Book Explores Story Behind Santa and Other Legends

We all know that Rudolph and his celebrity nose were handy one Christmas night. But who knew a department store cleared the reindeer for takeoff?

It was Montgomery Ward. Looking for something to give shoppers in 1939, the company hit on a colorful booklet featuring Rudolph and his flying brethren.

Dorothy Morrison knew that.

She also knows how Santa became a holiday icon. Sure, his roots go way back (variations on St. Nick have been a fixture in world cultures for centuries) but the Coca-Cola Bottling Co. popularized the elves’ boss in early advertising campaigns.

After months of research, those are just two of the facts Morrison unearthed. Her book, “Yule: A Celebration of Light & Warmth” ($15, Llewellyn Publications, 2000), is stuffed with truths, fictions, superstitions and history.

There’s also practical info, from holiday-oriented recipes to ways to remove Grinchiness from parties.

The main motivation for “Yule,” Morrison said during an interview from her Maryland home, was to honor the season in its many shades.

“Most folks equate the holidays solely with Christmas [but] since we live in a multicultural world, there’s just more to it than that,” she explained. “Winter also brings Hanukkah, Yule and Kwaanza, as well as other festivals [around the world] too numerous to mention.

“These holidays provide us with a time for reflection, resolution and renewal. It’s a time for gift-giving, goodwill and kindness. It gives us a common ground that draws us together as people.”

Morrison’s research gained impetus from her memories of the season. Like many people, Christmas is her favorite holiday.

“My parents loved the winter holidays and made every day between Thanksgiving and Christmas a magical event,” Morrison recalled. “It began with [her father] finding the perfect tree and a weeklong decorating ritual. We made gifts, baked cooked, attended parties. It was a very special time for me.”

Although Christmas is a Christian tradition, Morrison said similar traditions emerged centuries before Christ’s birth. The earliest can be traced to Egypt more than 4,000 years ago when it was common in winter to celebrate the rebirth of the sun god Horus.

“Because the Egyptians honored Horus with a 12-month calendar, the festival lasted 12 days,” she noted. “Buildings were decorated with greenery [and] the most valued decorations were palm branches with 12 fronds.”

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Similar “sun-welcoming” festivals were adopted by other cultures, including the Greeks and Romans. These customs spread to northern Europe.

“Then Christianity sprang to the forefront and swept through the civilized world,” Morrison said. “Finally, around the 4th century, [Christian traditions began to take hold] based on the [birth and life] of Jesus, and his death and resurrection.”

Nobody could pinpoint Christ’s birth, so Dec. 25 was chosen, in part, because existing pagans already had celebrations on that day, Morrison added.

When it comes to Santa, the author said, he can probably be linked to Odin, a Norse god who was all-powerful, flew through the night and understood everything about everybody.

“That explains why Santa flies through the sky, is never seen, knows who’s naughty and nice, and has a bag of toys that never runs dry,” Morrison writes in her book.

Of course, time expanded on the big guy as more and more countries embraced him and his gifting ways. But Morrison noted that not all places include Santa or St. Nick in Christmas observations.

For instance, Italian children wait for “La Befana,” a generous witch, to bring them goodies. According to fable, La Befana spends the night searching for Christ, handing out gifts along the way.

And in Syria, a small camel drops off toys. The story, Morrison said, recounts how the camel traveled with the magi but grew tired and sick. Despite being near death, he continued, desperate to see Jesus, who made him immortal.

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Here are a few more Yule facts Morrison said she’s learned:

* Historical records show that Alabama was the first state to make Christmas a legal holiday, in 1836. Oklahoma was the last, waiting until 1907.

* The famous reindeer is actually “Donder,” not “Donner.” The name means thunder. Of course, he was paired with “Blitzen,” which means lightning.

* In Venezuela, it’s customary to attend dawn church services every day from Dec. 16 to Dec. 24. But there’s a twist: “The traditional mode of travel isn’t a car, truck or even walking shoes,” Morrison said. “It’s roller skates.”