Interesting facts about santa claus. Facts You Did Not Know About Santa Claus His red suit was designed by Coca-Cola
Santa Claus is similar to our own grandfather Frost, although the Catholic grandfather has his own story - a long, entertaining, very instructive one. Let's get acquainted with Western Frost and together we will learn the most important and interesting facts from the history of the Christmas grandfather.
The story of Santa Claus
All over the world, Christmas is the most popular holiday adored by representatives of all ages, generations and social groups. As soon as the second or third week of December comes, the planet plunges into the New Year's festive excitement. The kids, together with their adult uncles and aunts, are impatient and in great anticipation of the main holiday of the year. Even your own birthday and professional dates fade into the background, when a green Christmas tree pleases the eye, funny lights flash, on the street it is white-white from snowdrifts, and a felt boot becomes not a dirty word, but a comfortable shoe. Recently we have already talked about, and now the time has come to discuss his Western colleague.1. Santa really exists
Modern grandfather Klaus is about 250 years old and exists only in children's imaginations. But the historical character, which served as a prototype for the fairy-tale hero, really lived, worked, and was remembered for great deeds. The name of the prototype was Saint Nicholas (of course, the official canonization took place after death), was born around 270 AD, served as a bishop in the ancient Byzantine city of Myra (now the territory of Turkey). Among other things, Bishop Nicholas was remembered for his charitable activities, the distribution of gifts and money to needy adults and children, and he often did this at night and anonymously. Just like everyone's favorite fairytale character Santa Claus. Over time, Nicholas was canonized, named the Wonderworker, as well as the patron saint of travelers, prisoners, orphans and children in general.
2. Age of the UK
Dutch transcription “St. Nicholas ”looks like“ Sinterklaas ”- a phrase that once transformed into the familiar“ Santa Claus ”. This name was first published in a Christmas story in a New York newspaper in 1773. This is the year of birth of Santa Claus, so in 2020 he will be 247 years old.
3. Chimney as a way to enter the house
In the satirical book A History of New York (1809), writer Washington Irving told many hilarious anecdotes, among others describing the New Year and Christmas character as "a healthy, bearded, sturdy man, constantly lighting a pipe and sneaking into houses through a chimney." This is how another legend was born.
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4. How did the UK get transport
The poem “A Visit from Saint Nicholas” was written in 1822 by the poet Clement Moore and published the following year. Now this poem is called “Twas the Night before Christmas”, that is, “The Night Before Christmas”, it has 56 lines, and in one of them the grandfather drives a sleigh pulled by eight reindeer. So the UK has a reliable transport, with which you can manage to go around the whole world.
5. The modern look of Santa Claus was created by the Coca-Cola company
For two and a half centuries, the wardrobe of the New Year's grandfather was filled with many clothes of various colors and styles. At the end of the nineteenth century, among all the colors, one stood out - red. It is in such a fur coat that Grandpa is depicted in a series of postcards by the artist Louis Prang, created in 1885. The final image of a good-natured bearded old man in a red coat was formed thanks to illustrations by Haddon Sandblom, created by him for the 1931 Coca-Cola advertising campaign.
6. Mercantilization of the New Year's image
The tradition of dressing up as Santa Claus in shops and supermarkets dates back to 1890 in Massachusetts, where a local businessman, James Edgar, came up with the idea of luring customers to his shop in this way. The idea worked, crowds of kids dragged their parents by the hands to get a New Year's gift from the hands of a real Santa Claus. Soon this tradition will conquer the entire planet.
7. Where did Mrs. K come from?
The first mention of the grandfather's half dates back to 1849, when the short story "The Christmas Legend" by the writer James Reese was published. The readers liked the idea.
Over the next several decades, Granny appeared frequently in the pages of stories, poems, and fairy tales. However, it was not until 1889 that Mrs. K. gained widespread popularity and general approval through the poem “Goody Santa Claus on a Sleigh Ride” by Catherine Lee Bates. Goody is a derivative of "goodwife" and now the idea that grandfather has a grandmother, as well as a sleigh and deer - all together they bring us the most beloved holiday, is forever entrenched in the human mind.
The mere mention of a cheerful man in a red cap immediately gives rise to memories of a happy childhood, of the expectation of a holiday, gifts under the Christmas tree and various kinds of delicacies. The prototype of Santa and Santa Claus was Saint Nicholas, who did not live at the North Pole. The image of the New Year's grandfather was formed for almost 1700 years, and in some countries they wanted to ban him altogether. In our review, there are very interesting facts about the main New Year's grandfather.
1. Saint Nicholas is not from the North Pole at all
Saint Nicholas was a Greek bishop who lived in the third - fourth centuries in a warm country - Greece. Anthropologists reconstructed his face from a surviving skull and found that St. Nick's nose was broken. This may have led to the fact that images of St. Nicholas with a large potato nose are often found.
2. Santa is a miracle worker
Every year, many Christians celebrate St. Nicholas Day on December 6, the day of Nicholas' death. Miracles often happen on this day.
3. Nicholas was originally known for bringing gifts
Saint Nicholas was known for bringing magic gifts and also became the patron saint of children. According to one of the most famous stories, Nikolai saw three young sisters who were prostituted in order to survive. He secretly brought three bags of gold to their father (who was heavily indebted) to secure their wedding dowry.
4. Saint Nicholas is a righteous man
This story was often told during the Middle Ages, but it is practically unknown today. Nikolai once came to an inn, where the owner had recently killed three boys, chopped their bodies to pieces and stuffed barrels with meat to salt them. Nikolai brought the boys back to life.
5. How Saint Nicholas disappeared from Christmas celebrations
When the Protestant Reformation swept through most of central and northern Europe, the popularity of the saints declined sharply. Thus, the symbol of the one who brings the gifts disappeared. Soon, the "baby Jesus" began to play this role in many families and countries.
6. The custom of giving gifts was moved to another day
When the people began to believe not in St. Nicholas, but in the baby Jesus, the day of congratulations and gifts was postponed from December 6 to December 25.
7. Santa's ability to fly and eight deer
The Scandinavian god Odin probably influenced the development of the story of Santa Claus. One flew on the eight-legged horse Sleipnir (it is believed that this is how the myth of Santa's eight deer originated).
8. The origin of the red Santa costume
One of the main theories about why Santa Claus wears a red suit is that it was due to the religious position of Nicholas (Nicholas wore the red cape of the Archbishop).
9. The Dutch have kept faith in Santa
While Saint Nicholas was abandoned in most European countries in favor of the baby Jesus, the Netherlands retained the traditional belief in its own version of the gift-giver: Sinterklaas. Dutch settlers later brought this tradition to the United States.
10. Christmas or a binge
After the founding of the United States, most families in this country did not like or even celebrate Christmas. The explanation is simple - basically the States were founded by English settlers, and in England and the colonies it was customary to celebrate the holiday with a lot of alcohol. Therefore, the guests were often drunk and rowdy.
11. St. Nicholas was painted almost as often as the mother of Jesus
Of all the religious saints, St. Nicholas (or Santa Claus) has been depicted by artists more than any other than the Virgin Mary.
The image of Santa Claus, which is familiar to everyone today, was first drawn by a cartoonist. Thomas Nast, a political cartoonist in the late 1800s, portrayed Kris Kringle in a red coat with white fur and rather plump.
13. Legendary Coca-Cola ad
One of the most famous facts about Santa Claus is that thanks to the Coca-Cola advertisement in 1931, the image of Santa was finally formed into a modern one, known to everyone today. It was 84 years ago that Coca-Cola marketers decided to turn the saint into a well-fed, good-natured grandfather, traveling in a reindeer sleigh and sneaking through chimneys into houses to bring gifts to children.
14. Countries where the fun tradition of giving gifts is unpopular
There are quite a few countries where Santa Claus is disliked, preferring to him their characters who bring gifts. For example, in the Netherlands, Sinterklaas brings gifts during December, while in southern Germany and northern Austria Krampus often visits Christmas markets.
It turns out that the images of Santa Claus and the Snow Maiden were formed in the USSR only in the 1930s. The image of Frost has existed since ancient Slavic times, but only in the 19th century in Russia this image was tied to the original "Christmas grandfather" who gives gifts to children. After the revolution, Santa Claus was banned, like Christmas, and again Santa Claus "returned" to the USSR in 1936.
Before the New Year comes, it's time to find out everything.
Who doesn't know Santa Claus? This good-natured, plump, merry fellow with a long beard .. And what, in fact, do we know about him? Where did he come from? Let's try to figure it out.
It all started with St. Nicholas (Saint Nicolas - which is consonant with the name Santa Claus) - the bishop of the city of Myra, famous for bringing gifts to the homes of poor families. He threw wallets stuffed with gold into the houses of the poor, and many believe that he did it through the chimney, and they fell into the shoes, which were left to dry near the hearth. Therefore, in many Western European countries today it is customary to hide New Year's gifts, especially for children, in boots, socks, or shoes.
For the first time the prototype of modern Santa Claus appeared in 1822 in the United States, when the American poet Clement Clarke Moore wrote the poem "The Coming of St. Nicholas", in which the Saint appeared as a cheerful and cheerful elf with a round tight belly, testifying to his addiction to delicious food, and smoking tube. As a result of the reincarnation, Saint Nicholas dismounted from the donkey, acquired eight deer, and in his hands a sack with gifts appeared.
In the same year, he wrote a poem about St. Nicolae. The action takes place on the night before Christmas. One man, whose wife and children are asleep, is awakened by a noise outside. He looks out the window and spots Saint Nicholas in a sleigh pulled by eight deer, landing on the roof. With an armful of toys, Saint Nicholas enters the house through the chimney and fills children's socks with gifts, which are dried by the fireplace, and then leaves the house the same way. Flying away, Saint Nicholas wishes everyone a Merry Christmas.
Reading this poem on Christmas Eve is still an American family tradition, and the last line is "Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!" - a classic wish for happiness on Christmas.
The poem quickly sold out and became popular.
Forty years later, cartoonist Thomas Nast painted Santa Claus, and the image acquired perfection: a red fur coat and headdress, a wide leather belt and sparkling black boots.
For a period of time, Santa was a bachelor and did not have much time for dates, given the constant need to complete tasks to prepare for Christmas. His wife, Mrs. Klaus, was first mentioned in the short story The Legend of Christmas written by James Reese in 1849. Santa Claus is responsible for ensuring that all boys and girls are obedient, and Mrs. Claus is responsible for not being fooled by Santa himself.
We often see Santa Claus sitting on his lap in stores and listening to their wishes. The first Santa Claus in a supermarket was a Massachusetts businessman named James Edgar back in 1890. It was he who came up with the idea of dressing up as Santa Claus as a marketing inspiration. This strategy worked just fine as kids from all over the state flocked to his dried grocery store in Brockton. Since then, Santa Clauses have been seen in supermarkets across the country. They are increasing sales tremendously as parents who buy gifts for their children at Christmas want Santa himself to give their gifts to their children.
Behave yourself and do not allow yourself to be whimsical, because soon Santa Claus himself will come to us! Regardless of whether you call him Santa Claus or Santa Claus, it is safe to say that this cheerful old man will deliver New Year gifts to all the good girls and boys.
In the west, Santa Claus comes with gifts for Catholic Christmas, namely December 25, on a sleigh with reindeer harnessed to them. The classic look of Santa Claus, which is still relevant today, includes a white beard, a red sheepskin coat with white edging, black leather boots and a belt. According to many fairy tales, Santa Claus works all year in his workshop on the North Pole, making gifts for children. Every year he kisses Mrs. Klaus goodbye and goes on a trip around the world to make gifts for everyone in 1 day. He visits almost every home in the world and eats an incredible amount of cookies with milk.
Most of us certainly know a huge amount of facts about Santa Claus, however, there are some things that you never knew existed. Santa Claus seems to know everything about you, so it's time to learn more about him. He sees you asleep, he knows what you are doing while awake. He knows if you were good or bad, so try not to be naughty!
10. His red suit was designed by Coca-Cola
The white beard and red suit have become legendary symbols of Santa Claus. However, you might not know that the red suit did not appear in his arsenal until the 1930s. Until this time, Santa Claus wore suits of different colors, blue, green, purple, and so on. He got the red suit thanks to the shooting in the advertisement for Coca-Cola. The image of Santa Claus in his red classic costume was painted by artist Haddon Sundblom for the soda giant in 1931. The image for the modern Santa as a whole emerged in 1804 during a meeting of the New York Historical Society.
9. The creation of the sled for Santa Claus is credited with the creator of the Headless Horseman
Santa Claus had to have an efficient method of delivering gifts to all the good boys and girls around the world. As far as we know, his sleigh was created by Washington Irving, best known for his story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Santa Claus first appeared in Irving's collection of short stories in 1819. Irving is also credited with spreading the idea of Santa Claus going down the chimney to deliver gifts. In addition, Irving described him as an obese bearded man who smokes a pipe. Incidentally, it was Irving who inspired Charles Dickens to write A Christmas Carol: A Haunted Christmas Carol.
8. Santa Claus has his own zip code
Who knew Santa was that cool? He is the only person on Earth with a personal postcode "H0H 0H0". Despite the fact that the mail is overloaded during the winter holiday season, they still have to deliver letters from children to Santa Claus. The Post Office in Canada has decided to launch the Santa Claus Writing Program to help children learn to read and write faster. However, the sad reality is that these letters most likely go to trash and never make it to the North Pole. In the United States, there is a city of Santa Claus in Indiana with a zip code of 47579, so look not to be confused.
7. He once worked in Spain
We all know that Santa Claus works in his workshop at the North Pole, but this was not always the case. According to legends in Belgium and the Netherlands, Santa Claus previously lived in Spain, where he was known as "Sinterklaas". Before he moved to the North Pole and began using sleighs and reindeer to deliver gifts, he preferred more classical modes of travel, such as a steamer. This joyful old man is the first version of Santa Claus who kept a list of obedient and naughty kids. Since then, Santa and Sinterklaas have become two different characters.
6. Santa Claus replaced the goat
While Santa can claim to be the ultimate gift delivery man, that's not what we're talking about. Long before today's Santa Claus delivered gifts to children, the Finnish Yule Goat known as Joulupukki did the exact opposite. Instead of delivering gifts, this goat demanded gifts from parents and made sure that they properly prepare for Christmas, observing all traditions. However, the Christmas goat decided to fundamentally change and start delivering gifts to children shortly before he gave the job to Mr. Klaus. After that, he had no choice but to wander through the Finnish countryside.
5. Santa Claus in the supermarket was a marketing ploy
The first Santa Claus in a supermarket was a Massachusetts businessman named James Edgar back in 1890. It was he who came up with the idea of dressing up as Santa Claus as a marketing inspiration. This strategy worked just fine, as kids from all over the state flocked to his dried grocery store in Brockton. Since then, Santa Clauses have been seen in supermarkets across the country. They are increasing sales tremendously as parents who buy gifts for their children at Christmas want Santa himself to give their gifts to their children. Incidentally, the creation of Rudolph's stag is credited to a supermarket called Montgomery Ward that needed a successful marketing campaign to sell coloring books.
4. The character of Santa Claus is based on the real St. Nicholas
Our idea of Santa Claus is in some way based on the historic Saint Nicholas, who was certainly generous, if not hilarious. Saint Nicholas was a Christian priest who lived in the fourth century. He gave his property to the needy. Saint Nicholas became "Sinter Klaas" in Holland and was later renamed Santa Claus. The real Santa Claus was the patron saint of prisoners, unmarried women, pawnshops and thieves. The idea that Santa delivered gifts also dates back to the Dutch celebration of St. Nicholas' Day, when he put small gifts in the shoes of children. In return, the children gave him milk and biscuits.
3. Santa was a bachelor
For a period of time, Santa was a bachelor and did not have much time for dates, given the constant need to complete tasks to prepare for Christmas. His wife, Mrs. Claus, was first mentioned in the short story, A Christmas Legend, by James Rees in 1849. The idea was taken up by publishers such as Harper's Magazine and Yale Literary Magazine, however, the most widely circulated poem is 1889 entitled Goody Santa Claus on a Sleigh Ride, written by Catherine Lee Bates (Katherine Lee Bates). Santa Claus is responsible for ensuring that all boys and girls are obedient, and Mrs. Claus is responsible for not being fooled by Santa himself.
2. Once Santa was banned in America
At some point in America there was actually a "War on Christmas" and the Puritans in the English government ruled out Christmas as a national holiday in 1655. When the pioneers settled in New England, they decided to completely ban the celebration of Christmas in 1659. American citizens were threatened with fines for any celebration of Christmas, including the mention of Santa Claus. In fact, Christmas was not even recognized as an official American holiday until President Ulysses Grant made it one in 1870. Despite everything, Santa Claus did not sit without work during this period, as he still had to deliver gifts to the rest of the world.
1. Santa is actually a Canadian citizen
In 2008, the Minister for Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism of Canada, Jason Kenney, made a declaration that Santa Claus was a citizen of this country. This came a few weeks after the Canadian government proposed legislation to expand its sovereignty over Arctic waters. Kenny even invited Santa Claus back to his home country after distributing gifts, saying that "... as a Canadian citizen, he automatically has the right to re-enter Canada as soon as his trip around the world ends." According to international law, the North Pole is not part of any country, although countries such as the United States, Canada, Norway, Russia and Denmark have tried to claim it.
In America, by tradition, you can take a picture with Santa in almost any large supermarket. And if mainly children are photographed, sometimes you can meet adults and even animals on the lap of a bearded man. Below is a selection of funny photos with Santa from America's supermarkets.
Big fan of Christmas
A man with barely noticeable gray hair in his beard himself is not averse to making a wish on the knees of the good-natured Santa. And even though he has exchanged for more than a dozen years, faith in a miracle is still in his heart. And old man Klaus is enough.
Christmas present
This dog looks like he just found out that he is just a present for Christmas and not for life. Calm down cute, Santa was just kidding.
One of the biggest fans
Behind this man and Santa is almost invisible. But his love for Christmas is so great that he does not miss the opportunity to take a memorable photo with the main symbol.
Unusual guest
This Santa was visited by such an unusual guest. Most likely this turtle has been crawling to the magic old man for more than one year. This is true belief in miracles and love for Christmas.
"This is my Santa!"
These cats were really angry. Of course, each of them dreamed of falling into Santa's hands and making a wish. Although only one was lucky, the other should not be angry either, because he is now in the hands of a loving mistress.
Where is Santa?
It seems like Santa has overdone his costume, and instead of red, has done more white. But in fact, a furry friend who just loves Christmas dropped in to him.
Cool Christmas
Who Said Santa Claus Is A Serious Grandpa? No matter how it is. This Santa is in the subject of fashion trends. He will find a common language with a representative of any subculture.
Merry Christmas
This Santa is lucky. Among the thousands of visitors who dreamed of making a wish, there were guys who asked what Klaus was dreaming of. They also treated me to candy.
After years
Take a look at this snapshot. The kid has matured, but Santa has not changed at all. This is what real miracle and magic means.
And by tradition
It seems the only one who has a Christmas mood is Mom. Although Santa is not embarrassed by such a reaction of the kids. But now they have a photo that will cheer up from year to year.
Happy New Year! Good mood and more reasons to smile.