Christmas
The weather has gotten even cooler. The leaves are near finished changing colors, possibly have already fallen from the early season's winds. People seem to be happy and joyous, or stressed out in anticipation of the festivities of the Christmas season. Houses blink of bright colors, wreaths adorn doors, windows and walls. Christmas trees tell a story of family generations through their ornaments. Sweets are available everywhere you look. Christians are emotionally moved by the Nativity story. Others focus on the festivities and the arrival of Santa.
The Word Christmas
The word Christmas is an interesting thing. “Christ” obviously refers to Jesus Christ. The word Christmas comes from the original Greek of Christos, which means anointed one. The “mas” comes from Old English “masses,” which comes from the Latin “missa," referring to the Christian church service (the Eucharist of the Lord’s Supper). It originally began as two words, Christes Maesse, meaning Christ’s Mass. Then the word changed into Christmaesse, and finally into Christmas. The earliest account of the word is in Old English writings from 1038 AD. The celebration was actually first called the Festival of the Nativity until the word Christmas became popular and the previous title was abandoned.
Merry Christmas Origin
Christmas originally was a Christian holiday. Around the 4th century, the early church decided 25th would be the day to celebrate the birth of Christ. The church chose this date to align with a few of the Roman pagan winter festivals. They wanted Christians to focus on Christ as the “Light of the World." The church included some of the traditions like feasting, Yule log, gift giving, and decorating trees with a more Christian meaning. They did this with the idea that it would attract many to the Christian faith.
The Christmas Tree
In the 16th century Germans began to decorate with apples, nuts and candles.The evergreen trees, similar to the evergreen boughs of the Vikings, Romans and Celtic, symbolized everlasting life. The Christmas tree gained its popularity in Britain when in 1848, London News illustrated a picture of royalty decorating a tree. In America, German immigrants in the 1820s introduced this custom. However, it was not commonplace until the Victorian era.
Candy Cane Origin
In 1670, a choirmaster took white sugar sticks and bent them in the shape of a shepherd's hook in an attempt to keep choir children quiet during long Nativity church services, the shepherd's staff representing Jesus. Over time the symbolizing began; white for the purity of Christ, the "J” for Jesus, the red for the blood of Christ, and peppermint for hyssop (a Biblical herb that was to signify cleansing).
In 1887 in Ohio, a German man was the first in America to introduce the candy cane decor on his Christmas tree. It wasn’t until the 1900s that red stripes started to appear on the canes. No one seems to know exactly when or who started this addition. It wasn’t until the 1950s, with the development of a manufacturing machine, that candy canes could be mass produced. Currently, 1.76 billion candy canes are made annually in the United States.
Santa Claus
A 4th century Greek bishop from Myra (modern-day Turkey) is credited as being the one who started Santa Claus. The name St. Nicholas was given to him as he secretly gave to the poor, children and sailors. His Dutch name was "Sinterklaas," which evolved into Santa Claus. It was Dutch settlers who brought the tradition of Sinterklaas to America. On December 6th eve, European children received gifts, called Feast of St. Nicholas. In 1821, an unknown author's poem, The Children's Friend, depicted a gift giver in a sleigh with reindeer. Then in 1823, the poem, "A Visit from St. Nicholas," now called, "The Night Before Christmas," permanently set the characteristics of today's Santa Claus, a jolly elf like figure, with a sleigh and reindeer, bringing gifts on Christmas Eve. In 1863, cartoonist Thomas Nast first illustrated Santa Claus, solidifying in the 1880s to Santa's red suit, white beard and jolly look. Later, Coca-Cola would use Santa Claus to help promote the sweet festive drink, which now has become an everyday beverage.
Lucas Fitzgerald
Lucas Fizgerald was originally named Lucias . His father, Lord Fitzgerald, was a very shady multimillionaire. After turning eighteen years old, he became increasingly aware of his father’s shady behavior. He was so appalled by this that he distanced himself from his father and began making his own empire, the honest way. To further distinguish himself, he dropped the “i” in Lucias and became Lucas. The original family mascot was a wolf , black and red were the family colors. Lucas decided to reinvent himself completely and developed his own markers.
His father had given him a piece of land to start his own adult life. It was there that Lucas got his inspiration. He had a favorite tree on the property that he would horseback ride to, to think or enjoy the outdoors. One day he discovered an abandoned red fox. Lucas never made the fox a pet, but he did visit often. The fox, named Ranger, bonded with Lucas. Ranger would come and sit with him and allow some petting. It was that fox that gave Lucas his emblem of a fox, and his signature family colors of orange and black.
Lucas, like his father early in life, became a multimillionaire. He is part owner of a family entertainment estate, and owner of the McGorian hotel. When not being chauffeured in a limo, he drives either his Lamborghini or Ferrari. His mansion and estate is magnificent beyond words. Most often Lucas can be seen with his Shiba Inu dog.
Lucas Fitzgerald is a well known and respected man in the community. He is now the main investor and developer of Foxville.