Join Eric Huang – writer and producer of the Saint Podcast – for a 4-part series, this is Lecture 4 of 4
Father Christmas, aka Santa Claus, is the commercial and secular face of Christmas—an ancient Christian festival that sought to smother older rites. The Winter Solstice, the darkest day of the year, was a perilous and liminal moment, when the forces of darkness returned to the mortal plane. Recast by Christianity as the celebration of a new-born messiah, the winter holy days nevertheless remained entangled with their pagan roots. The legends of saints such as Nicholas and Lucy merged with those of sorcerers, demons, flying animals, and resurrected corpses to give shape to modern holiday traditions. This illustrated lecture traces the evolution of Christmas and its ringleader, Santa Claus, while exploring flying cats, the demon Krampus, Coca?Cola, and the resurrection of three butchered siblings.
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