Let’s investigate now what is known about a myth associated with Christmas that many people believed in, and were encouraged in that belief, until they grew up somewhat; I refer to Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle and others. It’s an amazing smorgasbord of interweaving stories and shows how stories can grow and spread out tentacles that become stories in their own right.

Christmas has been in our eyes and ears and pocket books since the day after Thanksgiving. So I thought to go once again into the labyrinth of the invention of Christmas and many of its current ramifications in the next few postings. It is a fascinating example of how a story continually told over many years becomes its own evidence. ‘Everybody knows’ is not evidence. Almost everyone in my favorite coffee house ‘knows’ a tremendous amount about Tiger Woods. None of them have ever met him, nor are they likely to meet him.

As the years go by, or rather swish by for long lived people, it seems as if almost every day of the year becomes an anniversary of something or other. Saturday May 10th is no exception for people of my nationality and generation.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a song almost as likely to be heard this time of year as I’m dreaming of a White Christmas. Like all songs it has a little story and some trivia associated with it. Here is the modern story, and we’ll try and pull in some ancient stuff at the end to connect Rudolph with the far past.