No doubt many readers were relieved that Santa Claus appeared to be a supporter of labor unions. We know this because one of his earliest depictions shows him handing out gifts to soldiers on Mason Dixon’s side. The illustration “Santa Claus at Camp” (above) is harper’s weekly A Christmas issue from 1862, when the Civil War was still tearing the country apart. The artist is an immigrant from Bavaria. thomas nastis now remembered for first portraying Democrats as donkeys and Republicans as elephants, but he also did more than anyone to create the image of Santa Claus that is recognized around the world today. norman rockwellfurthermore, coca cola company.
Santa Claus is an anglicized word SinterklaasDutch name st nicholasHe lived and died in what is now Turkey during the 3rd and 4th centuries, and has been remembered ever since for his kindness to children. Few of us will recognize him His portrait of 1294 it includes Illustrated History of Santa Claus in Public Domain ReviewHowever, as the centuries passed, his image became intermingled with that of other winter-like flying characters from Germanic and Norse mythology. In 1822, Clement Moore performed a decisive act of rhyming synthesis in his poetry. “Visit of Saint Nicholas” (often called “It was the night before Christmas”): in that poem we find a bunch of toys, rosy cheeks, a white beard, a belly quivering like a bowl filled with jelly.
Nast found not only the appeal of Moore’s explanation; Propaganda value of characters. His first representation of Santa Claus appears in the top corner. 1862 harper’s weekly figure A praying wife and her Yankee soldier husband. Almost 20 years later, Nast drew the cartoon “Merry Old Santa Claus” (Immediately above) Its central figure is still immediately recognizable to us today, even though the political cause that motivated it – raising military pay – has become obscured. In the 20th century, just as Rockwell was refining and solidifying his image in popular culture in the decades to come, the iconic Father Christmas would once again lend public support to the American effort in World War I and World War II. The once-unlikely outcome was an American Santa Claus, “a symbol of our empire.” in the words of of new yorkerAdam Gopnik“As much as Apollo is Greek.”
Related content:
clock Santa Clausthe first film about Santa in existence (1898)
Did Santa Claus and his reindeer start with a mushroom journey?: Discovering the psychedelic and shamanistic side of Christmas
Listen to “It Was the Night Before Christmas” read by Stephen Fry and John Cleese.
JRR Tolkien sent illustrated letters to children from Father Christmas each year (1920-1943)
Bob Dylan reads “It Was the Night Before Christmas” on his holiday radio show (2006)
Slavoj Žižek answers the question: “Should we teach children to believe in Santa Claus?”
Based in Seoul, Colin Mbemust write and broadcastIt’s about cities, languages and cultures. His projects include the Substack newsletter books about cities and a book Stateless City: A Stroll Through Los Angeles in the 21st Century. Follow him on the social network formerly known as Twitter. @Colinbemust.
Source: Open Culture – www.openculture.com
