Santa Claus

As everyone that knows me well understands - I believe in Santa Claus.  In Denmark he is the Yuleman (spelled Julman) and in Germany the Weinachtsmann.  He has other names too.  In most European countries, he arrives on Christmas Eve - sometime during the day.  By evening as the family gathers around the tree and have come home from their Christmas Eve Service at church (except in Scandinavian Countries) the gifts from their gift person are already under the tree.  In Scandinavian people do not celebrate the birth of Christ.  This is the time of the year when they celebrate the days will soon be getting longer and light is starting to come back.  If you stopped and asked a Dane what this time of year is about - it is always gifts, parties and the winter equinox.  I find that kind of fascinating and yet the Julman still does come and is here before Christmas Eve.  So Santa really has 48 hours to complete his ride.   Exactly enough time to fly around the world and get things taken care of. 

I am looking forward to the days getting longer.  Sunrise is currently 9 a.m. and sunset is 2:30.  No matter when you are out and about during the day - it is never fully daylight.  In Utah it would be like the sun just before it breaks over the mountains on the east of the valleys.  It just never gets full fledged sunlight.  We go to work in the pitch black and come home in the pitch black.  Yesterday when we came home at 13:00 hours - we still had to turn on lights in order to see.  I understand why they worship the sun here.

We are off from work starting Monday afternoon until the Monday after New Years.  New Year is a big deal and so is Easter.  I am looking forward to see what their Easter celebration is about.

I am not sure that this will be my only blog today.  I have so much to say that I know these get long but I want to share it with everyone I know.