Some have suggested there was a link with the iconography of the original St Nicholas, who is often depicted in red robes, but more likely is that it just felt aesthetically right, chiming with the rosy-cheeked, red-nosed Santa of the poem, and with the red outfit playing off the whiteness of the fur, beard and snow – ...
The red suit was a convenient feature of the character as it matched the advertising colours of the company. He was inspired by the classic 1822 poem, A Visit from St Nicholas, which features the line: “Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house; not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse”.
However, it is true that Coca‑Cola advertising played a big role in shaping the jolly character we know and love today. In 1931, Coca‑Cola commissioned Swedish-American artist Haddon Sundblom to paint Santa Claus for the company's Christmas adverts.
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.
Does Santa Claus traditionally wear red because it's the colour of Coca‑Cola? No. Before Coca‑Cola was invented, Santa Claus (St Nick) had appeared in numerous illustrations and books wearing a scarlet coat.
Nicholas” – more commonly known as “The Night Before Christmas.” But before Moore's poem and Coca-Cola's advertisements, there was the original St. Nicholas. As the Bishop of Myra in the 4th Century, his traditional robes were red and white.
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.
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 tradition of him wearing red began in the 1870s with the American cartoonist Thomas Nast, who introduced the red suit and cap, white fur lining and buckled black belt.
Prior to Nast's work, Santa's outfit was tan in color, and it was he that changed it to red, although he also drew Santa in a green suit. This change is often mistakenly attributed to the work of Haddon Sundblom, who drew images of Santa in advertising for the Coca-Cola Company since 1931.
The history of Santa Claus
Santa Claus existed many years before Coca-Cola started to use him for its Christmas advertising campaign. Historians agree that this character was inspired by Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra of the 4th Century, who was famous for leaving coins in the shoes and stockings of poor children.
The director of the American Toy Marvel Museum says the blue color was traditional for the German version of St. Nicholas.
A long time ago Father Christmas was shown in clothes of different colours: green, purple, light-blue, navy blue, brown or red. Some illustrations even depict him as a multicolour figure wearing blue trousers, a yellow waistcoat and a red jacket. In some cases he even wore brown, black or white furs.
However, it was not until the late part of the 19th century that the character adopted the red suit that was popular for Santa Claus in America, and so for much of the Victorian period, Father Christmas was often green.
The real Saint Nicholas is likely to have had olive skin, dark brown eyes and a wide chin and brow. He stood at 1.68 metres (5ft 6in) and had a broken nose. However, according to the researchers, he did sport white hair and a beard - as was the fashion for 4th century religious leaders.
Exactly how old is Santa? According to the blog Email Santa, Santa Claus is 1,751 years old as of 2022. In fact, the origins of Santa Claus can be traced all the way back to a monk named Saint Nicholas, who was born between 260 and 280 A.D. in a village called Patara, which is part of modern-day Turkey.
What is Santa's second favorite color? Most often, you see Santa wearing his famous red-and-white suit and hat. However, when he's not dressed in this familiar attire, Santa puts on his other favorite color: green!
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.
On February 14th in 1815, Santa Nicholas Claus and Holly McBride became husband and wife, meaning that Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus have enjoyed over 200 happy years of marriage. In 2020, they'll be celebrating their 205th anniversary.
Tapping the side of the nose while looking another person in the eye is a traditional gesture that means 'this is a secret between us, no need to let anyone in on it'. In other words, Santa knows the narrator is awake and has seen him, but doesn't want him/her to tell.
Multiple surveys and studies from the United States and around the Western world show that the typical age that kids stop believing in Santa Claus is age 8.
The Growth of White Santa
The highly recognized image of a pale-faced, white-bearded, old man giving out gifts dates back to the 19th century.
Claus almost never have children in any of their many depictions, there is at least one Christmas Burlesque musical from 1892 that features Kitty Claus, the daughter of Santa.
Long before he lived in the North Pole, and long before his yearly Christmas visits brought joy to all the children of the world, Santa Claus was a child himself. He was once just an ordinary baby boy named Nicholas.
They state that one of the oldest elves around is 4,000 years old, and he goes by the name of Kringle. The youngest is only 700 and is named Buttercup. As you can see, Santa is always on the lookout for new elves with plenty of holiday spirit.