兒子的提問讓我想起了一個經典的聖誕節故事，那是時年8歲的小女孩 Virginia O'Hanlon，問她的父親：聖誕老人是否真的存在？父親告訴她：向《紐約太陽報》寫信詢問。於是Virginia於1897年9月21日寫了一封短信，寄給報社。編輯 Francis Pharcellus Church收到來信後，在報紙的社評中做了回複， 他在文中寫道：“ Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to our life its highest beauty and joy. How dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished. ” 這篇感人至深的短文，廣為流傳。
聖誕老人，最為人們熟知的名字是 Santa Claus，聽了VOA的報道後，才知道Santa還有別的名字呢，諸如：Saint Nicholas、St. Nick、Pelznickel、和Kris Kringle、而這些名字的由來和它的曆史，語言和文化習俗有關。 Santa Claus和Saint Nicholas這兩個名字來自多年前來紐約定居的荷蘭人，荷蘭人認為，Saint Nikolaas送給了孩子們禮物，他們把這位聖徒和送禮物的習俗帶到了紐約自己的聖誕節慶祝活動中，紐約是一個大熔爐。荷蘭人念“Saint Nikolaas”這個名字時語速非常快，聽起來就像是“sinterklaas”，因此用英語念這個詞時聽起來就像是Santa Claus。
Pelznickel ,在紐約西部的賓夕法尼亞州，許多德國農民也聽說過Saint Nikolas，但他們稱其為Pelznickel。這個詞來自“Pelz”，意思是皮衣，而“nickel”的意思是Nicholas。所以，對賓夕法尼亞州的德國人來說，Saint Nicholas或Pelznickel就是一位穿著皮衣，一年一次來給好孩子分發禮物的人。Kris Kringle這個詞是從Pelznickel演變而來的， 人們開始覺得，Pelznickel帶來的仁愛和善良應該成為紀念Christkindl活動的一部分，德國人稱Christkindl為Christ child。過了一段時間，Kris Kringle成為了聖誕老人的又一個名字。不管聖誕老人叫什麽名字，他將快樂帶進童心裏，傳遞著節日的美好。May Santa bring you what you expect...
Song: Santa Claus Is Coming to Town
Artist: Frank Sinatra
You better watch out You better not cry
Better not pout I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town
He's making a list and checking it twice;
Gonna find out who's naughty and nice
Santa Claus is coming to town
He sees you when you're sleeping
He knows when you're awake
He knows if you've been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake
You better watch out You better not cry
Better not pout I'm telling you why
He is on his way he has got toys all over the sleigh
Santa Claus is coming to town
兒子的提問讓我想起了一個經典的聖誕節故事，那是時年8歲的小女孩 Virginia O'Hanlon，問她的父親：聖誕老人是否真的存在？父親告訴她：向《紐約太陽報》寫信詢問。於是Virginia於1897年9月21日寫了一封短信，寄給報社。編輯 Francis Pharcellus Church收到來信後，在報紙的社評中做了回複， 他在文中寫道：“ Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to our life its highest beauty and joy. How dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished. ” 這篇感人至深的短文，廣為流傳。
聖誕老人，最為人們熟知的名字是 Santa Claus，聽了VOA的報道後，才知道Santa還有別的名字呢，諸如：Saint Nicholas、St. Nick、Pelznickel、和Kris Kringle、而這些名字的由來和它的曆史，語言和文化習俗有關。 Santa Claus和Saint Nicholas這兩個名字來自多年前來紐約定居的荷蘭人，荷蘭人認為，Saint Nikolaas送給了孩子們禮物，他們把這位聖徒和送禮物的習俗帶到了紐約自己的聖誕節慶祝活動中，紐約是一個大熔爐。荷蘭人念“Saint Nikolaas”這個名字時語速非常快，聽起來就像是“sinterklaas”，因此用英語念這個詞時聽起來就像是Santa Claus。
Pelznickel ,在紐約西部的賓夕法尼亞州，許多德國農民也聽說過Saint Nikolas，但他們稱其為Pelznickel。這個詞來自“Pelz”，意思是皮衣，而“nickel”的意思是Nicholas。所以，對賓夕法尼亞州的德國人來說，Saint Nicholas或Pelznickel就是一位穿著皮衣，一年一次來給好孩子分發禮物的人。Kris Kringle這個詞是從Pelznickel演變而來的， 人們開始覺得，Pelznickel帶來的仁愛和善良應該成為紀念Christkindl活動的一部分，德國人稱Christkindl為Christ child。過了一段時間，Kris Kringle成為了聖誕老人的又一個名字。不管聖誕老人叫什麽名字，他將快樂帶進童心裏，傳遞著節日的美好。May Santa bring you what you expect...
Song: Santa Claus Is Coming to Town
Artist: Frank Sinatra
You better watch out You better not cry
Better not pout I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town
He's making a list and checking it twice;
Gonna find out who's naughty and nice
Santa Claus is coming to town
He sees you when you're sleeping
He knows when you're awake
He knows if you've been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake
You better watch out You better not cry
Better not pout I'm telling you why
He is on his way he has got toys all over the sleigh
Santa Claus is coming to town
