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Ramzan
is giving way to Christmas
Millions
of letters addressed “Santa Claus, Finland” are stamped,
cleared by this post office
So
in this festive season, let us free the spirit of what Iqbal called
“aql” or “reason” for the time and explore the
identity of Santa Claus. The reason I am recommending this almighty
digression is because I have just met the original Santa Claus —
quite literally.
In
search of knowledge, Prophet Mohammad said, you must travel if you
have to, even as far as China. The reason he mentioned China was
because it was possibly the remotest civilisation. Civilisations
like Mesopotamia, Egypt, India were not remote from where the Prophet
began his preaching. To cut the long story short, I travelled all
the way to Lapland, northern Finland, beyond the Arctic circle,
where the “original” Santa Claus resides in a huge, cavernous
log-house in the heart of Santa village where his busy elves work
overtime to make it an efficient habitation, surrounded by the thickest
snow you have ever seen.
It
is a two hour flight from Helsinki to Rovaniemi. The airport is
decorated with colourful ribbons, balloons, cutouts of Santa Claus
and reindeer pulling his sledge through fluffy cotton representing
snow.
This
sight, however, is not exclusive to Rovaniemi. This is the common
Christmas decoration throughout northern Europe. But in the Nordic
countries Santa totally dominates the Christmas proceedings.
A good
commercial sense dictates that Santa Claus be universalised to boost
Christmas sales but he also has to be nationalised to boost Christmas
related tourism. In this regard, the Norwegians have made a weak
bid to confer on Santa Claus a Norwegian persona. For instance,
the town of Drobak, half an hour south of Oslo, is where Norwegian
myth would have us believe that Julenissen or Santa Claus lives.
In the middle of the town is Julenissen’s post office where
the “Nissen” receives mail from those parts of the world,
which give credence to his Norwegian nationality.
But
how can you have Santa Claus without his reindeer driven sledge?
For this you have to visit the Santa village and the Santa caves
near Rovaniemi in Finland. Adjacent to Santa’s abode off Rovaniemi
is a reindeer park, a sort of stable for Santa’s transportation
when he travels on Christmas Eve, across the globe with his bagful
of gifts. With the permission of his “elves” children
can even take a joyride on one of Santa’s very own sledges.
The
post office in the heart of the Santa village must be one of the
busiest (in this season) anywhere in the world. Millions of letters
addressed “Santa Claus, Finland” are cleared, stamped
by this post office.
Santa’s
secretariat, rather like our own PMO, reads the letters and even
drafts replies which, again, are routed through the ever busy post
office. In the deep cave, the elves are busy knitting, decorating
shops and manning a children’s toy train through a gentle,
amusing dreamland. And selling curios!
An
audience with Santa himself is the high point of the visit. The
choreography is spectacular. Through a gigantic log-door emerges
Santa in knee-breeches, hand knitted stockings, a red cape lined
with white — a large, burly man, his long white beard coming
upto his navel. His every statement is punctuated with a sort of
laughter reminiscent of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
“My
blessings for all the children of India irrespective of colour,
creed or religion.”
His generally amiable manner provokes irreverence: “What kind
of salary are you paid, Santa” I asked him in good humour.
“For laughing, playing the fool and making divine statements
all day?” He guffaws. “Salary?” he booms, “What
is salary, my son?”
It
is quite extraordinary how every person in Rovaniemi (indeed in
Finland) sustains the Santa myth. “Who is this fellow, playing
Santa?” you ask. “That is Santa Claus, not anyone playing
the role” comes the response — with a smile which gives
you a clue to a myth the nation has nurtured with a sense of fun.
The elves are teacher and student volunteers from nearby schools.
Since
Santa Claus is a common topic, his origins are commonly known too.
That St. Nicholas was Bishop in Myra in Anatolia (today’s Turkey)
in the 4th century. In the 11th century, Italian sailors stole his
remains from Myra and took them to Bari, in Italy, where his relics
remain enshrined in the 11th century basilica of San Nicola.
Somehow,
legends of his generosity grew — the Saint who brings gifts
to the needy. The Reformation put a stop to all this, but the custom
of Sinter Klaas (a variation of St. Nicolas) continued in Amsterdam.
The Dutch Colonists took the tradition to New Amsterdam, today’s
New York. This legend mingled with some pagan Nordic myths to create
the cheerful persona of Santa Claus whom the British named Father
Christmas. Until the Concordes were grounded, there were regular
Christmas time flights from London to the home of Father Christmas
near Rovaniemi.
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