MetaFilter posts tagged with stnicholas

Walk Like a Russian (oh whey oh)

ersatz — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 17:41:46 -0800

This year alone, over 20,000 Russian Orthodox pilgrims followed an icon of St. Nicholas from Kirov to Velikoretskoye on foot. The 180km-long pilgrimage through the Russian countryside dates back to the 14th century. Sergey Kozmin's photos. Some extra info here.

Clement Clark, No More?

Miko — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 07:59:56 -0800

What to my wondering eyes should appear but the suggestion that "A Visit From St. Nicholas," the classic poem which has defined the American Santa Claus, from red suit and big belly to reindeer and chimney-delivery method, was written not by classics professor Clement Clarke Moore but by poet and military man Henry Livingston. Though some think the authorship controversy is sugarplum vision of Livingston's descendents, other scholars the claim: literary 'detective' Donald Foster agrees (though his sleuthing record is not unblemished). Leading historian of Christmas Stephen Nissenbaum, says that either way, St. Nick is the product of the same social world, that of the wealthy white elite in the New York of the early Republic. If the claim is true, then in the convoluted history of the manuscript we've gotten some reindeer names wrong.

Sober Santa

Stan Chin — Fri, 12 Dec 2003 14:55:11 -0800

Sober Santa. Too much politics today, not enough Christmas fun. Here's a drunk Santa game from b3ta. Pretty tough once you get going.

lagado — Sun, 24 Dec 2000 15:43:39 -0800

Italy pirates stole Santa's bones but now Turkey wants them back!