Saint Nicholas was a 4th-century saint and Greek bishop in Myra (modern-day Turkey). Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nikolaos the Wonderworker. He had a reputation for secret gift-giving, such as putting coins in the shoes of those who left them out for him, and thus became the model for Santa Claus (whose modern name comes from the Dutch Sinterklaas).
Note: Merry Christmas!
Krampus is a demonic beast-like creature from the folklore of Alpine countries thought to punish bad children during the Yule season, in contrast with Saint Nicholas, who rewards nice ones with gifts. Krampus is said to capture particularly naughty children in his sack and carry them away to his lair. The history of the Krampus figure stretches back to pre-Christian Germanic foklore.
Note: Happy Christmas Eve! Hopefully Krampus the holiday devil doesn’t show up on your street dragging rusty chains and bells.
Bigfoot, also known as sasquatch, is the name given to an ape-like creature that cryptozoologists believe inhabits forests, mainly in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Bigfoot is usually described as a large, hairy, bipedal humanoid. Scientists discount the existence of Bigfoot and consider it a combination of folklore, misidentification and hoax.
Trugernanner, often referred to as Truganini, is widely considered the last “full blood” Palawa (Aboriginal Tasmanian). Between 1803 and 1876, the black aborigines of the Australian island of Tasmania were completely destroyed by invading European settlers. The Black War, a period of conflict between British colonists and Aboriginal Tasmanians, is one of the earliest recorded modern genocides. All indigenous Tasmanian languages have been lost. Truganini died on this day in 1876.
In Roman mythology, Cupid is the god of desire, affection and erotic love. He is often portrayed as the son of the goddess Venus, with a father rarely mentioned. His Greek counterpart is Eros. Cupid is often portrayed as a nude (or sometimes diapered) winged boy or baby armed with a bow and arrows. These days we know him as a symbol of a certain commercialized holiday popularized by a greeting card company.
A plump, jolly figure in North American culture that emerged in the 1820s. He reflects an amalgamation of the Dutch Sinterklaas, the English Father Christmas and Christmas gift-bringers in other traditions. The contemporary Santa Claus was modeled after historic 4th-century saint and gift-giver Saint Nicholas (AKA Saint Nick), a Greek from Asia Minor.
Note: Merry Christmas from Kris Kringle!
A personification of death. The concept of death as a sentient entity has existed in many societies since the beginning of history. In English, Death is often given the name Grim Reaper and, from the 15th century onward, came to be shown as a skeletal figure in a hooded black cloak carrying a large scythe.
Catrina figures have been a staple of Mexican imagery since printmaker José Guadalupe Posada created a zinc etching called La Calavera Catrina (The Elegant Skull) in 1913. His skeletal parody of a Mexican upper-class woman is often incorporated into artistic manifestations of the Day of the Dead, such as altars and calavera costumes.
Note: Today is also All Saints’ Day.
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated in 1886. The robed female figure represents Libertas, a Roman goddess and embodiment of liberty. The statue, a gift from France, has become an icon of freedom and of the United States. Happy Fourth of July!
Dingledodger VonFefferhedge – No. 412
In March 2012, our 10″ garden gnome disappeared from the front yard. On the morning of Friday, May 4, he mysteriously reappeared on the front porch with a Mexican flag in his hand, a letter and a photo album of his travels. We learned that our gnome’s name is Dingledodger VonFefferhedge and he is 900 years old. He had been adventuring in Redding, California and Ensenada, Mexico to escape Oregon’s cold, boring winter. His journey included visits with Brunhilde the forest witch and two mariachi statues. (The bottom of Dingledodger’s plastic shoes—which reads “© 1994 Art Line Inc. ® Model No. 4030″—marks the date of his enslavement in China, not his birth.)
P.S. Having a traveling gnome prank played on us was great fun. The pranksters went all out, even giving Dingledodger his own Facebook and Google+ pages. Everyone needs more weird, random acts of kindness like this.