Katie Rose Phillips once sang that she saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus, but when I was a little girl I saw him cradling Auntie Cathy’s brand new baby.

The Christmas that falls on a child’s fifth year is special and mine was no exception, old enough to appreciate the rituals, young enough to be utterly suspended in its magic.

This particular season was set to be perfect, my whole family gathered, a little brother to show the ropes to and a bigger one to learn them from. Plus a thick layer of crunchy, snowman-ready snow.

My mother had dressed the house with festive abundance, holly branches draped over all the pictures and a large wreath with pinecones suspended from the front door by a luxurious red ribbon. Everywhere a knick-knack with a story, my brother’s wobbly pottery angel holding miniature candles in her hands, a bauble brought one Wintry day from at tiny shop in London.

Not forgetting the most enormous Christmas tree, that towered above me to the ceiling. It took my father the best part of a morning and (he was quick to add) an afternoon to recover from the exertion of getting it into the hose and ready for decorating. Even my tall Mother had to use a ladder to place the fairy on top.

I handed her the decorations with the care of the keeper of the Crown jewels and with just as much pride. The ceremonial turning on of the lights when the sun had gone down lit me from within too. I was ready for the games to begin.

And so they did. A friends-filled week of mulled wine and mince pies, tobogganing, carol singing and a memorable performance of Jack and the Beanstalk, when the giant pointed to Auntie Cathy’s large tummy in the front row and joked about her not having the baby until the end of the show. Which I couldn’t understand, knowing full well the baby wouldn’t be so silly: we wanted to enjoy Christmas first!

The shaking of the presents occupied every spare minute, whispering and guessing the contents with my brothers. As the ringleader, I was chosen for the task of colouring in my father’s Christmas Day Lunch menu, a tradition that was to continue for many years to come.

I hardly thought we would have room for turkey (with all the trimmings) and a flaming Christmas pudding after consuming all the nuts, Turkish delight and Christmas cake Mum had lain in little dishes on the table next to the log fire, ready for Christmas Day.

But what really intrigued me, the bit I coloured in with extra care in gold pencil, was the ‘Special Guest Appearance’ at the bottom of the menu. I hoped against hope it would be Father Christmas but my parents were giving nothing away; I would have to wait and see.

Luckily, Christmas Eve was so packed I hardly had to time to dwell on I it, with a morning walk in the crystal white fields near our house and a lovely Church service in the afternoon, completed by a tiny nativity scene and a noisy donkey.

Exhausted that night and overcome with the promise of the next day’s excitement I could barely stop my eyes from closing as my brothers and I left the reindeers their peanut snacks under the tree and Father Christmas his glass of sherry.

Of course, I could not unwrap my presents quick enough in the morning, racing downstairs to open the assorted goodies in my hand-sewn stocking before the fun of the day unraveled, all leading up to the moment I had imagined a dozen times already: the arrival of the special guest.

I saw him arrive at the door with his fluffy beard and sack of gifts, bellowing a deep ‘ho ho ho’, bending down to cuddle me in his bright red outfit. He was every bit as impressive as I had hoped, my only disappointment being that Uncle Bill had taken a Christmas gift to our old neighbours next door and was going to miss him!

But just as he was asking if we had been good girls and boys my Aunty Cathy let out a huge moan and there was a flurry of confusion. Suddenly the adults started rushing around and all the children were ushered away to watch ‘A Christmas Carol’ on the T.V.

A commotion filtered through from next door, while in our room my big cousins wanted to know if their Mum was going to be O.K. Eventually, a short silence fell followed by the first cries of a newborn baby.

My mother came to the T.V. room and told us we should come to meet somebody. And there was Father Christmas holding the newest addition to our large family.

‘Is it the baby Jesus?’ I asked, incredulous.

‘No,’ laughed my father. ‘But it is the special guest.’

Christmas is a wonderful time to remember the special people in all our lives; friends and family, near and far. Sending an Ecard is an excellent way to avoid the postal rush, not to mention the seeking out and writing of all those addresses!

At www.katiescards.com I have created a collection of Christmas ecards that are quick to preview and just as easy to send. It’s as straightforward as choosing your favourite E card, personalizing and emailing it, with a low-cost membership to the site that allows you to send Ecards on other occasions also, from birthday ecards to Easter ecards and every special day in-between.

The selection of 20 Christmas ecards includes the telling of the traditional nativity story as well as capturing the season’s mythical charms, with the elves or a magical snow scene, every e-card designed to be a heart-warming greeting to let a loved one know you remember them as they look forward to the New Year.

So why not extend some festive cheer and choose an uplifting Ecard to send to your nearest and dearest this Christmas season?

Father Christmas.
Father Christmas dates back to the 1600’s and was based on St Nicholas. St. Nicholas was the Bishop of Myra, a city in present day turkey during the 4th century. He was a kind hearted man and wanted to give to the poor and needy without them knowing. One story says that St. Nicholas climbed the roof of a house and dropped a bag of money down the chimney which landed in a stocking that a young girl had hung to dry.
Father Christmas had a stout frame and wore a long green robe because green represented the coming of spring and the hope of new life. Sometimes his robe was trimmed with fur. He also sometimes had a wreath of holly on his head. He was a friend to all people and animals loved him too. Father Christmas flew over houses on an enchanted white horse on Christmas Eve and left presents of chocolate and fruit in shoes the children would leave out for him.
Father Christmas in France.
In France Father Christmas is known as Pere Noel here he has a donkey named Mistletoe who helps him deliver all his gifts. In France homes are decorated with greenery and beautiful Christmas trees filled with ornaments. Special attention is paid to the crèche or nativity scene. In French nativity sets you find figures of the Holy Family, sheep, wise men and also shop keepers, farmers, fisherman, townsfolk, dogs, cats etc. These represent people and things from all walks of life and are called “les santons” or little saints. On Christmas Eve the baby is added to the crèche and most families gather to eat a large dinner. After dinner the family prepares for Pere Noel. Children fill their shoes with carrots and hay for Mistletoe and leave them by the fire with a glass of wine for Pere Noel. When all are asleep Pere Noel travels with Mistletoe and an overflowing bag of gifts to each home. He fills their shoes with candies and presents.
How Father Christmas Became Santa Claus.
During the 18th century people traveled to America from all over the world, bringing with them the cultures and traditions of their homelands. One of these was Father Christmas. In 1822 a poem was written by Clement Moore called “An Account of a visit from St. Nicholas.” This described St. Nicholas as having eyes that twinkle, cheeks like roses, a smile with dimples on each side of his mouth, a white beard and mustache and he was jolly, chubby and plump. The poem also gave him an enchanted sleigh drawn by eight reindeer named, Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder and Blitzen. He came down the chimney with a large pack of toys and gifts which he used to fill the stockings and put under the tree. Then in 1865 Thomas Nast drew a picture of an elf like Santa with a long white beard. He drew similar pictures of Santa for 30 years. In 1931 the Coca Cola Company hired an artist to draw Santa as warm, friendly, chubby and human, not elf like. This led to the jolly, plump Santa Claus of today. Since then Santa has had a round plump face and frame with a merry twinkle in his eyes. He wears a red plush suit with white fur trim and wide black belt, black boots and red and white stocking hat. He always has a large pack stuffed to over flowing with toys and gifts for everyone, young or old.

If you’ve ever visited Santa’s Workshop in the North Pole you’ll know that Santa has many elves helping him to prepare for Christmas. But I bet you didn’t know that not all of the elves stay in the workshop all year round. Each and every year Santa sends some of his magical elves on a special assignment. To visit the homes of little boys and girls the world over, to spend time in their homes and with their families, and to report back to Santa about their behaviour in the run up to Christmas.

Santa’s Elf is designed to make Christmas a magical one for your children. He’s the perfect interactive tradition for families and school classes. Do you have young children who would like a visit from Santa’s Magic Elf this Christmas? Then read on and find out how to bring a little Elf Magic into your home this holiday season.

This magical elf is very mischievous and gets himself into all manner of unlikely places as he carries out Santa’s investigations. Your kids will also want to take him to visit friends and classmates so he needs to be sturdy. If you are creative you could make your own Magic Elf using material scraps, other wise you can pick one up from a store.

Your Magic Elf will need a name, a letter from Santa explaining the reason for his visit and a small notebook or journal in which he will write his Elf Report. The premise here is that Father Christmas has sent this little elf to visit your family to report back to Father Christmas on the behaviour of your children. Santa will return to collect the Elf on Christmas Eve and if they have been good he will leave gifts before whisking the Elf home to the North Pole.

You’ll need to decide on the best time for him to arrive into your house. This could be during Thanksgiving, a couple of weeks before Christmas, or even on the day you put up the Christmas Tree. Choose a day that suits your family best. You might want to put the elf in a basket along with his letter and notebook, or hide him in the Christmas Tree. Use your imagination to introduce him to your kids with a little fan fare – he is an important guest after all!

Once the Elf is settled into your house he will need to spend the evenings carrying out his research, once the little ones are sound asleep you can hide him in cupboards or behind the sofa. Carrying out Santa’s investigations is tiring work and this little elf can be known to fall asleep on the job. The kids will have to search for him in the morning to find out where he fell asleep this time.

Oh and did I mention the Elf Mischief? Yes, he has a mischievous streak and is known to take all of the pots and pans out of the kitchen cupboards, hide the remote control for the television and leave candies in coat pockets — all while the kids are fast asleep!

Come December 24 your visiting elf will need to be packed and ready for his trip home to the North Pole. Make sure you bundle him up warm with his Elf Report and place him near the chimney or window so that he can let Santa into the house. Your children might want to send him home with a letter that they have written to Santa. They’ll probably want to tell him all about the mischief that the elf got up to, how much they enjoyed his visit, and of course extend an invitation for next Christmas!

If you’ve ever visited Santa’s Workshop in the North Pole you’ll know that Santa has many elves helping him to prepare for Christmas. But I bet you didn’t know that not all of the elves stay in the workshop all year round. Each and every year Santa sends some of his magical elves on a special assignment. To visit the homes of little boys and girls the world over, to spend time in their homes and with their families, and to report back to Santa about their behaviour in the run up to Christmas.

Santa’s Elf is designed to make Christmas a magical one for your children. He’s the perfect interactive tradition for families and school classes. Do you have young children who would like a visit from Santa’s Magic Elf this Christmas? Then read on and find out how to bring a little Elf Magic into your home this holiday season.

This magical elf is very mischievous and gets himself into all manner of unlikely places as he carries out Santa’s investigations. Your kids will also want to take him to visit friends and classmates so he needs to be sturdy. If you are creative you could make your own Magic Elf using material scraps, other wise you can pick one up from a store.

Your Magic Elf will need a name, a letter from Santa explaining the reason for his visit and a small notebook or journal in which he will write his Elf Report. The premise here is that Father Christmas has sent this little elf to visit your family to report back to Father Christmas on the behaviour of your children. Santa will return to collect the Elf on Christmas Eve and if they have been good he will leave gifts before whisking the Elf home to the North Pole.

You’ll need to decide on the best time for him to arrive into your house. This could be during Thanksgiving, a couple of weeks before Christmas, or even on the day you put up the Christmas Tree. Choose a day that suits your family best. You might want to put the elf in a basket along with his letter and notebook, or hide him in the Christmas Tree. Use your imagination to introduce him to your kids with a little fan fare – he is an important guest after all!

Once the Elf is settled into your house he will need to spend the evenings carrying out his research, once the little ones are sound asleep you can hide him in cupboards or behind the sofa. Carrying out Santa’s investigations is tiring work and this little elf can be known to fall asleep on the job. The kids will have to search for him in the morning to find out where he fell asleep this time.

Oh and did I mention the Elf Mischief? Yes, he has a mischievous streak and is known to take all of the pots and pans out of the kitchen cupboards, hide the remote control for the television and leave candies in coat pockets — all while the kids are fast asleep!

Come December 24 your visiting elf will need to be packed and ready for his trip home to the North Pole. Make sure you bundle him up warm with his Elf Report and place him near the chimney or window so that he can let Santa into the house. Your children might want to send him home with a letter that they have written to Santa. They’ll probably want to tell him all about the mischief that the elf got up to, how much they enjoyed his visit, and of course extend an invitation for next Christmas!

Most people will agree Santa is the ultimate representation of Christmas. For generations young children have been putting out brandy and carrots on Christmas Eve for Santa Claus and his reindeer when he climbs down the chimney and hopefully brings a plethora of presents. But how did all this come about?

The legend of Santa can be traced back as early as the 12th century, but back then he was more of a religious symbol, being depicted as the Norse god Odin among others. The name “Santa Claus” is an American spin on the European “Saint Nicolas”, who did pretty much the same thing. In the UK, Santa is commonly known as Father Christmas.

The traditional image of Santa as a big, plump man with rosy cheeks and a white beard who dresses in red became popular in the 19th century in the USA. This image proved so popular it stuck and has been mass reproduced ever since. Santa is now a cultural icon and can be found in pretty much and popular discourse.

For the festive season, the costume item most in demand is the Santa hat. These are available in a huge range of designs and styles, from the traditional red with white trim, to Santa cowboy hats and even Christmas style earmuffs! Of course Santa hats always look better when combined with the entire Santa costume, however wearing the hat by itself is also acceptable.

No matter what age or gender you are, anyone can buy a Santa hat. Costume manufacturers have become savvy to the fact that everyone wants to resemble the big man in red, and therefore make a big push to get their products to the shops in time. That’s why you’re bound to see a sea of red and white heads walking down the high street during the holiday season. From adults to children and even university students, everyone loves a Santa hat!

The point is this- good old Saint Nick represents all that’s great about Christmas, so why not celebrate the festive season while keeping your head warm in the style of the big man? Merry Christmas!

For more information, follow Atlantis Fancy Dress and Nativity Fancy Dress

When buying your Santa costume there are some things that you need to consider to pass yourself off as an authentic Santa Claus.

Santa is rather a plump fellow with a ‘little round belly, that shook when he laughed like a bowl full of jelly’ – ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas. Father Christmas isn’t a heavy drinker, he doesn’t have a beer belly. Obviously he is plump because he eats all those mince pies on Christmas Eve. Anyway, my point is that unless you also over do it on the mince pies, you’re going to have to make yourself plump. The easiest way to do this is to sew tape ties on to the top of a cushion, so that you can wear it around your waist like an apron. You may need to give your new belly a bit of manual assistance to wobble like jelly when you laugh. When buying or renting your costume, make sure that you buy a size that will accommodate your new figure.

Santa is also known for his rosy cheeks ‘His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry’ – ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas. Of course being out in the night air so long on Christmas Eve, it’s no wonder that his cheeks are rosy. Make your cheeks and nose rosy by applying some pink blusher. Make a pink circle on each cheek and a smaller one on the tip of your nose. Don’t worry if you feel a little foolish, it will look great when you have the full costume on.

Santa’s boots are very individual, you can’t get away with just wearing black wellingtons. Santa rides on a sleigh, he doesn’t wear boots to keep his feet dry, he wears them to keep warm. Your boots need to appear to be fur lined and they need to have a fleecy turnover at the top of the boot.

Finally, you need to perfect your “Ho, Ho, Ho.” It needs to be in a low pitch and needs to sound happy. Santa’s trademark “Ho, Ho, Ho” isn’t just Santa’s chuckle for when he finds something amusing, but he also uses it when he makes a mistake. So if he leaves sooty foot prints on the carpet “Ho, Ho, Ho,.” If he knocks your Christmas tree over “Ho, Ho, Ho” and with cold numb fingers, Santa is often clumsy.

If you are dressing up as Christmas time, please make sure that you abide by this advice and do not blemish Santa’s reputation, but do have a splendid time. Laugh lots, and hover around the mince pies!

Of course Santa was a real person. He was St Nicholas, the patron saint of giving. St Nicholas was born in 300 AD. He was a holy man, being brought up in a monastery after being orphaned at an early age. He remained within the monastery and rose to the position of bishop.

He obtained his reputation for giving because there are many tales of him giving gifts to the poor and needy and in particular children.

Over the years the European community have embraced to concept of St Nick and customised it to make it their own. Because of this Santa’s appearance sometimes changes, his cloak may be described as different colours but his ‘Giving’ nature remains the same.

It is sometimes considered that Christmas festivities which do not include the nativity misconstrued the meaning of Christmas. However, St Nicholas was a religious man and lived his life according to the holy scriptures of the time and it’s because of this that Santa and the Nativity hold parallels.

The birth of Jesus Christ itself depicts God giving mankind his only son, and the prospect of the gift of eternal life. Additionally the three wise men also came bearing gifts for the baby Jesus.

Although St Nicholas lived many years ago, he still lives on. He lives because he is a major part of Christmas and we all keep Santa alive, and he lives in us every year that we give one another a gift at Christmas time. So when your child asks you if Santa Claus is real, say – Yes.

Visit www.santaspostbag.co.uk for a free special Christmas message to send to your child from Santa, so that they know that the patron saint of giving – Father Christmas himself still lives.

Who says Father Christmas or if you prefer Santa Claus isn’t real, there are many mom and dads who beg to differ on the matter while whiling away the hours gift wrapping prezzies on Christmas eve. Parents normally in the build up to Christmas day enact a game of pretence for a short period of time to ensure gaiety into the minds of their kids about Mr Snow beard himself, St Nicholas. Throughout the process of pretence adults tend to fall into the fantasy world of make believe evading any myth that Santa Clause does not exist. An imaginary Father Christmas in thought is just as good as the real thing to help conjure up an image of perfection to bring this character to life.

Imaginary proof that Father Christmas is real – permits us to make a wish in the way of a prayer for those less fortunate at this time of year. Make this Christmas the most special ever by

1 Forget slippers for dad for the time being

2 Forget flowers for mum for the time being

3 Forget your teen’s music DVD for the time being

4 Forget toy dolls/action man for the time being

A letter to Father Christmas

Dear Santa Claus, we wish for you to help make the world a better place, if everyone were to come together in synchronized thought and wish for peace and happiness for those less fortunate than them self at this festive time, I ask, would this not be the best ever Christmas gift of all.. Sadly unison of nice thoughts can never prevail because of sinners – who cause sorrow and flatly refuse to dismiss hatred therefore continuing to cause unnecessary suffering. However for those opposed to evil doers can make it happen in your home, meaning, say a prayer for those whose thoughts are hampered by heartache and vision blurred because of bloodshed in locality.

If you are in a position to help an innocent victim in a famine stricken country whose belly rumbles night and day or stem the flow of blood from an injury caused by bombs then you can make a donation to a local charity.

Christmas and Santa Claus a match made in heaven, and talking of heaven we would have no Xmas to celebrate if not for Jesus Christ. This holy invisible mighty power in the days of yesterday gave sight back to the blind and balance to those who limped. When you sit down to tuck in to your roast turkey dinner – raise your glass and wish the lord a happy birthday. If I can not fulfil your wish because of my busy work schedule then ask the main man himself to spread some happiness around the world. Imagination is a powerful asset – so use it to make your Christmas a wonderful one.

If you believe you can have and if you have you can give.

Santa Claus xxx

He is a figure known the world over, an endorsement for gift giving, the winter holiday season and cookie eating. At times he is called Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas or Kris Kringle and is arguably the most famous heavyset celebrity – well at least to precede Elvis Presley. Yes, he is the loveable, enduring and jolly old chap we call Santa Claus. In 1897 one little girl from Manhattan, at the urging of her father, took it upon herself to ask the New York Sun Newspaper once and for all if the man in the red suit was the real deal.

Countless numbers of letters are written to newspapers all around the world each year, and few if any, will ever see a moment of fame beyond the readership of their respective dailies. However, over a hundred years ago a simple letter comprised of only the words, “I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, “If you see it in The Sun, it’s so”. Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?” would go on to become one of the most enduring symbols of North America’s take on Christmas.

One day in September 1897 (historians speculate that the question arose not in December as one might expect, but in September, because this would have been shortly after the new school year had commenced and children would have already been turning their attention to Christmas) young Virginia O’Hanlon approached her father, Dr. Philip O’Hanlon (who worked for a coroner’s office), with the sort of innocence only the very young are able to possess. She likely asked in a small but inquisitive voice if the rumours of her school chums were correct, was Santa Claus fake? Now not knowing for sure how tense the air got in the room at that moment when Mr O’Hanlon’s only child asked him to debunk or concur with the tale of St. Nick, we can only assume that he did not have the heart to break the truth to her himself. And so the letter (and its reply) that would go to become almost as much a symbol of the Christmas season as Santa himself was born.

Off Virginia went to write a letter at her father’s suggestion, which she mailed herself, to the New York Sun newspaper where its answer was assigned to an ex-civil war correspondent turned newspaper editorial writer by the name of Francis Pharcellus Church. Story has it that Mr Church was not exactly jumping for joy at the assignment, but he took the child’s letter back to his desk and proceeded to write one of the most stirring tributes to Christmas that has ever graced the pages of any newspaper.

Perhaps it was the atrocities of war he had witnessed firsthand, perhaps it was his own desire to believe in Father Christmas, or perhaps it was exactly what he would have said had anyone asked him if Santa was real, but that day Francis Church wrote an earnest, dramatic and nearly poetic response to Miss O’Hanlon’s query. In no short terms he assured her that indeed Santa Claus, or at the very least the unshakable spirit and message of Saint Nicholas’s image were as real as anything else on earth.

Though at the time it ran in the New York Sun it was but the seventh editorial on its page, this candid, lively and touching response would go on to find its way into the hearts and Christmases of millions of people, spanning many generations since the 1890s.
In fact both the letter and its answer are reprinted in oodles of newspapers around the globe every year, a modern tribute and testimony to Virginia’s, Francis Church’s and Santa Claus’s contribution to the timeless beauty, wonder and magic of Christmas.

Like we all know, the real Santa Claus lives and has always lived far, far in Korvatunturi in Lapland, Finland. There, he has his home and the secret workshop, the gift shop and many other buildings. The strange thing is that the way to Korvatunturi is known only by Santa Claus himself, his elves and of course his faithful reindeer. You can easily find the location of Korvatunturi (483 meters high) on the map.

Korvatunturi is a mysterious place where the elves can listen to the children and adults whether they are good or bad. The elves listen to all the people and write their observations in the gigantic notebooks. In general, they book only positive comments on the notebooks. Sometimes it is however also necessary note down tantrums, grumbling and bad behaviour, which from time to time can accidentally happen. Especially before Christmas, the elves are known to move to homes and in neighborhoods near children making close observations about the children’s behaviour and their kindness.

Just before Christmas, Santa Claus examines all the comments in the notebooks and carefully chooses gifts for all kind and good children. In case there is a note of naughtiness, Santa Claus May also show his disapproval. Fortunately, in recent years, there have been fewer such incidents because everyone has been so good.

Did you know that in Finland, the home country of Santa Claus, he personally delivers all the gifts to the kind children? When he arrives in the house, he always asks the question: “Ho, Ho, Ho, are there any kind children here?”. Children are often singing a short song to Santa and also promise to be very good next year too. Then Santa, with the help of the children to read labels, gives the gifts to the children and sometimes to their parents too.

In many other countries Santa Claus brings gifts to the homes of children while they are asleep.In the morning, parents give the gifts to their children. At this time Santa Claus is already on his way back to Korvatunturi.

Letter from Santa Claus is a delight for everybody.

Do you remember how exciting it was to wait for Christmas when you were a child? It could have been a many years ago, but the same feelings still arise when the Christmas season begins.That is why it is so nice to get a letter just before Christmas, a letter that has been sent by the Finnish Santa Claus. You can choose from 15 different language options and your name can also been added to it – by Santa Claus of course, who naturally signs the letter.

The original letter from Father Christmas is a nice way to remember your friends and family members anywhere in the world. With the letter you can send the spirit of Christmas to your family and loved ones and are spreading the traditional, warm Christmas feeling.Delivered to your children, friends, loved ones or clients to all over the world for Christmas 2008!

Click here to order Santa´s letter