How did the appearance of Santa Claus change? The history of the appearance of Santa Claus: The prototypes of Santa Claus were a pugnacious spirit and a drinking traveling salesman. How St. Nicholas disappeared from Christmas celebrations.
December 26th, 2014 admin
In the old days, children not only loved Santa Claus, but were also afraid of him. In the 17th century, Santa Claus was depicted as a small gnome who climbed into the house at night through the chimney, fireplace or chimney. In the stockings left by the fireplace, Santa Claus left gifts for children - for some, toys and sweets, and for others, a willow twig or twig, for bad behavior. The children were afraid of him and preferred not to see him appear at night.....
Psychologists noted that many children frightened by their parents suffered clausophobia - pathological fear of Santa Claus. Looking at these old photos, it becomes clear why children were so afraid of the sinister old man with rods soaked in salt water and a bag of toys, from whom it is not known what can be expected.
Later, adults decided that Santa Claus would only be kind and would give children gifts on Christmas.. Saint Claus is accompanied by the shaggy, horned and evil Krampus, who frightens and punishes naughty children, promises to put naughty naughty children in a bag, take them to his cave and eat them for Christmas dinner. Legendary character of Alpine German folklore Krampus - Krampus, in Austria - Klaubauf, in Hungary - Krampusz (devil), in the Czech Republic - Cempr, in Slovenia - Parkelj.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, Santa Claus looked much more stern than now; he was portrayed as a wrinkled old man who smoked a pipe filled with strong tobacco, was blind and wore glasses.
A few years later, in 1881, artist Kris Kringle depicted jolly old Santa Claus as illustrated by Thomas Nast, but added a smoking pipe and rosy cheeks, a furry red suit and hat.
Artist Kris Kringle called it "Merry Old Santa" - Merry Old Santa.
In 1902 Santa Claus first appeared in the cartoon as a little elf tiptoeing towards the fireplace. Santa Claus' gift bag is filled with toys.
In 1906 In the Canadian Christmas catalogue, Santa Claus is depicted wearing a hat and the familiar red outfit, just as he does today.
In December 1913, the American cover of Life Magazine depicted two Boy Scouts rescuing Santa Claus stuck in a snowdrift. Apparently, his sleigh overturned and all the gifts spilled into the snow.
On a Japanese postcard from 1914, Santa Claus is depicted in a short red jacket, belted with a belt, and red trousers tucked into boots. Santa Claus has untied his sack and is laying out toys by the fireplace, and one of the kids is spying on him.
In 1918, Santa Claus participates in a Christmas peace rally for the US Food Administration.
In 1920, the Coca-Cola Company began advertising its Christmas products using an image of Santa Claus drawn by Thomas Nast. In the 1920s and 1930s, Coca-Cola company advertisements depicted Santa Claus in a red suit with a bottle of carbonated Coca-Cola in his hands.
Thanks to artist Haddon Sandblom, the Coca-Cola Company began to depict Santa Claus giving toys, playing with children and reading their letters,
These images of Santa Claus were later printed on calendars, posters and cards, which have become collector's items today.
In 1930, Santa Claus appears on the cover of Queenslander magazine wearing a red coat, hat and boots, and carrying a sack over his shoulders.
In 1942 in a poster by the US Emergency Management Agency and the War Industry, Santa Claus was drafted into the army, dressed in a military uniform and given a machine gun. Santa Claus on an American poster advocates military action in World War II and goes to the soldiers at the front on Christmas Day.
A 1942 poster by the US Emergency Management Agency shows Santa Claus proclaiming "World Peace" on Christmas Day.
On December 6, Catholics in Europe celebrate the birthday of the good Saint Claus, who loves children and gives gifts to obedient children.
Modern Santa Claus always looks the same - he is a cheerful man in a red jacket, belted and red pants tucked into boots or high boots. Santa Claus, as before, wears glasses, gloves, a white gray beard and mustache, and on his head is a long red night cap hanging askew. Santa Claus loves to smoke a pipe with tobacco, travels on a sleigh drawn by eight fleet-footed reindeer, and he puts gifts for children in children's stockings or socks hanging in the house by the fireplace.
Saint Claus is accompanied by a shaggy, horned and evil Krampus, who frightens and punishes naughty children, promises to put naughty naughty children in a bag, take them to his cave and eat them for Christmas dinner. The legendary character of Alpine German folklore Krampus - Krampus, in Austria - Klaubauf, in Hungary - Krampusz (devil), in the Czech Republic - Cempr, in Slovenia - Parkelj.
Unlike Santa Claus, the Russian Father Frost wears a long, warm fur coat, trimmed with white fur and belted with a sash. Santa Claus's feet are in warm felt boots, on his head is a warm fur hat - “Scythian cap”, on his hands are warm mittens, on his shoulder is a bag of gifts. Father Frost is accompanied by his granddaughter Snegurochka. Father Frost lives in his large estate in Veliky Ustyug, where children send their letters with wishes. Father Frost and Snow Maiden ride on a sleigh drawn by three horses.
The prototype of Santa was Saint Nicholas and he did not live at the North Pole. The birthplace of Santa Claus was the Anatolia Peninsula, which is now the territory of modern Turkey.
#2 How old is he?
Once upon a time, it was customary to give gifts to children on December 6, the birthday of St. Nicholas, but during the Reformation they began to be given not on December 6, but on December 24, on the eve of the birthday of the baby Jesus.
Saint Nicholas was born in 270, which means this year Santa Claus turned 1749 years old.
#3 Where did the name come from?
In America, they learned about Santa thanks to the Dutch, who in the 1650s founded the settlement of New Amsterdam, now known as New York. It was the Dutch who brought their traditions there, but the English Puritans, on the contrary, did not recognize Christmas for a long time. In Holland the name of Saint Nicholas is pronounced Sinterklaas. And he looks like a stately, majestic old man with a white beard on a white horse. Due to difficulties in pronunciation, Sinterklaas became Santa Claus.
#4 What did he look like before?
Now Santa has turned into a kind, pot-bellied old man with glasses and a white beard, but in ancient times he came to children in a variety of guises. In Finland, for example, Joulupukki was originally a Christmas goat (this is how this name is translated from the Suomi language), and gifts had to be presented to him.
No. 5 How did Nikolai turn into Santa?
In 1809, Washington Irving's History of New York was written, in which the writer spoke about the times of Dutch rule, mentioning the custom of honoring St. Nicholas in New Amsterdam. Another 15 years later, Clark Moore’s poem “The Night Before Christmas or the Visit of St. Nicholas” was published, where the author talked about the fairy-tale character Santa Claus, who gives gifts to children. The story became very popular, and Nicholas became known to all children in America under the name Santa Claus.
#6 Why does Santa Claus always wear red?
Santa Claus did not always wear a red caftan. At first he was dressed in an inconspicuous brown sheepskin coat and did not look very presentable, then he appeared in green, then gold, then blue. For the first time, the image of a modern Santa appeared on the cover of the humorous magazine Puck. A little later, a caftan and a red hat were given to Santa by the Coca Cola company, which used his image to increase sales of the drink in the winter and repainted Santa’s suit in its signature color.
The bearded grandfather in a red suit, whom any inhabitant of the globe now recognizes, was painted by the American artist Haddon Sundblom. Sundblom first drew Santa from his friend Lou Prentice, and after his death he began to use himself as a model, looking at the reflection in the mirror.
#6 Where does Santa Claus live now?
Lapland is considered Santa's official residence.
His address: Santa Claus, Arctic Circle, 96930, Rovaniemi, Finland.
№7
At the end of the last century, on the streets of New York, homeless people dressed as Santa Claus collected donations for the Salvation Army charity. The money was used for free Christmas meals.
#8 Why do Santa Clauses work in supermarkets on Christmas?
In 1890, businessman James Edgar was the first to dress as Santa Claus to attract more customers to his store. The success was unprecedented, crowds of customers flocked to his store, and since then, on Christmas, Santa can be found in almost any shopping center. This significantly increases profits!
#9 Why do people hang socks on the fireplace?
There are quite a few versions of why Santa puts gifts in his socks.
Here is one of them: once three poor women without a dowry washed their socks before Christmas, hung them by the fireplace and went to bed, and Santa Claus, coming down the chimney into the house, dropped several gold coins into them. The women were very happy, were able to get married and lived happily ever after. Since then, on Christmas Eve, everyone, young and old, hangs up their socks, hoping that something might fall there.
#10 When did Santa Claus get married?
Santa Claus was a bachelor for a long time, but in 1849, Mrs. Claus appeared in James Reese's story "The Legend of Christmas." Since then he has not lived alone. And good!
#11 Santa Claus can be found on Google
For quite some time now, you can follow the flight of Santa Claus in real time. Santa can be found on flightradar24 and Google maps. If you look closely at the airplanes moving in the picture, you can see a sleigh with reindeer and Santa. They say that its speed is about 1800 kilometers per hour! The tradition of tracking Santa dates back to 1955, when one of the American newspapers accidentally mixed up the number on the phone, indicating NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) instead of Santa Claus's phone number. Hundreds of people started calling, and the commander had no choice but to answer the calls, imitating the real Santa.
How do believers greet each other on Christmas?
Western Christians greet each other with the phrase “Merry Christmas!” In the Orthodox tradition, people greet each other with the words: “Christ is born!” - “We praise Him!” It is also common to simply wish “Merry Christmas” or “Merry Christmas!”
Why do some Christians celebrate Christmas on December 25, and others on January 7?
Initially, Christmas was celebrated on December 25 by all Christian churches, but in 1582 Pope Gregory XIII decided to switch to the Gregorian calendar. The Orthodox Church abandoned the innovation and continued to live according to the Julian calendar. And in 1918, the Bolsheviks decided to switch to the Gregorian calendar. The Church continued to use the Julian calendar, and Christmas remained on January 7th.
Why is a Christmas tree a Christmas tree?
The tradition of bringing a spruce into the house for Christmas came from Germany. According to legend, Saint Boniface cut down Odin's oak tree to show the powerlessness of the pagans, and a fir tree grew on the stump. Thus the prophecy he had given earlier, “the fir of Christianity will grow on the roots of the felled oak of paganism,” was fulfilled.
What can you decorate if there is no Christmas tree?
In warm countries where spruce, fir and other conifers do not grow, palm trees are used instead of fir trees. In Florida, they even grow the “Christmas palm,” which is so called because of the fruits that turn red by December.
Why do they decorate the Christmas tree for Christmas?
The Germans were the first to decorate the Christmas tree. There is a legend that the tradition was started by the German shepherd Martin Luther. In Russia, this custom was started by Peter I; before him, the Christmas tree was considered a tree associated with death and funeral rites.
Why is it customary to light candles on the Christmas tree?
When Mary and Joseph came to Bethlehem, there was no place for them in the city, so Christians light candles on the Christmas tree and in the windows in memory of this. This is an invitation to the Mother of God and a symbol of hospitality. Over time, for fire safety reasons, real candles on fir trees were replaced by electric light bulbs, but the meaning has not changed.
Why do Americans have red as their Christmas color?
Traditionally, the birth of Christ was symbolized by green, and red symbolized his blood. Red became the main color of Christmas after the Coca-Cola Company launched an advertising campaign featuring Santa Claus in 1931. Especially for this advertisement, Santa's caftan was painted red (before this, Santa's attire had been white, brown and blue).
What is the connection between Christmas and Santa Claus?
Santa Claus is a modified name of Saint Nicholas. It became part of Christmas mythology in 1823, when Clement Clark Moore published the poem “The Night Before Christmas, or the Visit of St. Nicholas.” In it, Saint Nicholas transformed into Santa Claus, a kind fairy-tale hero who gives gifts to children.
Who is in Santa Claus' entourage?
It is believed that Santa Claus travels around the world in a sleigh pulled by 8 reindeer - Swift, Dancer, Prancing, Grumpy, Comet, Cupid, Thunder and Lightning. They were first described in Clement Clarke Moore's poem "The Night Before Christmas" in 1823. In 1939, a new reindeer appeared in Santa's retinue, the red-nosed Rudolph, who now leads the team. Rudolph is the result of a promotion organized by the Montgomery Ward supermarket chain. Santa's retinue also includes Christmas elves, they help Santa prepare gifts for the children.
Why does Santa Claus enter the house through the chimney?
The way Santa Claus gets into the house was described in Clement Clarke Moore's poem "The Night Before Christmas."
Why is Santa Claus portrayed as a fat man?
During a Coca-Cola promotion in 1930, artist Haddon Sundble depicted Santa as a fat man wearing the red and white colors of Coca-Cola. The prototype for Santa was the artist's friend and neighbor Lou Prentice. This image of Santa Claus subsequently became canonical.
How did the tradition of leaving cookies and a glass of milk for Santa come about?
Researchers believe that the tradition of leaving treats arose during the time of St. Nicholas. People left food on their doorsteps for those who couldn't take care of themselves. The custom finally took shape in the 1930s, and after the appearance of Rudolph the reindeer, carrots began to be added to Santa’s treats.
Why do Santa Claus and Father Frost live in the north?
The fact that Santa and Father Frost live in the north is not connected with any legend. American artist Thomas Nast settled Santa Claus at the North Pole in 1862. Subsequently, Santa changed his place of residence several times, but in the end he still returned to the pole. Veliky Ustyug is considered to be the birthplace of Father Frost, but his first residence was the Chunozersk estate in the Lapland Nature Reserve.
Why are Christmas wreaths made from mistletoe?
The tradition of making mistletoe wreaths came from England. It originated back in the days when they had never even heard of a Christmas tree. The evergreen leaves of mistletoe symbolized the birth of Christ, and the red berries symbolized his blood after the crucifixion. A gifted sprig of mistletoe brought happiness to the home.
Why do people give gifts at Christmas?
Oddly enough, the custom of giving gifts has nothing to do with the gifts that the Magi presented to Christ. The tradition of giving gifts to children is associated with Saint Nicholas, who became the prototype of Santa Claus. When the image of the saint was associated with Christmas, the custom arose of giving gifts to children, and then to adults.
What to give for Christmas?
Today, any gifts are given at Christmas, but figurines of angels, Christmas candles, cards and sweets remain traditional.
When can you unpack gifts?
Why do Western Christians hang socks on the fireplace?
The custom is associated with the legend of how Saint Nicholas, having heard about the poverty of three sisters, secretly threw them a gold nugget into the fireplace through the chimney. Each nugget ended up in a sock, which the girls hung up to dry that evening.
What time is Christmas?
Western Christians begin celebrating Christmas Eve on the evening of December 24th. After the festive dinner, it is customary to go to Christmas masses and services. In the Orthodox tradition, Christmas comes after the Christmas Vigil, which begins on the night of January 6 and lasts about 3 hours. With the end of the all-night vigil, January 7, the feast of the Nativity of Christ begins.
What does Christmas smell like?
Traditional Christmas smells include incense, fresh baked goods, citrus, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger and pine.
What should you do on Christmas Eve?
In the evening, after the first star rises, it is customary to gather for a solemn Lenten meal. On Christmas Eve, festive services are held, which, as a rule, begin late in the evening.
What is a nativity scene?
The Holy Den for Christians is the cave in which Jesus Christ was born. A nativity scene is also called a reproduction of the scene of the Nativity of Christ. These can be sculptural compositions, theatrical or puppet shows.
Why does the Star of Bethlehem have 8 rays?
The eight rays of the Star of Bethlehem symbolize the future century. For six days God created the world. The seventh day lasts from the end of Creation until the Last Judgment. After the terrible day the eighth day will come - eternal life.
What does the phrase "Merry Christmas" mean?
Usually the phrase "Merry Christmas" is translated as "Merry Christmas" or "Merry Christmas." This is a traditional Christmas greeting that originated in the 16th century in England and is firmly entrenched in folklore, for example, in the traditional Christmas carol “We wish you a merry Christmas.”
What do Westerners eat for Christmas?
In the West, the traditional Christmas dish is turkey, duck or geese and various Christmas pies. In England, the most famous Christmas dish is plum pudding. They start preparing it a month before Christmas.
What do they eat for Christmas in Russia?
In Russia, it is customary to display all the best on the Christmas table. They prepare pancakes, fish dishes, aspic, jelly, pork head with horseradish, homemade sausage, roast, honey gingerbread, sbiten and, of course, roast goose.
Why are gingerbread cookies baked at Christmas?
There is a legend that an English monk of the 12th century, while preparing a festive meal, accidentally added a large amount of spices to the dough. To his surprise, the participants in the meal liked the cookies, and soon the recipe spread throughout the country, and then to Europe. But the tradition of giving cookies various shapes arose only in the 19th century.
What is the “pie of the Magi”?
Magi Pie is a traditional Christmas treat. The different recipes have one thing in common - a bean, a coin or a small figurine is baked into the pie. The one who pulls out the lucky piece is considered lucky, and good luck and wealth should accompany him next year.
What is caroling?
Caroling is primarily a Slavic tradition. The mummers went from house to house, sang songs of praise to the owners and wished them all the best, and they presented the carolers with ritual treats.
How long does the Nativity Fast last for Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox?
For Catholics, the Nativity Fast (Advent) lasts 4 weeks. Protestants fast for the same length of time. Advent is the time of waiting for the Nativity of Christ; it is not accompanied by strict fasting, but is considered a period of spiritual abstinence and repentance. In the Orthodox tradition, the Nativity Fast begins on November 28 and ends on January 6 (lasts 40 days). The Armenian Apostolic Church fasts for only 7 days.
How to break your fast correctly?
You need to break your fast slowly, gradually introducing lean foods into your Lenten diet. It is not recommended to mix several types of protein foods; this can be harmful to your body.
How long does the Christmas liturgy last?
The Christmas liturgy can last from two to six hours, depending on the speed of reading, singing, the number of communicants and local traditions.
Can Orthodox Christians wish Catholics Merry Christmas?
They can. The difference between Orthodox and Catholic Christmas is in the date, and not in the essence of the holiday. “Therefore in everything that you would have people do to you, do so to them, for this is the law and the prophets.” (Matt. 7:12)
Just before Christmas, 92,000 elves, responsible for making New Year's gifts for kids, are struck down by an unknown illness! Santa has no choice but to harness his flying reindeer and rush to Earth for medicine to cure his dear helpers and save the wonderful holiday. One problem - no one recognizes him as the most important wizard in the world... This is the plot of the fairy tale “Santa and Company”. The film repeatedly asks a reasonable question: why is Santa Claus dressed in green? After all, everyone is used to seeing him in a red robe! The answer slips in briefly, but we decided to dwell on this question and find out not only the exact answer to it, but also find out other details from the life of the New Year's hero. It turns out that the director and screenwriter of the comedy “Santa and Company” (who is also the leading actor) Alain Chabat thoroughly studied the issue of the correct color of Santa’s clothes. He read all the stories related to Santa Claus (or Saint Nicholas) and found out that...
Santa was repainted red by the Coca Cola company, which needed this color for commercial reasons.
The funny thing is that the first prototype of the modern Santa Claus was Lou Pentice, a retired salesman and friend of Sundblom.
According to the artist, his appearance fully corresponded to the appearance of the saint: a real good-natured man with wrinkles around his eyes, giving him the appearance of a completely happy person. It is interesting that the artist himself, who was Swedish by birth, made Santa Claus out of Pentise after he had already passed away, and the artist used his children and grandchildren as models to depict children meeting Santa. Although Santa had been portrayed once before in a red suit (in 1886, printing house owner Louise Prang produced a Christmas card with Santa Claus dressed in red), it was a series of oil paintings by Haddon 45 years later that completely changed the appearance of the Christmas symbol. .
Until then, you can find countless illustrations in which Klaus's suit is brown - with gold or green embroidery.
Alain Chabat, when starting filming, talked with colleagues and ordinary viewers and found out that in fact for most there is no doubt: the color of Christmas is green. The actor liked this. Besides, the only thing he was really afraid of was resembling the Santa from the nearest department store. He wanted to present him in the best light, both in the magical world and among people. It turned out that such details perfectly convey the character’s character: boots, a coat with a hood, a white beard, a team of reindeer and a sleigh... However, now that the real Santa has entered the world of people, he is tormented by the question: why are they sure that he should wear red ?
still from the film “Santa and Company”
Here are 5 more interesting facts about Santa Claus 1) Another commercial use of Santa Claus began in 1890 in Massachusetts. Businessman James Edgar came up with the idea of dressing up as Santa Claus to attract more customers.
Since then, this has become a tradition: now on New Year's Eve, Santa can be seen in almost any shopping center, which significantly increases sales, since parents prefer that Santa Claus gives gifts to their children. 2) According to the legends of Belgium and the Netherlands, Santa Claus's former place of residence was Spain, and his name was different - Sinterklaas. And then he did not yet ride a sleigh and reindeer, but used simpler transport, for example, a steamboat.
By the way, it was Sinterklaas who began keeping a list of obedient and naughty children.
3) And in Finland, the predecessor of Santa Claus, who brought gifts to children, was a Goat named Joulupukki, but he did it quite the opposite. His task was to demand gifts from parents and make sure that they were properly prepared for the holiday, in accordance with all traditions. And just shortly before giving way to Santa Claus, he decided to change and also began delivering gifts. 4) Most likely, the sleigh for Santa Claus was invented by Washington Irving, known to everyone from the story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” Santa Claus first appeared in his stories in 1819.
And the idea that Santa Claus descends into houses through the chimney apparently also belongs to Irving.
Charles Dickens, in turn, was inspired by Irving to write A Christmas Carol: A Yuletide Ghost Story. 5) As for the personal life of Santa Claus, he was once a bachelor. Mrs. Claus was first mentioned in 1849 in the story "The Legend of Christmas" by James Reese. But the poem “Good Santa Claus on a Sleigh,” written in 1889 by Katherine Lee Bates, turned out to be more popular. Since then, the Claus couple have a clear division of responsibilities: Santa is responsible for ensuring that boys and girls are obedient, and his wife is responsible for ensuring that Santa himself does not fool around.
Watch the New Year's family comedy "Santa and Company" from December 14 in more than 600 cinemas across Russia, including the Cinema Park and Formula Kino cinema chains.
