Who is coming to town?

A Very Vintage Christmas post #2

And, to keep you updated, it is 24 days til Christmas!

The tradition of Santa Claus is one that most cultures around the world share. And I know that especially here in America, the average child grows up reading stories about Santa Claus, singing songs about him, and putting out milk and cookies for him on Christmas Eve. We're all familiar with the big, jolly man in the red suit with his reindeer and elves, passing out toys to good little girls and boys.

But who is he really?

Where did he come from?

The story of the founding of Father Christmas is actually an interesting one if you haven't heard it before. And even if you have, it's good to be reminded.

Saint Nicholas was actually a real person, also known as Nikolaos of Myra. He was a Greek bishop who was born in the modern day area of Turkey during the 300th century A.D.

He was known for his overwhelming generosity that he showed to people less fortunate than himself. There are many accounts of him giving gifts to those in need. He was a devoted orthodox Christian throughout his entire life, which is what he contributed his own spirit of generosity to. Other people of religious backgrounds throughout Europe were greatly inspired by Saint Nicholas, and they respected and revered him, so it was only natural that he would show up in many different artistic portrayals of saints and other religious figures. When he was artistically portrayed, he was usually depicted as an older, bearded man wearing red, canonical robes. You can see where this is going...

The Dutch, in countries like Belgium and the Netherlands, were some of the first to really develop the modern idea of Santa Claus. They referred to Saint Nicholas as Sinterklaas, who was an elderly, graceful, stately man with a long, white beard, and who dressed in a traditional white and red bishop's alb.

In their stories, Sinterklaas had his own book of right and wrong, in which was kept a record of children in the country who have been good and are therefore deserving of a reward, or who have been bad. His special helpers aid him in passing down gifts to good, sleeping children through people's chimneys or fireplaces. His helpers also carry willow canes and bags in order to snatch up naughty children.

Sinterklaas spread fairly quickly throughout other countries such as Norway, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, and Iceland, but each country tweaked the presentation to better fit their own customs and traditions. While it is easy to see the similarities between Sinterklaas and our modern day portrayal of Santa Claus, another similar character would come to life during the 17th century.

Father Christmas was Great Britain's take on Saint Nicholas. And it is from this redrawing of the traditional figure that we specifically get the temperament of Santa Claus. Father Christmas was a round, jolly, happy man. As far as looks go, one of the best representations of Father Christmas is Charles Dickens' depiction of the Ghost of Christmas Present in A Christmas Carol.

So how did we end up with our version of Santa Claus?

Well, he was/is a combination of all of the above figures--Saint Nicholas, Sinterklaas, and Father Christmas. The particular elements of Santa Claus and his sleigh, reindeer, etc. were brought about through published short stories and poetry that became very popular. An artist and cartoonist by the name of Thomas Nast drew the Santa Claus that we know today, and he is also largely given credit for coming up with the theory that Santa Claus resides in the North Pole.

And the rest is history. The story of Santa Claus and his generosity has not only been kept alive but has also grown through many pieces of literature, short stories, children's stories, poetry, etc. And of course, marketing and advertising have also helped as the twentieth and twenty-first centuries have progressed, keeping Saint Nicholas a tradition that we still know and love.

I love this video that I'm going to share with you. There is a famous piece of writing entitled Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus that was written as a response to a girl who sent in a letter asking if Santa was real in 1897. In this clip, Virginia herself reads the response to the letter she wrote as a child to a group of children.

That is all until Thursday, December 6.

So, be sure to check back with us then so you can start building your classic Christmas playlist with our first Christmas song choice of the season.

Until then, have a very happy, and A Very Vintage Christmas!