All Things Santa And His Reindeers :)

• Vintage Photographs From A Santa Claus School In 1961 Reveals Some Of The Secrets Of Being A Good Santa
• So you thought you’d be a great Santa, didn’t you? Well, think again. It’s actually pretty tough work. You have to know how to squint your eyes into a Santa twinkle, how to talk to kids and even how to put on a little act. Such was the fate of those who, for years, chose to take instruction at Charles Howard’s Santa Claus School in the upstate New York town of Albion, not far from Rochester. In fact, the school still exists today, it was founded by Howard in 1937; since the mid-1960s, it has operated out of Midland, Mich., and remains the world’s oldest Santa school. In 1961, LIFE’s Alfred Eisenstaedt visited Howard’s school for would-be Santas, and made a series of photos chronicling the evidently quite fun process of learning to be all the Santa Claus one can be. 
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• Santa Claus Sugar Cookies
• I've used this recipe for almost 40 years and love it because it's a little different than most. My mom always made Santa cookies, and we'd put them into little clear bags tied with ribbon to hang on the tree.
• Nutrition Facts:
• 1 cookie: 186 calories, 7g fat (4g saturated fat), 27mg cholesterol, 56mg sodium, 30g carbohydrate (22g sugars, 0 fiber), 1g protein.
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• Santa Craft For Kids
• With Christmas just around the corner, this easy Santa craft is the perfect Christmas craft to do with kids! Not only will kids have fun making their Santa Claus, but you can also turn it into a card that can be given as a Christmas gift. Kids will love putting this cute Santa together. This craft is made even easier with a free printable template! We love how easy and simple this handmade Santa craft is to make! Even if you’re not crafty, we promise you can make this. You just need to grab a few supplies for this craft. And your kids will love making these fluffy Santa cards for Christmas!
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• Did You Know Santa Claus Is Based On A Real Person
• We best know Santa as the character who delivers presents every Christmas Eve, but it turns out his origins are far from fiction. Santa’s story dates back to 280 A.D. in what today would be Turkey. Saint Nicholas was a monk who traveled the countryside to assist the poor and sick. One story claims he even used his wealth to provide a dowry for three impoverished sisters, saving them from being sold by their father. He became known as a protector of children and sailors, and by the Renaissance, he was among the most popular saints in Europe.making these fluffy Santa cards for Christmas! When people from the Netherlands migrated to New World colonies, they brought with them the legend of Sinterklaas, which is Dutch for Saint Nicholas. By the late 1700s, the story of the generous Sinterklaas reached American pop culture as Dutch families gathered to honor the death of the saint, and, over time, the name evolved to Santa Claus. In early America, Christmas wasn’t the festive holiday we know and love today. It was shunned in New England, lacked a cheerful figure who brought gifts and was celebrated outdoors with alcohol. A string of poems and stories in the early 19th century redefined the holiday by giving St. Nick a makeover and focusing on the themes of family and togetherness. 
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• How Did Eggnog Become Santa's Favorite Drink?
• Everyone knows that Santa’s favorite way to wash down his plate of cookies is with a big glass of eggnog. This tradition has been around for decades, but have you ever asked yourself why? When did drinking this egg and milk concoction become a holiday tradition? It all started on a cold, snowy night on December 24th, 1920 in the North Pole. Santa was busy packing up his sleigh with all of the gifts his elves had worked so hard to make. Meanwhile, Ms. Clause, worrying about all of the weight Santa had lost in the prior months of Christmas preparation, wanted to provide him with a hearty snack to take with him on his long night journey. Opening up the fridge, she grabbed a few eggs for protein, milk for calcium and some cream for a few extra calories. She then went to the pantry and grabbed some sugar – because as we all know, Santa has a quite the sweet tooth. After blending them all together in a pot over the stove until smooth, she let it cool, took a sip, and the rest is history. Sounds believable, right? Well, as it turns out, this story is not completely true. The real story of the creation of eggnog has been debated through the years. Some historians believe that it originated from the early medieval Britain “posset,” a hot, milky, ale-like drink. Milk, eggs, and sherry were foods of the wealthy, so eggnog was often used in toasts to prosperity and good health. The “nog” part of its name may stem from the word noggin, a Middle English term for a small, carved wooden mug used to serve alcohol. The drink crossed the Atlantic to the English colonies during the 18th century and soon became a favorite due to its’ rich dairy content paired with rum, an inexpensive liquor at the time. These days, eggnog is still often spiked with a bit of rum or bourbon during holiday festivities but is just as good without, not to mention kid friendly! 
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• The Names Of  Santa's Reindeer And Some Reindeer Facts
• Dasher – one of Santa’s fastest reindeer 
• Prancer – is known for caring the most about how he looks 
• Vixen – likes to play tricks on the other reindeers and is bit of a show off 
• Comet – loves to play ball games and likes to inspire children 
• Cupid – he is the most affectionate reindeer and has a very sweet tooth. He much prefers a mince pie over a carrot 
• Donner – he is named after thunder and has a very deep voice (he is Blitzen’s twin) 
• Blitzen – he is named after lightening and is very fast and very playful. 
• Rudolph – he is a shy reindeer and was embarrassed of his red nose initially. But once Santa realized his nose was a special gift he made him his lead reindeer and now has the love and respect of the other reindeers.
• FACTS ABOUT REINDEERS:
• In North America they are called caribou Both genders grow antlers Reindeers noses warm the air before it gets into their chest. Their hooves are bigger when the weather is warmer and shrink when it is cold Their knees click when they walk so they can hear each other in a blizzard. Reindeers are VERY good at swimming. They have no internal body clock which is really helps their sleep cycles as they can adapt to living anywhere. The average life span is 15 years old (except for Santa’s magical reindeer of course).
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• Rare Albino Reindeer Spotted Near A  Road In Sweden
• A teacher on vacation in Sweden recently saw a very rare sight in the wild: an albino reindeer, standing right next to the road. The image was captured by Siv Poijo, who was returning to her cottage when she saw a pack of reindeer, with the all-white creature standing among them, according to Caters News Agency. "For the Sami people, the white reindeer have special significance – I think they bring luck and are considered holy," Poijo told the Daily Mail. These rare creatures, which are the result of a genetic mutation, are found in Norway, Sweden and Finland, the Daily Mail also said. Earlier in the year, three albino deer were seen in Boulder Junction, Wisconsin, according to UPI.com; they are so rare that it's illegal to shoot white deer. 
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