Science and History of Santa Claus:

1
Science and History of Santa Claus

• Have you ever thought about the details of
  Santas journey?

2
How long does Santa have on Christmas Eve?

• If Santa were to start delivering gifts at 10 pm
  on Christmas Eve and finish at 6 am on Christmas
  morning, that would give him only 8 hours to
  deliver presents.
• Or would it? Santa must circle the globe. How
  would that affect how many hours he has for his
  work?

3
International Date Line

• The date in the Eastern hemisphere (to the left
  of the Intl Date Line) is always one day ahead
  of Hawaii. So, Santa would gain 24 hours if he
  traveled west, around the globe.

4
So how long does Santa have to deliver presents?

• If Santa started delivering gifts at 10 pm on
  Tonga--and finished at 6 am in the Samoa
  Islands--how many hours would he have for his
  deliveries? (Hint 24 8?)

5
In that time, how many houses does Santa visit?

• There are about 378 million children whose
  families celebrate Christmas
• At an average of 3.5 children per house, that
  would mean that Santa would visit 91.9 million
  homes
• To reach all those houses, Santas flying
  reindeer must travel at many times the speed of
  sound.

6
But where did Santa (or St. Nicholas) come from?

• The historical Saint Nicholas was born in the 3rd
  century, in a Roman province that is now part of
  Turkey
• Born wealthy, he gave generous gifts to the needy

7
Father Christmas

• In many countries the spirit of giving associated
  with Christmas came to be identified with St.
  Nicholas, or with a similarly generous figure
  Father Christmas

8
St. Nick in Middle Ages

• This painting, created in 1425, shows St. Nick
  delivering gifts alone, on foot.
• Clearly, as the world population grew, he would
  need assistance.

9
Santa Claus in the U.S.

• In 19th century America, a more modern image of
  Santa evolved
• Elves helped him manufacture toys
• Flying reindeer pulled Santas sleigh each year.
  

10
Who are Santas elves?

• English folk tales portray elves as small,
  elusive spirits with mischievous personalities.
• The magical powers of elves would help to create
  millions of toys for children.

11
Are Santas reindeer girls?

• Male and female reindeer both grow antlers. But
  the antlers of older males fall off in December.
  So, since Santas reindeer have antlers on
  Christmas, Dasher and Dancer are most likely
  girls.

12
Naughty or Nice

• Establishment of modern mail delivery allows
  children to write letters directly to Santa,
  describing gifts they desire
• But the ultimate decision--naughty or nice--is
  Santas