The Christmas gift giving is a popular aspect of winter holiday season in Australia and New Zealand. Christmas gifts are usually wrapped in red, green or festive wrapping paper and placed under a Christmas tree, to be opened on Christmas morning.
When he gets to Australia, Santa sometimes gives the reindeers a rest and might use kangaroos. He also changes his clothes for less 'hot' ones!
How does Santa Claus do it? In one long night, a stout and elderly man, equipped with a magic sleigh and eight flying reindeer, delivers toys to children in every household all over the world.
But how fast does Mr. Claus have to travel on Christmas Eve? Depending on who you ask, Santa's journey starts and ends in Lapland, Finland or the North Pole. As he travels from east to west to race against the Sun, the man dressed in red has more than 31 hours to deliver all his gifts.
According to Arnold Pompos of Purdue University, Santa would have to travel a total of 160,000,000km – further than the distance from the Earth to the Sun – to visit 200 million children in 800 million homes spread over 3x1013 m2 of land around the world.
The tradition of Santa Claus entering homes through the chimney originated in the days when most homes did not have front doors or windows on the second floor. Back then, chimneys were the only way in and out of houses. That's why it was thought that this was where Santa Claus could enter to leave the presents.
“Are Mom and Dad really Santa?” We know that you want to know the answer and we had to give it careful thought to know just what to say. The answer is no. We are not Santa. There is no one, single Santa.
Of course, parents have varying opinions. Some follow the “rule of three.” This means that a child gets three presents, one for each gift baby Jesus received. Others believe in four: something you want, something you need, something to wear, and something to read. And some follow other guidelines entirely.
78 miles per household, a total trip of 75-1/2 million miles, not counting stops to do what most of us must do at least once every 31 hours, plus feeding and etc. This means that Santa's sleigh is moving at 650 miles per second, 3,000 times the speed of sound.
Australia. Australian children set out cookies for Santa, but instead of milk, they leave him an ice-cold glass of beer. After all, December is summer in the land Down Under. The children leave carrots for Santa's reindeer to munch on, too.
What is Santa Claus called in Australia? These days most Australians call Atnas (his real name) “Santa”.
Santa Claus goes by lots of names, depending on where you are in the world. In Australia and other English-speaking countries, he's usually called Father Christmas, Santa Claus, or sometimes just “Santa” for short.
A Christmas song, “Six White Boomers,” tells the story of how the Australian heat is too much for Santa's reindeer. The song, popular with school-aged kids, explains that Santa's reindeer get a rest while six white boomers (boomer is Aussie slang for a male kangaroo) lead Santa's sleigh through Australia!
Include a card: In Australia, it's customary to include a card with the gift. The card should be sincere and express your appreciation for the recipient. Don't give gifts that are too personal: In Australian culture, it's considered inappropriate to give gifts that are too personal or intimate.
The five gift rule says that you should give five gifts to your loved ones: one for each of the following categories: something they want, something they need, something to wear, something to read, and a special gift.
If you're wondering if your kids are still expecting Santa to bring their presents this year, most have stopped believing in Old St Nick by the age of eight, according to the first international academic "Santa survey," while many parents wished that they still believed in Father Christmas even as adults.
Some families may have Santa simply bring a stocking filled with treats to their child. Others may have Santa go all out and bring every single gift under the tree — including the big ones.
"There is no such thing as being too old to believe in Santa, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy," Kelman tells Yahoo Life. "Letting kids figure it out on their own is preferable to parents breaking the news to them.
Many parents dread the day their child begins questioning if Santa is real. While there is no perfect age to have this conversation, parents often start noticing their children becoming skeptical around eight, but this can vary. However, it may be beneficial to initiate the conversation before middle school.
Research suggests it's bad practice to lie to children. Dr Justin Coulson, one of Australia's leading parenting experts, – "If you want to do Santa that's fine, but let the kids know Santa was based on a historical figure who may or may not have done the things that we think he did".
When is Santa's birthday? SantaClaus.com states that Santa's birthday is on March 15. Mark it on your calendar for next year!
Around 300 AD, during a prosperous era for Patara, a rich wheat merchant had a son and named him Nicholas. His birth was accepted as a gift from the Heavens, the fruit of his parents' prayers and wows and a savior for the poor people. It is believed that he performed miracles even as a young man.
For those who have no idea what Secret Santa is, it's a system whereby everyone who is giving a gift pops their names in a hat (or in an Excel spreadsheet) and you each draw a name (you can't draw your own). You then buy a gift for that one person and you also receive a gift from someone else in the group.