>THE ORIGIN OF SANTA CLAUS<

To begin, actually the truth of the matter is that the modern Santa Claus is a conglomeration of sources, a legendary being that has evolved over the years. Along the way, pre-Christian legends, the story of St. Nicholas, Dutch immigrants to America, Clement Moore, Thomas Nast and the Coca-Cola company, have all made their contributions.

THE SAINT NICHOLAS CONNECTION

It is well known that the name "Santa Claus" is derived from the Dutch, "Sinter Klaas", which in turn, was a form of Saint Nicholas. Our modern Santa Claus took his name from the Christian Saint Nicholas, and to which, both the Eastern and Western Church claims to be the object of extreme veneration. Ironically, little factual information is actually known about this popular saint. The feast of St. Nicholas, held on December 6, has been observed with great enthusiasm throughout Medieval Europe over the centuries. This enthusiasm was due to the many legends, stating that St. Nicholas had distributed gifts to the poor, at night, through their windows, giving gifts to those who had been good. In some variations of the legend, he was accompanied by Black Peter, an elf, whose job was to punish children who had been bad.

SANTA CLAUS IN AMERICA

When the Dutch established their colony of "New Amsterdam" in America in the 17th century, they brought with them the traditional "visit" from Sinter Klaas (St. Nicholas) on the eve of December 5th. It is believed that when the English later took over the colony, and renamed it New York, the English children began longing for a kindly "Sinter Klaas" of their own, who would bring them gifts. However, because the English Protestants did not observe saints days, the Sinter Klaas visit was moved to Christmas Eve.

There is a consensus that the person most responsible for shaping the American version of Santa Claus, is Dr. Clement Clark Moore. a theology and classics professor at Union Seminary. What did Moore do to earn this honor.......... in 1822 he wrote a simple poem for his children entitled, "A Visit from St. Nicholas" that begins with the now famous words:

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 the hope that St. Nicholas soon would be there.

In any case, in describing St. Nicholas, Moore want beyond anything that had been said yet. It was Moore who increased the number of reindeer to eight and gave us their names. It was he, who described Santa going up and down the chimney, leaving toys in stockings, hung by the fireplace. Moore's St Nick was "chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf"; He carried a bundle of toys on his back;  "he had eyes that twinkled, dimples that were merry, cheeks like roses, a broad face and a little round belly". Moore's Santa was also a small elf who flew in a "miniature sleigh" pulled by eight "tiny" reindeer.

It was Bavarian illustrator Thomas Nast, who gave us the picture of Santa Claus, now so common. Nast was clearly inspired by Moore's 1822 poem and added additional features to the Santa Claus evolution, such as, Santa's home at the North Pole, his workshop filled with elves, and his list of all the good and bad children of the world.

Believe it or not, the Coca-Cola company also contributed to the modern Santa Claus. Beginning in 1931 and for 35 years thereafter, Coke ran advertisements that featured a human-size Santa (not elf size) drinking Coke. These ads contributed much to the modern image of Santa Claus and the drinking of Coke, ads you see to this day.

CONCLUSION

When conclusions are drawn about the origin of Santa Claus, they have been shaped by many factors and are a conglomeration of myths and legends. When surveying the history of the evolution of Santa Claus, the critical point occurred when the St. Nicholas visit was transferred from December 6 to December 25. Generally speaking, Christians see Santa Claus, in and of itself, as a great story to tell children, colorful, musical and fun. Generally, they don't have a problem linking Santa with Christmas-the birth of Christ, especially since it is not known exactly when Christ was born.

To all....... have a wonderful and safe holiday season and take advantage of the opportunity to spend time with friends and relatives...."and to all, a good night"

For all your Real Estate, Insurance needs and helpful hints, call  LEGACY REALTY GROUP, Edison, NJ. 732.744.0400

THE HISTORY OF HANUKKAH (CHANUKAH)

Hanukkah or Chanukah (for anyone not aware) is the eight day festival celebrated by Jewish people around the world. The history of Hanukkah dates back to 165 BCE. The land of Judea was ruled by Antiochus, a Syrian King, who ordered the Jews to reject all their rituals and beliefs, forcing them to worship Greek Gods and eat the meat of a pig. Out of fear of the Greek Soldiers, some Jews obeyed, while the remaining Jewish people, would not comply to these orders, both of which were against Jewish law, and out of anger, decided to fight back.

A Jewish High Priest, Mattahias and his five sons, attacked and killed many of the Greek soldiers, then took asylum nearby. When Mattahias died a year later, his son Judah Maccabee took charge of the Jewish Army, committed to defeat the Greek Soldiers. The determined army fought fiercely and successfully defeated the Greek Soldiers. Judah and his men then traveled to the Holy Temple to attend to it's restoration. While they were cleaning and repairing the damages to the temple, which was in shambles, they discovered that many precious items were missing or had been destroyed. They repaired what was left, including the Menorah, a nine branched candelabrum. They discovered that the limited amount of purified oil, which could only light the Menorah for one night, miraculously burned for eight days, thus giving rise to the establishment of Hanukkah, "The Festival of Lights". This eight day festival is celebrated to commemorate the re-dedication of the Holy Temple and the victory of Judah Maccabee over the Greeks. During this eight day festival, Jews light one candle on the Menorah each night, preceded by Jewish blessings. According to the Hanukkah tradition, the candles should not be blown out.

This year, on Thursday, November 28, 2013, Hanukkah and Thanksgiving occur on the same day, an astronomical merging of the Holidays, that will not happen again for 77,000 years. Since this will be a "once in a lifetime" event, perhaps there could be a turkey shaped Menorah called a "Menurkey", or a "Thanksgivukka" to honor both Holidays. Pardon the humor.
Ironically, in 2016, Hanukkah begins on Christmas Eve. Not as spectacular an event as this year, but special nevertheless.

ENJOY YOUR HOLIDAYS !!!!!!!

For all your Real Estate and Insurance needs and helpful hints, contact, LEGACY REALTY GROUP, Edison, NJ. 732.744.0400

THE ORIGIN OF AMERICA'S ANNUAL THANKSGIVING DAY.........



In the year 1620, the Pilgrims, being unprepared for the starvation
and sickness of a harsh New England Winter, suffered greatly and
nearly half died before Spring. Persevering, and assisted by helpful
Indians, they reaped a bountiful harvest, the following Summer. The
grateful Pilgrims then declared a three-day feast, starting on
December 13, 1621, to celebrate with their Indian friends. While this
was not the first Thanksgiving in America (Thanksgiving services were
held in Virginia as early as 1607) It was America's first Thanksgiving
festival.



In 1789, following a proclamation by President George Washington,
America celebrated it's first day of Thanksgiving to God, under its
new constitution. That same year, the Protestant Episcopal Church, of
which President Washington was a member, announced that the first
Thursday in November would become its regular day for giving thanks,
"unless another day be appointed by the civil authorities". Yet,
despite these early national proclamations, official Thanksgiving
observances usually occurred only at the State level.



Much of the credit for the adoption of a later ANNUAL national
Thanksgiving Day, may be attributed to Mrs. Sarah Joseph Hale, the
editor of "Godey's Lady Book". For thirty years, she promoted the idea
of a national Thanksgiving day, contacting President after President
until President Abraham Lincoln responded in 1863, by setting aside
the last Thursday of November, as a national Day of Thanksgiving. Over
the next seventy-five years, Presidents followed Lincoln's precedent,
annually declaring a national Thanksgiving Day. Then in 1941, Congress
permanently established the fourth Thursday of each November as a
national holiday.



If you already knew this.......CONGRATULATIONS. Have a wonderful and
safe Thanksgiving Holiday.



For all your Real Estate and Insurance needs and helpful hints,
contact, LEGACY REALTY GROUP, Edison, NJ. 732.744.0400

KEEP YOUR KITCHEN SAFE THIS THANKSGIVING..........



According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), home or
structure fires were responsible for 84% of all fire deaths in 2011.*
Approximately 484,500 home fires occurred, causing:

> 2,640 deaths

> 15,635 injuries

> $9.7 billion in property loss

Fires resulting from cooking continue to be the most common type of
fire experienced in U.S. households. Annually, cooking fires account
for an estimated 45% of all fires. With the Thanksgiving Holiday
approaching, it is important to review these safety tips to help
ensure that your holiday celebrations don't go up in flames.



RECIPE FOR KITCHEN SAFETY:



> Stay in the kitchen when you are cooking on the stovetop, so you can keep a watchful eye on the food.

> Stay in the home when cooking your turkey, and check on it frequently.

> Watch children closely. It is a good rule to keep children a minimum of three feet away from the cooking area.

> Clean cooking surfaces to prevent grease and food build-up.

> Keep curtains, towels and pot holders away from cooking surfaces, and flammable cleaners away from heat sources. Never keep gasoline in the
   house.

>Turn pan & pot handles inward to prevent food spills.

> Be sure that cords from electric appliances are not dangling off the counter, within easy reach of a child.

> Make sure your smoke alarms are working, by testing them prior to beginning food preparation.



Though some fires are unavoidable acts of nature or unpredictable
accidents, the greatest majority of fires result from human
carelessness.

Be extra careful and make this Thanksgiving the joyous celebration it
is meant to be........ not a thoughtless nightmare.



For all your Real Estate, Insurance needs and continued helpful hints,
contact LEGACY REALTY GROUP, Edison, NJ. 732.744.0400

WHAT YOU SHOULD EXPECT, WHEN SELLING OR BUYING A HOME THROUGH A REALTOR:

The National Association of Realtors, code of ethics standards, mandate the following representation from your Agent/Realtor, and for the best results, you should accept nothing less. The five most challenging and often ignored articles, are as follows.

ARTICLE 1: Fiduciary duty

To "protect and promote" the client's interest is to focus on what's best for the client you represent, while being honest with all parties.

ARTICLE 2: Disclosure of pertinent or material facts

Property condition disclosures are vital. Make sure property defects and adverse factors are disclosed to the buyer or tenant.

ARTICLE 3: Cooperation with other brokers

"Cooperation" is not about being polite and is not a synonym for "compensation".  Cooperation is defined as sharing information about listings and making listings available for showings.

ARTICLE 9: Written agreements

The basic idea of this article is to get everything in writing. Sometimes buyers and sellers have different notions of what should be included or excluded from the sale or lease. Always make sure these inclusions and exclusions are written into the transaction documents, so that the parties are not relying on flyers, brochures, disclosure statements or MLS information.

ARTICLE 12: True picture

Always present a true picture in advertising, marketing and other representations. This mandate applies not just to traditional marketing, but also to Facebook, Google+, Twitter, texts and all other social media.

These articles appeared in The National Association of Realtors Magazine and are directed to Realtors and the manner in which their clients must be represented. However, these are the most common areas in which Realtors become sloppy. 

For all of your Real Estate and Insurance needs, contact, LEGACY REALTY GROUP, Edison, N.J. 732.744.0400