  Happy end-of-the-year evening and night events provide good opportunities to
explain the phases of the moon. The need for such moon phase education is once
again demonstrated, through an investigation of illustrations on Santa Claus
and Christmas gift wrap and in children's books, in two countries which have
been important in shaping the image of Santa Claus and his predecessor
Sinterklaas: The Netherlands and the USA. The moon on Halloween illustrations
is also considered. The lack of knowledge concerning the physical origin of the
moon phases, or lack of interest in understanding, is found to be widespread in
The Netherlands but is also clearly present in the USA, and is quite possibly
global. Definitely incomplete, but surely representative lists compiling both
scientifically correct and scientifically incorrect gift wrap and children's
books are also presented.
