It is said that the original Santa Claus (Father Christmas) was a Sami shaman, a people of reindeer herders from Lapland.
Indeed, rather than a shaman, a flow of shamans.
During autumn the shaman collected sacred mushrooms which allowed him to travel to other worlds and meet the Gods. These mushrooms are called amanita muscaria by Westerners and are the classic Christmas mushrooms with a red cap with white dots.
They grow especially at the foot of fir trees.
The shaman dried them and then distributed them to the community on the occasion of the Winter Solstice when everyone – and not just the shaman – could travel with him to the Spirit Worlds to find out what the Dream was prepared for each one for the year that was beginning : what to expect, what to do and also how to gain strength and Power for the entire year.
For the occasion the shaman wore a red robe with white trimmings, the colors of the sacred mushroom.
The Sami houses were yurts, vaguely similar to Indian teepees, made of wood, made in the shape of a cone or ogee with a smoke hole at the top. In winter the doors were blocked by snow and you entered through the smoke hole, which was quite large and had a ladder.
So the shaman dressed in red and white, with a bag full of dried mushrooms, lowered himself from the chimney hole of each house to give each family mushrooms for the Journey.
Then when they took the Mushroom, guided by the shaman, they flew into the Celestial Worlds on sleighs pulled by flying reindeer.
The Reindeer were in fact the most sacred animals to the Sami, they provided them with everything: meat, milk, skins for clothing and blankets, as sacred as the Bison for the Plains Indians.
When I knew nothing about this story, a Caribou, a beast very similar to the Reindeer, came to offer me his help as a Power Animal to travel in the Celestial Worlds. Even today he faithfully guides and accompanies me. On this day I take this opportunity to give him thanks and honor!
Happy New Year and Happy New Year to All the World!