London -Many people attribute the current figure of Santa Claus to Coca-Cola, which launched a presumably St.
Between the fourth-century philanthropist saint and the present good old man, the character was often represented in a manner similar to the image popularized by the soft drink brand, even for other trademarks.
The non-profit project The Public Domain Review, which has been dedicated to rescuing images from the history of art and literature for over a decade, conducted a survey of the figure and “personality” of Santa Claus. , marking its first origins in the 13th century and accompanying evolution over time.
13th century: Origin of Santa Claus in the Netherlands
According to The Public Domain Review, the name Santa Claus, as Santa Claus is known in the English language, has its roots in the unofficial Dutch name of Saint Nicholas, Sinterklaas (abbreviation St. Nicholas????????
Saint Nicholas, who was said to have been born in Turkey and died in Bari, was a bishop known for giving secret gifts and putting coins in the shoes left to him. History shows that the inspiration for Santa Claus, designed by Haddon Sundblom for Coca-Cola, was probably not directly saintly.
This painting by painter Jan Steen, located in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, is not visible. Sinterklaas“Personally”, but portrays the girl who receives gifts for being nice while her brother has an empty shoe.
A woman with another child in her arms points to the chimney where the good old man might have come.
All these attributes also tie it to the legend of Odin, a god worshiped among the Germanic peoples of northern and western Europe before Christianization, according to The Public Domain Review’s visual guide.
Although the feast of St. Nicholas on December 6 was very popular in Europe in the Middle Ages, after the religious Reformation in the 16th century, the celebration disappeared in most Protestant countries.
One of the exceptions is the Netherlands, where the cult is located. Sinterklaas has reached the present day. Big celebrations are held in many cities for the character that many Dutch are dying to say is not Santa Claus.
17th Century: English Santa Claus
Another major influence for the image of Santa Claus is Santa Claus, a traditional character in English folklore (also known as Santa Claus, Old Santa, and Mister Noel).
It normally represented the spirit of good humor at Christmas, but was not associated with children or bringing gifts.
The earliest English examples of the personification of Christmas are believed to come from a 15th-century song referring to “Sir Christmas”.
From the image above Santa’s Exam and Trial (1686) was published by Josiah King shortly after Christmas was re-established as a holy day in England after it was banned as a symbol of “Catholic superstition and irreligious vanity.”
Even without elements of the current Santa’s personality, the clothes and beard are more reminiscent of a contemporary figure than St.
1810: Santa Claus crosses the Atlantic
While the east coast of America was populated by Dutch settlers, it wasn’t until the early 19th century that the figure of “Sinterklaas” crossed the Atlantic and gave birth to the American Santa Claus, long before Coca-Cola launched its campaign.
After the Revolutionary War, New York City, already heavily influenced by the Dutch (formerly New Amsterdam), adhered to Dutch traditions and with it, St. She saw a new wave of interest in Nicholas.
In 1804, John Pintard, an influential patriot and antiquarian, founded the New York Historical Society and St. Nicholas as the patron saint of the organization and the city.
On December 6, 1810, the Society hosted the first St. Nicholas birthday dinner. Pintard commissioned artist Alexander Anderson to paint a picture of the saint to be delivered at dinner.
He is still shown in the portrait as a religious figure, but he also leaves gifts in stockings by the fireplace, an act associated with rewarding children’s kindness.
Although “St. Nicholas’ Day” never went the way Pintard intended, Anderson’s “Holy Father” image became famous.
A year before the party, writer Washington Irving had written about Santa Claus in his satirical fiction. Knickerbocker’s History of New York it depicts a cheerful character, unlike the holy bishop of the past – he flies in a sleigh pulled by reindeer and distributes gifts from the chimneys.
The next event that helped create the image of Santa Claus was his 1822 poem. A Visit to St. Nicholas Written by Clement Moore, later known as The night before New Year’s ????????
Moore drew on Irving’s description and Pintard’s New Amsterdam lore and added a few more Odin-like elements from German and Scandinavian legends to create the names for the sleigh-riding saint and the flying reindeer.
In 1905, a short film that marked the big screen debut of Santa Claus was inspired by Moore’s poem.
Also read | The character of Santa Claus, which has appeared in hundreds of movies, debuted on the big screen in 1905; to watch
1863: A figure closer to present-day Santa Claus in Harper’s Weekly
Cartoonist Thomas Nast referenced Santa’s current appearance with an illustration for an 1863 issue of Harper’s Weekly as part of a larger illustration titled “A Christmas Furlough.”
1864: Various colors for the Santa Claus costume
1868: Plum Outfit for Santa without Pants
Coca-Cola was not the first to use the image of Santa Claus to promote its products.
In this 1868 advertisement for a plum candy maker associated with Christmas, he appears wearing a fruit-colored suit and a green hat. In her rush, she seems to have forgotten to put on her pants as she only wears long underwear. The sled and the reindeer are there.
1881: Political criticism in a figure similar to that popularized by Coca-Cola
In this 1881 illustration of Thomas Nast’s “Happy Old Santa”, the modern Santa character begins to take shape and approaches the figure designed for Coca-Cola.
There is political criticism. He carries on his back an army backpack similar to the one used by soldiers. According to historians, the time stamped on the clock symbolizes how little Congress voted for a troop increase.
1902, Santa in the Books
1906, old man in advertising in Canada
1913: On the cover of Scouts magazine
Illustrator Norman Rockwell is the author of many representations of Santa Claus in the 1920s and has contributed to reinforcing the character’s modern look.
The figure on the cover of this magazine, published before the First World War, is very close to today’s image.
1914: Santa Claus in Japanese engraving, long before Coca-Cola
A Japanese drawing from 1914 by an unknown artist shows the spread of the Santa Claus legend reaching far beyond Europe and America at a time when advertisements had yet to spread the image of Santa Claus.
1930, in a magazine in Australia
1942, again at war, this time armed
In another post, the message is more optimistic, but still marked by the drama of the war, wishing you and yours Happy Holidays “wherever they are”, wishes that remain true to date.
Images are in the public domain and have been retrieved from the archives by The Public Domain Review project.
Also read | Santa Claus is a classic | Historic photos show 100 years of the good old man in the USA
source: Noticias
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.