Sleigh Bells Ring...
© Copyright 2006 Imaginary Greetings, Inc.
Sleighs are intertwined with Christmas traditions and have been for
ages. Our favorite Christmas songs include the use of sleighs.
Jingle Bells romanticizes the one-horse open sleigh, while several
songs about Jolly Ol' St. Nick make mention of Santa's favored mode
of transportation - yep, you guessed it ... his sleigh.
Perhaps we love the sleigh for its simplicity. Its design - a
platform or box on two runners - is anything but complex. Or maybe
we love it because of the feeling of weightlessness we feel when a
team of horses or dogs pulls us along at thrilling speeds. Sleighs
allow us to enjoy the wonderlands winter creates. They allow us to
transport materials or ourselves when the terrain is snow- or ice-
covered. And, as previously stated, a sleigh enables Santa to
deliver millions of presents to children across the world on
Christmas Eve.
Sleighs have been around for centuries. Historically, they have been
used heavily in countries such as the United States, Canada, Russia,
Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Germany, Iceland and the
Netherlands. In fact, the Dutch brought sleighs - as well as the
word, sleigh - to the U.S. in the 1700s. Some of America's first
European settlers were of Dutch origin, and these trailblazers used
sleighs to get around the northern part of the country in the frigid
winter months.
Now, after the advent of the train, automobile and airplane, sleighs
and their close relatives - carriages - have become novel items that
captivate us with their nostalgia. They evoke images of yesteryear,
of a simpler time when society was less convoluted. But the
popularity of the sleigh, though no longer a major mode of
transportation, will never die thanks to its affiliation with Santa
Claus.
We decorate our home during the holidays with sleigh replicas. We
hang sleigh ornaments on our Christmas trees. We take our children
to see Santa Claus in the nearest mall, and often we photograph them
in front of his sleigh.
In the northern U.S., in winter, we take an adaptation of the
sleigh - called a sled - and go "sledding" or "sleigh riding." For a
child, few things in the winter are more fun than sledding down a
large hill with friends or family members.
In short, sleighs are a subtle part of our heritage and our holiday
fabric. Without them, there would be no Rudloph, no Dancer or
Prancer, nothing to land on rooftops so that Santa can drop down
chimneys and fill stockings. Without sleighs, Christmas wouldn't be
Christmas!
Jeremy White, a writer for Imaginary Greetings, Inc.
(http://www.imaginarygreetings.com), is a regular contributing
author specializing in features, sports, business and food writing,
and frequently contributes to a a variety of print and online
publications. To learn more about how to truly light up your
child's eyes this holiday season like never before visit:
http://www.santashotline.com
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