When it comes to Christmas, Santa Claus is perhaps the most recognizable character. Its red and white characterize all areas of our lives and its cheerful spirit marks the heart of the season.
However, it may come as a shock that Santa Claus wasn’t always dressed in red and white, although his cheering has always been part of the legend. Red and white have shaped Santa Claus so much that it is difficult to imagine the character of the man, who started out from the historical figure of Saint Nicholas, without them.
The Origin and History of the Jolly Santa Claus
Saint Nicholas was a bishop who lived in the fourth century in a place called Myra in Asia Minor (now called Turkey). He was a very rich man because his parents left him a lot of money when they died.
He was also so nice that he used most of his money to help people and not to enjoy them personally. With that in mind, they would receive secret gifts from him, and he was eventually made a saint because of his generosity.
How did the red Santa Claus come about?
So what do red and white have to do with generosity? Some historians have looked at the clothing of the saints in the early centuries. All this research has revealed that in the 4th century when Saint Nicholas existed, the saint’s robes were red and white. Seems like an easy link to figure out why Santa is playing red and white.
Another history lesson will show, however, that when Santa Claus came to Britain in the 16th century, he was not decked out in red but in green. In 1862, Thomas Nast, a well-known American cartoonist, drew a picture of Santa for Harper’s Weekly. The original images showed Santa in a tanned outfit, but this has morphed into red over the years.
Santa Claus And Coke
The Santa Claus we know today was first created for a Coca-Cola advertising campaign.
The Coca-Cola Company had begun its Christmas advertising in the 1920s with shopping-related ads in magazines such as The Saturday Evening Post . The first Santa ads used a stern-looking Claus, in the vein of Thomas Nast.
In 1930, artist Fred Mizen painted a department store Santa drinking a bottle of Coke in a crowd. The advertisement featured the world’s largest soda fountain, located at the Famous Barr Co. department store in St. Louis, MO. Mizen’s painting was used in print ads during the Christmas season The Saturday Evening Post in December 1930.
In 1931, the company began placing Coca-Cola ads in popular magazines. Archie Lee, the managing director of D’Arcy Advertising Agency, who works with The Coca-Cola Company, wanted the campaign to feature a healthy Santa that was both realistic and symbolic. So Coca-Cola hired Michigan-born illustrator Haddon Sundblom to develop promotional imagery featuring Santa showing Santa himself, not a man dressed as Santa.
Inspiration for Sundblom came in the form of an 1822 poem “Twas the Night Before Christmas” by Clement Clark Moore. In the poem, Santa Claus was described as jolly and plump, with rosy cheeks, twinkling eyes, and dimples. Sundblom then took inspiration for his clothing from the robes of the saints and the works of Thomas Nash, which showed a red cloak before the late 19th century.
It wasn’t until 1964 that Sundblom stopped illustrating Santa Claus, but Coca-Cola never missed a chance that season to use this popular Christmas characteristic to promote their popular drinks.
So Haddon Sundblom is the man credited with creating the Santa Claus we know today.
More interesting facts about Santa Claus
- When Europe became Christianized, the character of Santa Claus took on several pagan elements, including the tale of the god Odin, who sported a long white beard and rode a massive eight-legged war horse.
- The list of Santa’s “naughty” and “nice” children originated in Belgium and the Netherlands, where their version of Santa, Sinterklaas, kept a similar list.
- In the Santa Claus tale, naughty children are most likely given coal for convenience.
- According to French tradition, Santa Claus has a helper who is also a cannibal. As punishment for eating children, Santa Claus forced Père Fouettard (aka Father Whipper) to become his assistant and beat naughty children with sticks.
Credit: www.coca-colacompany.com