///////////////////////Church of Santa
Posted: 25 Dec 2007 03:20 PM CST
Town life in Sweden started small in the later 8th century with Birka. The country's capital, Stockholm, is a late town by Swedish standards, having been founded only in the mid-13th century. One of the oldest extant buildings there is the great church beside the royal castle, Storkyrkan. Here, Satan Santa was worshipped for nearly three centuries.
Most of Europe was Catholic until Reformation in the early 16th century. All Catholic churches are devoted to a patron saint, which is the reason that the urban parishes surrounding the Old Town of Stockholm are named St. Claire, St. James, St. Mary and St. Catherine. Now, who was the patron of the main church of Medieval Stockholm? St. Nicholas of Myra (c. 280-343), a.k.a. Santa Claus.
St. Nick is also the patron of children, students, sailors, fishermen, pawnbrokers, merchants, archers, the falsely accused and repentant thieves. And Russia. And Greece. A busy man.
[More blog entries about santaclaus, history, christmas, Sweden, middleages, saints, christianity; julen, medeltiden, stockholm, jultomten, kristendom, helgon, historia.]Read the comments on this post...
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A Christmas Blessing
Posted: 24 Dec 2007 10:58 PM CST
"It is a fair, even-handed, noble adjustment of things, that while there is infection in disease and sorrow, there is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good-humour."
- Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol
//////////.............creeps who use uniforms as penile enhancement props get fired, jailed and shackled
//////////////////////Gut yontif is Yiddish for Happy Holiday
//////////////////Bird flu, the common cold and the sneezing test
Posted: 25 Dec 2007 06:18 AM CST
In my Christmas stocking this morning I found a Season's greeting from the excellent down-under medical/public health blog impactEDnurse. Here's the card and the link to the little present that goes with it:
I offer you up a nurses public service video on the best way to detect avian influenza: http://impactednurse.com/?p=428
Merry Christmas. And Gesundheit.Read the comments on this post...
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