According to the British Medical Journal in their annual Christmas issue, Santa Claus is a bad role model. Not only is he obese but his reckless speeding has been well documented, travelling the world in a single night. He’s also been suspected of drink-driving due to the alcohol consumed at many of the households he visits with empty beer bottles left as damning evidence.
He has also been known to endorse Coca Cola, cigarettes and may other unhealthy products. But it hasn’t always been this way, modern life hasn’t been kind to Santa Claus ( or Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Kris Kringle as he’s also known).
Wikipedia says that the modern Santa Claus is amalgam of a number of real historical figures and characters of folk law the main 3 being Saint Nicholas, a 4th Century Greek Christian Bishop who was known for giving gifts to the poor; Odin a mythical pre christian Norse God who rode a flying horse and replaced gifts of food left out for him with candy; and the Dutch and Belgian Sinterklaas (translated as Santa Claus) who used to carry a spear and a bag for holding naughty children.
This is a far cry from the podgy, reckless Santa that we know today, he’s neither a Saint nor enforcer of good behaviour. So what went wrong with Santa? Your theories would be welcome. Merry Christmas.
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