It's widely believed that today's Santa wears a red suit because that's the colour associated with
St Nicholas, who was the real historical figure who Santa Claus is based on, was originally seen as wearing red, since that was the colour of the religious robes he would have worn for his role as the Bishop of Myra in Turkey in the 3rd Century.
In fact, when Civil War cartoonist Thomas Nast drew Santa Claus for Harper's Weekly in 1862, Santa was a small elflike figure who supported the Union. Nast continued to draw Santa for 30 years, changing the color of his coat from tan to the red he's known for today.
Depictions from illustrator Norman Rockwell helped establish red as the color Santa donned best. Coca-Cola also affirmed Santa's signature red suit. Artist Haddon Sundblom created an ad for the company in 1931 and continued to produce similar images for more than three decades.
The colours are widely thought to derive from the original Saint Nicholas, who was the Bishop of Myra in the 4th Century. Red and white were the hues of traditional bishop robes, although some historians argue that he originally dressed in different colours.
The origins of Father Christmas in England date back to ancient pre-Christian midwinter festivals where an unnamed pagan figure, robed in a green hooded cloak and wearing a wreath of holly, ivy or mistletoe, would come to lift people's spirits during the bleakest time of year.
While some historians argue that he originally dressed in different colors, the fact is that after the bishop, who was known for his generosity and kindness to children, passed away, his legend grew, and that included his scarlet apparel.
No. It's widely believed that today's Santa wears a red suit because that's the colour associated with Coca‑Cola, but this isn't the case. Before the Coca‑Cola Santa was even created, St Nick had appeared in numerous illustrations and written descriptions wearing a scarlet coat.
These include Saint Nicholas, a 4th Century Greek bishop - who famously wore red robes while giving gifts to the poor, especially children - and the English folk figure "Father Christmas", whose original green robes turned red over time.
German immigrants brought Santa Claus figurines to Ohio in the 1800s and once like the blue Santa were made locally. The director of the American Toy Marvel Museum says the blue color was traditional for the German version of St. Nicholas.
While Coca-Cola did not create the legend of Santa Claus completely, it is true that Coca-Cola advertising played a big role in shaping the jolly character we know and love today.
Black representations of Santa Claus can be traced back to at least the late 19th-century United States, where the character was folded into a racist minstrel and vaudeville tradition designed to frame Black people as inferior to Whites.
Claus (also known as Mrs. Santa Claus or Mrs. Santa) is the legendary wife of Santa Claus, the Christmas gift-bringer in Western Christmas tradition.
Slowly, from the 1900s onwards, Father Christmas started wearing green and white less and less often on Christmas cards. Eventually, his attire became exclusively red – thanks, in part, to Coca Cola's iconic 1930s advertisements.
A long time ago Father Christmas was shown in clothes of different colours: green, purple, light-blue, navy blue, brown or red.
The legend of Santa Claus can be traced back hundreds of years to a monk named St. Nicholas. It is believed that Nicholas was born sometime around A.D. 280 in Patara, near Myra in modern-day Turkey. Much admired for his piety and kindness, St.
The name, Santa Claus, was stated to evolve from Nick's Dutch nickname, Sinter Klaas, a shortened form of Sint Nikolaas, which is translated as the Dutch name for St. Nicholas.
According to History.com, the monk who over time would evolve into Santa Claus was born in what is now modern-day Turkey in 280 A.D., making him a whopping 1,741 years old!
The current depiction of Santa Claus is based on images drawn by cartoonist Thomas Nast for Harper's Weekly beginning in 1863. Nast's Santa owed much to the description given in the poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” (also known as “'Twas the Night Before Christmas”), first published in 1823.
Traditional Santas wear bright red fleecy suits, lined with white fur and big black boots to fight off the northern winter. In Australia, it's summer at Christmas time so you're much more likely to see a boardshort wearing Santa on a surfboard.
In the 19th and 20th centuries, coal was commonly burned to heat homes, so when Santa Claus came to visit, it was convenient to grab a lump to leave for children on his "naughty" list. Of course, Santa would never give children lumps of coal for Christmas... unless they asked for it!
Nicholas was a real man. He was a bishop, living in the 3rd century, in what's now modern-day Turkey. Professor Adam English of Campbell University in North Carolina pieced together the life of St. Nicholas in his new book, The Saint Who Would Be Santa Claus: The True Life and Trials of Nicholas of Myra.
The appearance of St. Nicholas, whose kindness and generosity inspired this legendary character, was lost and forgotten. At the time, it probably made sense to make Santa Claus white, as people of color weren't really accepted into society and weren't represented equally.
What color was Santa's eyes? blue eyed people.
Half (49%) of Americans say they stopped believing in Santa before the age of 10 – with a quarter (23%) reporting that they lost sight of him between the ages of seven (10%) and eight (13%).