A quick survey of the holiday's symbols--jolly old St. Nick, hymns to Christ, angel ornaments, advent wreaths, candlelight church services and crèches of all shapes and sizes--would indicate that the Christmas tradition is, without a doubt, Christian.
But according to some observers, including Saratoga's Don Miller, the American holiday and its original figurehead, Father Christmas, have pagan origins.
Miller has spent the last 14 seasons portraying Father Christmas at local functions and charities. This year, among other places, Miller visited the Saratoga Community Center to tell tales of "Christmas Around the World." He showed slides and explained the evolution of Father Christmas and various other international winter holiday figures, including Santa Claus.
"We are all celebrating the winter solstice. It's a common time in December," said Miller, who has lived in Saratoga for 24 years. "There are similar themes of rebirth and sentiments of peace."
The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year and the time when the sun is at the greatest distance from the celestial equator.
Father Christmas, the English equivalent of Santa Claus, is a stout man wearing a scarlet robe lined with fur and crowned with a wreath of holly, ivy and mistletoe. The image is more than 500 years old, evolving from several pagan predecessors.
Father Christmas began with a Roman celebration of Saturn's return. Saturn was a giant who brought food and wine, joy and revelry for humanity. The Saturn image was combined with Northern Europe's Norse god, Odin, Miller said. Odin's raging host of spirits would sweep across Europe during the winter.
As Europe became a predominantly Christian continent, these pagan gods and celebrations were combined with Christian ones. Hence Father Christmas, with food, wine, singing, acting and gift-giving, brought secular pleasures to the English Christian tradition.
Miller said he chose to be Father Christmas over St. Nicholas for several reasons. He first played the part in 1982 for the now-defunct Saratoga Valley Institute of Theater Arts.
"We were associated with a local theater arts group that needed a Father Christmas, years ago," he said. "When I'm dressed as Santa,
I just don't feel right, and you
can get Santa on any street corner."
He said the popular American figure Santa Claus dates back 200 years to the arrival of the Dutch to North America and their Christmas figure, Sintar Klaus. He also represents St. Nicholas, the patron saint of bakers and children from the Catholic churches in Italy. St. Nicholas was combined with Sintar Klaus over the years to become Santa Claus.
"Renditions of Santa Claus over the years show the changes. Our ideas are shaped by them," Miller said. He showed a picture of Santa Claus about to leap through a chimney.
Figures honored at winter festivals held by other countries have also become part of the modern Santa. In the former Soviet Union, Father Frost became the winter figure because the Soviets had eliminated religion, Miller said. The French have Black Peter, who took care of the bad boys and girls.
The Spanish have a king figure related to the three wise men in the Christmas story, and a cookie-baking festival. "The families bake cookies and take them to the edge of town to meet the Christmas King," Miller said. "He never shows up, so the children get to eat the cookies. It is only when they return to the center of town that they find him."
The Germans brought about the Christmas tree. "They pointed to the fir tree as an image of goodness and of life," Miller said.
Meanwhile, the people of Denmark created the elves. "They were fun-loving and would have a big Christmas Eve dinner and cold food on Christmas Day."
Miller spends most of the winter season portraying Father Christmas and making presentations. He performs with his wife, Frances Miller, who plays Mother Christmas, for various organizations and special events.
The couple runs a company called Fantasy Fare, which they started after they "retired." Don Miller worked 26 years for IBM as a manager of business operations, and Frances Miller worked as an art and drama teacher in local schools.
For Fantasy Fare, they appear as characters for various theme parties, provide Renaissance decorations, and appear as Father and Mother Christmas at holiday celebrations. They have performed at events sponsored by Mirassou Winery, the Saratoga Historical Society and the Saratoga Rotary Club. Frances recently designed the menu and decorations for a 50-person Renaissance party.
When the Millers aren't performing, they spend time with their family. They have seven children, who range in age from 31 to 45. Each year, they host an all-day open house on Christmas Day, so their many children and grandchildren can visit them.
"We open gifts, have good food, a buffet, and we sometimes dress up," Miller said. "But it does take an hour to do the makeup and costumes."
The best part of being Father Christmas is the reactions he gets from people, Miller said.
"I like the positive comments I get from people who see me as real, as opposed to a fake Santa Claus," he said. "I even have a real gray-white beard."
This article appeared in the Saratoga News, Wednesday, December 20, 1995.
©1995 Metro Publishing Inc. All rights reserved.