In fact, I don't think I had even heard of Santa until I started school.

Same here. For my parents, it was a trust thing. It showed that teachers and other parents are ready and willing to lie.

i used to celebrate "sinterklaas" on 5/6 dec. when i was a little kid.
santa came about 10 year latter for me. christmass was just being together to celebrate jesus's birth. now it is just being together and have some kind of special meal.

Another example of how bad I am with dates.

Always remember.

Christmas, it is the religious holiday most widely celebrated by Atheists.

~~~Darth Caedus

Christmas, it is the religious holiday most widely celebrated by Atheists.

not sure if atheists really celebrate christmas. it's more like participating.

We don't celebrate Christmas. We put up a tree, gather the family, eat, exchange gifts. We don't go to Mass, some don't even know its Christian roots, and others just want a free public holiday. Yes, it's mere participation in modern material satisfaction.

Saint Nicolas is just one of many characters both real and myth who influenced the current character Santa Claus. Another even older influence is the Norse god Odin, who was known for giving present to believers. He used two ravens to listen in through chimney stacks so he could know who was worthy. The ravens may have later played an influence in the creation of the Christmas Krampus aka Black peter, Santa's demon slave. Which predates the elves which first made an appearance in story in 1850. The Krampus would put naughty children in a sack and carry them off to be his Christmas dinner.

christmass was just being together to celebrate jesus's birth.

Jesus's birth really has nothing to do with the holiday, nor does Christianity for that matter beyond the name and addition of a nativity scene. Originally it was a celebration of the winter solstice. Chritianity co-opted the holiday in order to get the Pagans who celebrated it to convert. The Bible even makes mention of the traditions being pagan and God saying don't do it.

Christmas trees in the Bible.
Jeremiah 10:2- (NIV)
This is what the LORD says: "Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by signs in the sky, though the nations are terrified by them.
For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel.
They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter.
Like a scarecrow in a melon patch, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good."

Christmas, it is the religious holiday most widely celebrated by Atheists.

Us atheists could just start calling what we celebrate Giftmas to celebrate the giving and receiving of gifts and the materialistic nature that the holiday has become.

oh come on wheres the Christmas spirit in here
i still believe in santa
in other words
be quiet the 40% of people who are under 13 that still go on this site anyway can go to this thread dur dur dur dur dur dur dur dur dur dur dur dur dur dur

The ravens may have later played an influence in the creation of the Christmas Krampus aka Black peter,

black peter was 1st mentioned in 1845 in a book of Jan Schenkman called, Saint Nicholas and his Servant. (it was 1 of 3 things 1st mentioned in this book that got stuck in the tradition)
there is no link to odin whit black peter.
and actually do i doubt the link between odin and saint nicholas at all.

in hungary saint nicholas is celebrated somewhere around may. and there the tradidion go's that saint nicholas is a evil man. and the parents are scaring their children so they are not going to do naughty things.
it's such a contrary to the popular saint nicholas

Jesus's birth really has nothing to do with the holiday

still it gets celebrated. no holding that back.

black peter was 1st mentioned in 1845 in a book of Jan Schenkman called, Saint Nicholas and his Servant. (it was 1 of 3 things 1st mentioned in this book that got stuck in the tradition)
there is no link to odin whit black peter.

Yes, though the character of Black peter is based on the Christmas demon. And 1845 would sill be predating the elves.

and actually do i doubt the link between odin and saint nicholas at all.

"Do I doubt it" or is it "I doubt it"?
I don't see why it would be hard to believe considering Christmas has incorporated holidays such as Yule. Sinterklaas did originate in about the same area of the world who was the model for the American Santa Claus.

I'm not saying Saint Nicolas didn't have a role in molding the character we know, just that he wasn't the earliest influence.

It changes anyway from country to country. In mine the Samichlaus apparently clearly comes from St. Nicholaus, but I imagine the same figure in northern countries has more roots from pagan influence. Our Schmutzli (the dark companion, see here) however definitely comes from native folklore, and was integrated by Christianity.