Christmas – Secret Story of Santa Claus and Kris Kringle!
A much-loved Christmas tradition is called Secret Santa or more commonly known as Kris Kringle. Kris Kringle is a variation of the name of Santa Claus and originated in Germany. Secret Santa is a western tradition originating and popular in the United States. There are also variations in the spelling of the name, for example in England and Ireland it is spelled as ‘Chris Kindle’. While in Australia and Canada both Secret Santa and Kris Kringle are commonly used for this tradition.
Kris Kringle is derived from the traditional German gift-bearer called Christkindle, meaning Christ child. The tradition of the Christkind began in the 16th century in Europe. It was a time when the Protestant Martin Luther used his power to discourage the figure of Saint Nicholas as a gift-bearer. He thought it more appropriate that the Bethlehem child, the infant Jesus, should be depicted as the bearer of gifts. The Christkind morphed in variations from a winged infant angel to a gold-robed adolescent angel in a white robe and crown. Christkind secretly collects the letters children leave on her windowsill on Christmas Eve, and in return leaves a gift in their place.
Santa Claus was brought to America by the Pennsylvania Dutch settlers. In the mid-1820s he was named Kris Kringle or Belsnickle from the German ‘Pelz-nickle’ meaning ‘Nicholas in Furs’ in reference to Saint Nicholas who was transformed into Santa Claus.
In Austria, Germany and Switzerland the tradition is called Engerl und Bengerl or Wichteln. In Brazil and most places in Latin America it is practiced under the name of ‘Amigo Secreto’ which means secret friend, while in Spain it is called ‘Amigo Invisible’ which means invisible friend.
Whatever it’s called, however, it’s a fun tradition often practiced in workplaces, community groups, and large family gatherings. The name of each participant is written on a piece of paper and placed in a box or hat and mixed. Then each person pulls out a piece of paper and that is the person they must anonymously buy a gift for for the designated Christmas event. The gift is then placed under the Christmas tree or on an assigned table with the name of the person it is for and nothing else. It’s a great way for family and friends and larger groups of people to share in the festive fun of gift-giving with minimal expense.
Variations on ‘Secret Santa’ include having each person write under their name a short list of gift ideas they would like within their gift-purchasing budget. It is common to have a limit on the amount that can be spent on gifts. Sometimes the giver of the gift will reveal himself by giving the gift directly to the person when everyone gets together so everyone knows the person’s identity. Sometimes the extra money saved by this practice is collected and given to the charity chosen by the group or workplace.