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Marilyn Roy Retro Christmas Santa Claus With Toys
Saint Nicholas
The story of Santa Claus begins with Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of children. He was a 4th-century Greek bishop who left coins in children's shoes that were put out for him to find. His name was altered by the Dutch, who shortened it from Sint Nikolaas to Sinterklaas. The Dutch version of Sinterklaas flew through the sky on a white horse and had helpers listening at chimneys to determine whether children were good or bad. The feast of Saint Nicholas was celebrated on December 6. Early images of Santa Claus in robes were due to Saint Nicholas's bishops' apparel. Later versions showed Santa with a Christmas tree with or without a bag of toys.
Father Christmas
In 16th century England, Father Christmas, also known as Old Father Christmas, Lord Christmas, and Sir Christmas, was adapted from Woden. He wore a green or red fur-trimmed robe and represented the spirit of good cheer. Illustrator John Leech used Father Christmas as the model of the Ghost of Christmas Present for A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens in 1843. The celebration for Father Christmas was moved to December 25. Father Christmas's personality slowly evolved from a purveyor of celebration to the gift-giving persona of Santa Claus. Return to top of page.
Saint Nicholas in the United States
The Dutch settlers in New York contributed to the introduction of Santa Claus in the United States. In 1804, John Pintard established the New York Historical Society and named Saint Nicholas as the patron saint of both the society and New York City. The Historical Society hosted a Saint Nicholas feast on December 6, 1810, where a sketch of the saint by Alexander Anderson was given to guests. The sketch portrayed Saint Nicholas putting gifts in stockings hung on a fireplace.
Clement Moore's St Nicholas
Clement Moore's A Visit from St Nicholas or The Night Before Christmas, published in 1822, was based on Washington Irving's description of Santa Claus in Knickerbocker's History of New York published in 1810. Moore took the reindeer's names and other details from German and Norse legends. Santa's red suit was missing. Over time, Santa has worn blue and green, and, in an 1864 version of Moore's book, he was wearing yellow. Return to top of page.
Thomas Nast's Santa Claus
In 1863 in the middle of the Civil War, Thomas Nast created an illustration for Harper's Weekly titled "A Christmas Furlough." It depicted Santa celebrating with Union soldiers. Santa was wearing red and white striped pants and a star-emblazoned jacket. Later Nash's illustrations included the North Pole, a toy workshop, and a book registering naughty and nice children. An 1881 Nast Sant Claus illustration titled "Merry Old Santa" is the most well-known. It presents the beginnings of the modern Santa Claus.
Frank Baum's Santa Claus
Frank Baum, the author of The Wizard of Oz, wrote The Life and Adventures Of Santa Claus in 1902. On the cover, Santa was wearing a green suit. Return to top of page.
Norman Rockwell's Santa Claus
Norman Rockwell's depictions of Santa Claus from 1913 through the 1920s represent the modern Santa. They are also lifelike instead of cartoons.
Coca Cola's® Santa Claus
The Coca-Cola® Santa Claus was created by Haddon Sundblom and used in advertisements in the 1930s and the 1940s. Return to top of page. 5 of Our Favorite Santa Claus-Themed Products on Zazzle 1. Retro Christmas Santa Claus With Toys2. Vintage Style St Nicholas (Santa Claus) Christmas Ceramic OrnamentThe original St Nicholas (Santa Claus) dress was tan or brown; he was a Bishop of Greek descent and worked mostly in Turkey. Aside from the many things he did, for which he was called the "wonderworker," he had the habit of secretly leaving gifts for people. This gave rise to the legendary character of Sinterklaas (in the Netherlands and Germany) and St Nicholas in the rest of Europe. In most countries of Europe, he wears a blue suit. The red suit version is attributed to Thomas Nast, working for an important magazine (can't name it for copyright reasons I guess!) in the United States in the 1860s, and is known as the father of American Cartoonists. The Santa in red suit has been since then, the icon we all know. Customize this art to your liking, or leave it as it is :) 3. Customizable Vintage Christmas CardCustomizable Vintage Christmas design features the classic painting done in 1514 by artist Andrea Sabatini entitled "St Nicholas of Bari Enthroned." This classic image is background to your text which is displayed in gold, decorative lettering. May be replaced with your photo. 4. Milk and Cookies For Santa Vintage Illustration Coffee Mug5. Santa Clause Faux Lost Driving License Badge
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1 Comment
11/25/2022 04:06:34 am
What a great article on Santa Claus and the many variations he's gone through since Saint Nicholas. I love the ornament where he's wearing that gorgeous blue suit! Leave a Reply. |
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AuthorMarilyn and Elizabeth both enjoy celebrating Halloween. As adults, they dressed in costumes to pass out candy. Elizabeth worked with their mother to make a witches costume for a Marilyn, and Elizabeth made a prairie dress that turned into a fairy princess costume with the tiara Marilyn crocheted over a wire form that she shaped. Archives
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