Instructor: Santa Claus
This class is on the history of Christmas traditions starting with the birth of Jesus through current day. It will include the origins of popular Christmas traditions and have opportunities for audience participation through song and demonstrations. Come join Santa and get ready for the upcoming Christmas season, with an in-depth look at our longstanding Christmas traditions. Today, Christmas is both a religious as well as a secular holiday, allowing it to be celebrated by all. We will examine how the celebration of Christmas began, and how the spirit of Nicholas the Bishop of Myra (Saint Nick) evolved religiously up to and through the Protestant reformation (1517-1648). Next we will review how during the Victorian period (1837-1901) the celebration of Christmas started becoming more secular, followed by moving on to (like it or not) the 20th century commercialization of Christmas that we have today. This will be a highly interactive class using poetry, song and some Christmas magic to set the mood. So come and experience how a modern-day Santa can give you that extra Christmas spirit—because Santa Claus is for seniors too!
About the Presenter: Joe Burlager is a professional Santa with six years of experience, having attended several Santa schools. He belongs to several professional Santa organizations, including the International Brotherhood of Real Bearded Santas (IBRBS). His clients include Southwest Airlines, Andiamo's Banquet Center and Hospice of Michigan, among many others. He is always working on improving his skills and is one of the premier Christmas performers in Macomb County.
