SANTA'S
COOKIES AND MILK
G'day folks,
Ever wondered why American kids leave cookies and milk for Santa?
This
Christmas Eve, millions of American children will leave out cookies and milk
for Santa Claus to enjoy after his trip down their chimney with his bag of
gifts. Some will add a few carrots for his trusty reindeer, as Dasher, Dancer,
Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and Rudolph need sustenance as
well. We take a look the origins of this particular custom and how it varies
among children in different countries throughout the world.
Today in the
United States, leaving out a plate of cookies (Oreos and classic chocolate chip
are popular choices) and a glass of milk for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve is a
well-established tradition among children. But it hasn’t always been that way.
According to one theory, the cookies-and-milk custom is derived from an older
tradition, when families would stuff stockings with goodies for Santa and hang
them by the chimney, his preferred mode of entrance, as a welcoming gift. Now,
however, those stockings are usually chock-full of treats and smaller gifts for
the family members themselves.
Leaving cookies and milk for Santa—and perhaps a few
carrots for his reindeer—took off as an American holiday tradition in the
1930s, during the Great Depression. In that time of great economic hardship,
many parents tried to teach their children that it was important to give to
others and to show gratitude for the gifts they were lucky enough to receive on
Christmas. Some 80 years later, many children still set out cookies and milk
for Santa, whether out of the goodness of their hearts or (in less wholesome
cases) as a bribe to receive more gifts from the jolly bearded man in the red
suit.
The original
roots of this holiday food tradition go back even further—all the way to
ancient Norse mythology. Odin, the most important Norse god, was said to have
an eight-legged horse named Sleipner, which he rode with a raven perched on
each shoulder. During the Yule season, children would leave food out for
Sleipner, in the hopes that Odin would stop by on his travels and leave gifts
in return. Such a tradition continues today in countries such as Denmark,
Belgium and the Netherlands, where children still believe that horses carry
Santa’s sleigh instead of reindeer. On Christmas Eve, they leave carrots and
hay—sometimes stuffed into shoes—to feed the exhausted animals. In return, they
might hope to receive such holiday treats as chocolate coins, cocoa, mandarin
oranges and marzipan.
Over the
years, different countries have developed their own versions of the
cookies-and-milk tradition. British and Australian children leave out sherry
and mince pies, while Swedish kids leave rice porridge. Santa can expect a pint
of Guinness along with his cookies when delivering toys in Ireland. French
children leave out a glass of wine for Père Noël and fill their shoes with hay,
carrots and other treats for his donkey, Gui (French for “mistletoe”).
In
Germany, children skip the snacks altogether and leave handwritten letters for
the Christkind, a symbolic representation of the Christmas spirit who is
responsible for bringing presents on Christmas. Though many German kids mail
their letters before the holiday—there are six official addresses for letters
addressed to the Christkind—others leave them out on Christmas Eve, decorated
with sparkly glue or sugar crystals. On Christmas morning, the letters have
been collected, and gifts left in their place.
Clancy's comment: Mm ... No wonder Santa has always been depicted as a well-rounded man.
I'm ...
