Father Christmas: A History!

     With Christmas nearing in on all of is with only 6 days left, I felt it appropriate to talk about holiday related topics! Today I'd like to talk about Christmas, and everyone's favorite: SANTA CLAUS! Santa Claus, also known as Saint Nickolas, Father Christmas and also "Santa", is a figure with legend, myth, history, and even magical origins! Santa is rumored to bring presents to the homes of all the good children during the late evenings and over night hours of December 24th, also known as Christmas Eve.

     Santa Claus is generally portrayed as a hefty, joyful, white bearded man - sometimes with glasses - wearing a red coat with white collar cuffs, white cuffed red trousers, and a black leather belt and boots. According to tradition, which can be traced to the 1820's, Santa lives at the North Pole, with a large number of elves and nine flying reindeer to pull his sleigh named Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and with Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer leading the pack!
     Santa has been believed to make a list of children throughout the world categorizing them according to their behavior ranging from naughty to nice. Santa is rumored to deliver presents of toys and candy to the good children of the world, and coal to the naughty children.

     The tradition of Santa Claus entering ones home through the chimney is shared by many European seasonal gift-givers. In the tale of Saint Nicholas, the saint tossed coins through a window, and, in a later version of the tale, down a chimney when he finds the window locked. Santa's entrance into homes on Christmas Eve via the chimney was made part of American tradition through Moore's A Visit from Saint Nicholas where the author described him as an elf. The North American traditions associated with Santa Claus are derived from a number of Christmas traditions from various countries. Some rituals (such as visiting a department store Santa) occur in the weeks and days before Christmas while others, such as preparing snacks for Santa, are specific to Christmas Eve. Some rituals, such as setting out stockings to be filled with gifts, are age-old traditions.

     Santa Claus appears in the weeks before Christmas in department stores or shopping malls, or at parties. The practice of this has been credited to James Edgar, as he started doing this in 1890 in his Brockton, Massachusetts department store. He is played by an actor, usually helped by other actors (often mall employees) dressed as elves or other creatures of folklore associated with Santa. Santa's function is either to promote the store's image by distributing small gifts to children, or to provide a seasonal experience to children by listening to their wishlist while having them sit on his knee. Sometimes a photograph of the child and Santa are taken. Having a Santa set up to take pictures with children is a ritual that dates back at least to 1918. 

    Writing letters to Santa Claus has been a Christmas tradition for children for many years. These letters normally contain a wishlist of toys and assertions of good behavior. Girls generally write longer but more polite lists and express the nature of Christmas more in their letters than in letters written by boys. Girls also more often request gifts for other people.
     Santa isn't the only one who loves Christmas! Here at Azuma we love the holiday season and recognize as many different holidays and traditions as we can! Until next time, keep it clean, and ha-ha-ha-happy holidays!

     

Fall Into Heathly Routines

   Depending on where you are in the country, fall is well underway. With the cooling temperatures, comes a sense of change and newness. Fall is a time of transformation, the temperature drops and the leaves start to turn color, before ascending to the ground below. With this seasonal shift, however, it is important to remain grounded to ensure you get the most out of this time of change.

   Ayurveda is the ancient "science of life" that defines and separates people into three main categories, called doshas. The dosha most prevalent in the fall is vata. This dosha corresponds with the elements air and space, and is associated with the nervous system. Therefore, if a vata imbalance is to occur, it can greatly affect your mental state - that is why it is so important to stay grounded! Here are a few ways to help keep your vata balanced this season:

Yoga

   Yoga is recommended for each type of dosha, but especially when a vata balance is at stake. During this season, you want to choose asanas that focus on the lungs and large intestine. Also, you'll want to keep a routine and try to do yoga for the same amount of time (at the same time) each day. A few poses that are very beneficial this season are: Twists (twisted sage pose), Side Stretches (head-to-knee forward bend), Backbends (camel pose), Warrior poses, and Sun Salutations (to keep your body warm)!

Diet

   During the fall, you want to focus on warming foods to keep vata balanced. Hot teas and warm soups are extremely beneficial during these cooling months. Avoid raw, uncooked food as it has a tendency to cause vata imbalance. Eat foods that are warm, moist, and cooked in oil, butter, or ghee. Eating root vegetables helps to ground and connects you to the earth, so focus on these in your stews and soups. Keep in mind that salty, sweet, and sour tastes are calming to vata, so plan your meals accordingly.

Lifestyle

   Routines are always helpful, but more so when vata is present. You'll want to keep strict on your waking and sleeping schedules, aim to be in bed before midnight if you can. It is recommended you be asleep by 10pm, which some might be able to do but with most people's work/life schedules I think it's a bit unlikely these days. Regardless, you want to make sure you get the minimum 6 hours of sleep to ensure proper rest. Aim to meditate for at least 10 minutes upon waking and just before going to sleep. I like to YouTube guided meditations like this one. During the colder months, you want to use body oils to keep the skin moist and supple. This also reduces the vata emotions of anxiety, depression, fear, and nervousness.

   These are just a few of the beneficial practices you can use to keep yourself grounded and balanced this season.  I hope you have learned something new and encourage you to look further into Ayurvedic living. Think warm, happy thoughts and have a wonderful fall day! :)