christ.

    Thankfully, being a small and generally unimportant town on the Mediterranean coast, Patara had so far escaped most of the troubles of the empire, and even the Christians and the other Romans tended to get along. Thus it was a happy day in the town when, around the year AD 280, a young Christian couple named Theophanes and Joanna were married in the small church. Both came from wealthy and noble families, and both had lived lives of generosity, kindness, and prayer.

    Less than a year after the marriage, Joanna gave birth to a boy. They called the boy Nicholas, a very unusual name at that time. It meant people’s victor, and Theophanes and Joanna hoped that one day their son might help the common people overcome the greed and corruption of the men who ran the empire.

    As Nicholas grew up in that house filled with love and prayer, he soon showed himself to be an unusual child. He took little interest in material things. Toys and rich foods couldn’t hold his attention, and he shied away from traditional entertainments such as dancing and drama. Instead, he found the most pleasure in quiet reflection and in hearing the stories of old Christian holy men. Stranger still, when Nicholas learned to talk, he often spoke about events before they happened, predicting the weather, or visitors, or even deaths and births in the town.

    As Nicholas grew older, this ability also grew, but despite this power Nicholas never used his foreknowledge for personal gain. In fact, he avoided the markets as much as possible and shunned all involvement in politics. Still, he followed his parents’ example in extending Christian kindness and proved generous with both his money and his time.

    Then, when Nicholas was fourteen, tragedy struck. A deadly plague swept through the region, decimating the towns and villages. Even the quiet town of Patara could not escape the disease. Hundreds died, including

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