Christmas Special : Evolution from St. Nicholas to Santa Claus

Evolution from St. Nicholas to Santa Claus

Father Christmas, old Saint Nick and Kris Kringle are some of the names given to the most awaited man every December 24- the night before Christmas. We commonly call him ‘Santa Claus”- a fat, white beard man wearing a red coat with white fur collar, a red hat and black leather belt and has a flying reindeer who pulls his sleigh. He has a list of children as per their behaviour and comes from North Pole and circumnavigates the globe to deliver gifts to well behaved kids. But we forgot sometimes that this ebullient gnome who sneaks down the chimney every year has a history which is more than 1700 years old.

His character seems to be timeless but this man has a vibrant story of existence. Around 1700 years ago, in the heart of Roman Empire in a town in Turkey called Patara, a boy named Nicholas (means “hero of the people”) was born who appeared outstandingly sacred and divine from the time of his birth. He was a caring and compassionate boy who loved to help people by sharing his meals. At a very youthful age, he joined church and was later named as “Boy Bishop”.  When he was thirty, the old diocese of Mira needed a new person in command and the ongoing bishop received a sign from God about making Nicholas the next Bishop of Mira.

 His righteous deeds helped him earn the global reputation- known as a man who is a protector of innocents and is well acquainted with the difference between right and wrong. He once came to know that his neighbour did not have dowry for her daughter’s marriage and as a result she would be sold off into prostitution or slavery. In order to save her from dreadful fate, he secretly tied some of his own family’s gold into a handkerchief and dropped it through neighbour’s window. This further gave idea of the gifts in the Christmas stockings as people hang their socks out in front of the fireplace to dry. His repeated acts of generosity made him famous and people spoke of his late-night nameless presents and his granting of secret wishes. Being a protector of faith and humanity, he was soon named as Saint Nicolas by the people who heard and witnessed his miracles. He became embodiment of righteousness and his kind deeds made him the patron of all who were in need but he achieved his greatest fame as a patron of the most vulnerable among us i.e. children. His popularity continues to mount until the time of Reformation movement- which forbade the practice of honoring saints.  

In America, the name of Saint Nicolas went through many alterations. Dutch’s Sint Nikolass became Santa Claus in America and instead of giving gifts on his birthday (December, 6) he became a part of Christmas holiday. In 1837, a poem named “A Visit from St. Nicholas” by Clement Clarke Moore left an enormous impact on history of Christmas gift- giving.

The lines from the poem describe him as a jolly, fat man who gives gifts to all well behaved children and has changed the image of Santa Claus forever:

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her ’kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
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,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St. Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a pedler just opening his pack.
His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle,
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."

Moore’s poem looked both forward and back and it formed a bridge between St. Nicholas and the modern Santa Claus.

Now came the question- what does he look like? There were multiple illustrators who presented all different kinds of images and visions. Some of them looked very saintly and other looked very pagan. The cartoonist Thomas Nast, often considered as “father of American Cartoon” conceived and introduced the modern image of Claus. He added to the Saint Nicholas legend with an 1881 issue of Harper’s Weekly drawing of Santa as wearing a red suit with white fur trim. His image was inspired from the Coca Cola Company’s modern Santa Claus.  With each rendition he added new elements to Santa’s story- like his drawing of Santa with telescope conveyed that Santa lives in the North Pole. He also acquainted us with Santa’s big book of good and bad children and also showed Santa as taking a Christmas wish over the newfangled telephone. He presented the picture of Santa’s home life. So, in times to come Santa will not only be known for his generosity but for his salesmanship as well.  

Dr. Ranbir Kaur
December 25, 2019

Internet: A Life Line for Elderly People

Internet: A Life Line for Elderly People

Internet has become a world’s sensation and has become an integral part of modern life. As of June 2018, 55.1% of the world’s population has Internet access and in comparison to youngsters, elderly people are thought to be late adopters of the technology. They initially perceive Internet as a superfluous fad but have turned out to be more addictive users.

Life of old people unexpectedly takes a sea change when they retire as there comes a sudden halt in their lives being completely away from the accustomed external hustle bustle. Unfortunately, there comes an inevitable sense of isolation which further triggers depression and negative emotions in elderly people.

According to a study by the London-based Institute of Economic Affairs, the possibility that someone will endure from clinical depression essentially goes up by about 40% after retiring. Retirement makes one aware of the fact that the person is aging, with fears about death, sickness, and disability arising. When my father retired I could see a drastic change in his personality. A feeling of loss rushed into his mind as he was struggling to comprehend- who he is and what his value is. I once asked him “what kind of change he feels after retirement?” and he replied “the transition from “work-life” to “retired-life” brings a lot of emotions, including sadness and sometimes there comes a loss of identity when I am no longer defined by a job title”. That was a straight but an answer that raised numerous questions in my mind. Do retirement really makes one feel less empowered and helpless. After retirement he had nothing to keep him busy and on his 62^nd birthday I gifted him with a smart phone and I observed a radical change in his behaviour. He was more positive and more vivacious as if he has got a 24x7 companion.

Internet has profoundly changed the life of elderly people in a positive manner. It has helped a lot in promoting social engagement as elderly people participate in online communities, have video chat sessions with their friends and relatives. This constant interaction helps them to remain mentally stimulated and stress free.

With age there comes a decline in cognitive ability of a person and the same decline happens with the elderly people as their ability to communicate and their problem solving skills starts deteriorating. However, research has shown that progression of cognitive decline can be slowed down if the mind remains stimulated. Internet keeps the mind of elderly people preoccupied as they engage themselves in watching videos, playing online games and by communicating with their old friends via video or texting.

Internet has even helped elderly people in maintaining their health as they easily access information about health. They can get all kinds of information concerning health condition, home remedies, fitness exercises, medications and all other ways to improve their health in an easier manner. E- Health has also become a new emerging trend which helps the elderly people book their appointment online without any hassle; as going to doctor in person and standing in queue turns out to be bothersome. Internet helps them to have a constant contact with their concerned doctors as they can share their day to day medical report and get the instant timely feedback. The online workout videos helps the elderly people to maintain their physical health as it helps them to obtain information on how to perform specific exercise and also to track their fitness history.

Elderly people do have unfulfilled desire of learning or doing certain things in their life time but due to some time constraints and responsibilities are unable to do so. This Internet world is a storehouse of knowledge and gives an immense opportunity to elderly people to relive their lives again. There is plethora of online courses available on different topics and people can join a learning group dedicated to sharing knowledge about their favourite topic and that to being stationary. Coming in contact with thousands of like minded people can boost their self confidence as they get the opportunity of getting into different kinds of online discussions.

Internet has also provided a new benefit to elderly people.  After attaining the proficiency, the elderly people even do online shopping as doing market shopping is unnerving and distressing. Buying presents for friends and family brings a kind of closeness in relationships. Online shopping has made shopping convenient as they can even buy grocery without being dependent on anyone which further creates a very satisfying feeling of independence. It inculcates in them the feeling of being capable of doing their work on their own and eliminates the feeling of being parasite in old age.

Thus, one can say that Internet has turned out to be boon for the elderly people as it has made their life more busy, entertaining and exciting. Meeting new people, learning new information and exploring the world from the comfort of home has made their lives more vivacious and stress free.

Dr. Ranbir Kaur

12 December 2019

Let me Fly: A Tribute to Girlhood Dreams

Let me Fly: A Tribute to Girlhood Dreams

20s is the age at which you’re finally considered a “real” adult by society. Suddenly the world gets broadened up and one has so many things in one’s bucket list. It is a ‘phase of expectations’; expectations from your parents, expectation that society starts building for you and above all your own expectations from yourself. Ironically, what society expects from you is completely different from what you have dreamt about you.

When you finish your colleges at the age of 22, on the one hand you aspire to do so many things and on the other hand your parents start getting marriage proposals for you. In their opinion this is the perfect age to get married as there is no dearth of proposals. Conversations on this topic become the staple discussion and the constant chatter about this prompt an unsolicited stress in girl’s life. Out of frustration, I once asked my mother about this and she said to me, “In our society the perfect age for a girl to get married is 20s and the stigma surrounds her if she crosses 30 and is labelled as “left over” and “discarded””. Her reply saddened me and I realized that being successful or being educated is futile unless all this helps you to get a wealthy husband.

Society starts asserting the pros and cons of getting married at this age. The basic benefit of getting married in 20s is that biologically woman’s fertility is at its prime and it’s stressful knowing that there’s a time limit to fertility. But this doesn’t mean that young women can’t face fertility issues. Richard Paulson, M.D., Chief of division of productive endocrinology and infertility at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California asserts “No one is immune to infertility”. In 20s women do have good egg quality but still there can be other issues that can hinder pregnancy such as tubal issues. Beyond medical standpoint getting married in 20s can bring mini- depression to women as women veer off their professional path, which they might regret down the road.  Many women, who conceive at this age end up thinking that they have brought a halt in their professional realms. They are not settled in their own skins and the thought of moving away from their dreams and aspiration starts killing and deteriorating their minds.

Seeing the present scenario one can ask-Is marriage becoming obsolete? Women have changed their priorities and marriage has become off the table. They prefer short term relationships than to deal with the struggles and doubts of a long term relationships. Women who are career oriented are so busy in achieving their personal goals that getting into commitments can be digressing and distressing thing for them. Being married and being a mother is a big responsibility and life of a woman takes a U turn once she gets into these roles. Sarabjeet Kaur, Bsnl, Jammu asserts, “mothering is a never ending, demanding world of diaper changing, breast feeding, sleepless nights and in pursuit of being a good mother one forgets to be kind to oneself”.

A woman takes a range of roles in her lifetime and deserves a contingent on her relationships and not on her abilities and strengths. I personally have a problem with conditional respect and even bigger problem with making these roles to- do list that all girls are believed to check to become a woman. Even after 71 years of Independence woman is treated as frail and someone who is dependent on male counterpart for her financial as well personal security. My concern in this article is to assert that women should be given the right to define themselves. Give them the breathing room to be much more than what society and world at large expects from them. Let them chase their dreams and passions without having to worry about checking a to-do list of ideal womanhood. Tell yourself and everyone that a woman is above all, a human being and that she should be set free to make her life’s decisions without being judged by the society. It is her life and she should get married when she is prepared to get married and also when she gets the right person. It should be completely her decision whether she wishes to marry at the age of 20 or wants to pursue with her professional career.


Dr. Ranbir Kaur
11 December 2019