At Christmas time, Santa Claus—that “jolly old elf”—can be found just about everywhere. Miniature Santa figurines stand atop mantles along with sleighs and tiny reindeer. Delicate glass Santa ornaments decorate the branches of Christmas trees. In the stores, plush Santa dolls sit, hoping to be claimed by a lucky child. Wooden Santa nutcrackers wait their turn to break open walnuts at a holiday party. And life-size Santas stand on porches and in yards, greeting visitors and passersby with the best of holiday cheer.
Ask someone to describe Santa, and you might hear…
- “Santa has a big, white beard.”
- “He has rosy cheeks.”
- “He has a little round belly.”
- “Santa smiles a lot.”
None of which should come as any surprise. Legendarily jovial Santa has been one of most identifiable lholiday figures since the 1800s. He was first portrayed in “A Visit from St. Nicholas” by Clement Clarke Moore in 1822, which recounts the vision of Santa Claus arriving in his reindeer-drawn sleigh and sliding down the chimney with a “bundle of toys” on his back.
But why does the Santa that we know and love today dress as he does? Does that merry, larger-than-life Santa, waving at us from the yard, sport the newest, wildly-colored fashion? Never! In his poem, Moore did not specify the color or style of Santa’s clothing. The poem merely says “he was dressed all in fur from his head to his foot.”
In 1881, Thomas Nast illustrated Santa for Harper’s Weekly, using Moore’s description. However, Nast didn’t make Santa look like a happy, fur-bedecked grandfather. Instead, he depicted Santa wearing a suit of undetermined fabric, with a black belt and fur trim. Colorized versions of Nast’s drawings confirmed to Christmas lovers everywhere that red was Santa’s color of choice. Nast’s illustrations sealed Santa’s appearance in the minds and hearts of those who celebrate Christmas. And more than 150 years later, most Santas still dress as Nast imagined.
It wasn’t always that way, however. For much of the Victorian period, Father Christmas was often dressed in green. Santa’s former “look” dates back to pre-Christian midwinter festivals in England, where an unnamed pagan figure, robed in a green hooded cloak and wearing a wreath of holly, ivy, or mistletoe, would come around to lift people’s spirits during the bleakest time of year. It was not until the later part of the 19th century that the character adopted the red suit that was popular for Santa Claus in America.
Though red continues to be Santa’s go-to color, people do love a bit of variety at times. Santa figurines atop the mantle might be dressed in white trimmed with gold. Santa ornaments, hanging on the Christmas tree, may have the jolly old elf wearing blue. There are Santa dolls as well as Santa nutcrackers that can be found attired in green and other colors. All are festive, of course, and all represent the joy of Christmas. But nothing beats a life-size Santa Claus dressed in his traditional red, standing on the porch or in the yard, ushering in the season with his rosy cheeks, round belly and, of course, that wonderful Santa smile!
at Christmas Night’s online store