{"id":14602,"date":"2014-11-06T04:37:25","date_gmt":"2014-11-06T11:37:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mymerrychristmas.com\/?p=14602"},"modified":"2014-11-04T07:06:56","modified_gmt":"2014-11-04T14:06:56","slug":"history-of-the-american-santa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mymerrychristmas.com\/x\/history-of-the-american-santa\/","title":{"rendered":"History of the American Santa"},"content":{"rendered":"

Santa<\/a> Claus, much like Christmas<\/a> itself, is a symbol of all things sacred and secular related to Christmas<\/a>. From classic Coca Cola ads from early 20th century print still remembered and revered today to modern Hollywood creations like Bad Santa<\/a> that we\u2019d rather forget, the American evolution of Santa<\/a> Claus just never seems to be quite complete. <\/p>\n

While Christmas<\/a> in America predates the Revolution Santa<\/a> did not make a splash in America until 1810. He arrived, as many Americans do, in New York City.<\/p>\n

A local merchant and leader of a local historical society by the name of John Pintard objected to the roughness of Christmas<\/a> as it was celebrated in the early 19th century and proposed a solution to New York City leaders. Drawing on New York City’s Dutch origins, he promoted Saint Nicholas as the city’s patron saint – having a pamphlet printed in 1810 that is the earliest known American image of Santa<\/a> and suggested that the celebrations should be private and family-oriented rather than public and brawling. <\/p>\n

His brother-in-law, Washington Irving, picked up on St. Nick in his “Knickerbocker’s History<\/em>” describing a recognizably Dutch figure in a broad hat, smoking a long pipe.<\/p>\n

Irving\u2019s book is more popular today than it was then \u2013 probably because it was not a serious work. <\/p>\n

In fact it was satire not too unlike many of the songs of Christmas<\/a> sung today. But Irving\u2019s book likely did catch the eye of Clement Moore<\/strong><\/a>, whose own spin on Santa<\/a> Claus through his oft-repeated poem, A Visit from St. Nicholas<\/em>, became the first traditional art of Christmas<\/a> replayed season after season in America. <\/p>\n

It is interesting to note the role of the American media over the course of time in shaping the image of Santa<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Irving\u2019s book led to Moore\u2019s poem, which was read nationwide as it was reprinted each holiday season in newspapers coast to coast. <\/p>\n

That in turn inspired Thomas Nast, a political cartoonist in the 1850s and 1860s who took the words of the famous Moore poem and gave Santa<\/a> a shape and a look that became instantly recognizable to Americans who may have never actually met Santa<\/a> or a person portraying Santa<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Like the Christmas<\/a> tree, Santa<\/a> Claus was a novelty of the mid-19th century. He captured the imagination of the public as his image was honed by popular music of the time. <\/p>\n

Up on the Housetop<\/em> was written in 1864 in Benjamin Handby, who was the first to advance the idea that Santa<\/a> landed on the roof of homes to go down the chimney. <\/p>\n

The influence of Santa<\/a> on popular culture was best showcased by President Abraham Lincoln<\/strong><\/a>, who advanced the idea during the Civil War<\/strong><\/a> that Santa<\/a> was on the side of the Union. So effective was his efforts that Southern Mothers declared to their children that not even Santa<\/a> could get past Yankee blockades. <\/p>\n

In the late 19th century Santa<\/a> portrayers widely started to work in American department stores, giving attention to children and fueling the newly American acquired taste for accumulation and gift giving during the holiday season. <\/p>\n

Such widespread exposure of Santa<\/a> led many children to adopt Santa<\/a> as an American hero. Adults were taken to him too. Even today, the famed letter of 8 year old Virginia O\u2019Hanlon<\/strong><\/a> \u2013 who asked in a letter to the editor if Santa<\/a> Claus was real \u2013 and the famous response penned by editor Francis Church in 1897 moves hearts in their consideration of Santa<\/a> in nearly sacred terms. <\/p>\n

It is important to note that Santa<\/a> does not have a history in America that is totally commercial<\/a>. He was widely portrayed as a symbol of giving to the needy at Christmas<\/a> time and could be seen on the streets of large cities in America collecting money, clothes and food for the poor. This tradition comes in thanks to volunteers working for the Salvation Army, many of whom pioneered the red kettle campaign dressed as Santa<\/a> Claus in the 1890s. <\/p>\n

The most popular mass media of the early 20th century was still in the form of books and in 1902 a new children\u2019s book written by L. Frank Baum titled The Life and Adventures of Santa<\/a> Claus<\/em> popularized the image of Santa<\/a> working exclusively for the happiness of children through his work as a toymaker and a deliverer of Christmas<\/a> cheer in a sleigh powered by reindeer. <\/p>\n

With modern media engines of radio<\/a>, television and expanded print erupting in the 1930s, 40s and 50s the evolution of Santa<\/a> Claus was turbo charged. Coca Cola likely did the most to further Santa\u2019s image through their iconic advertisements of the 1930s that today remain collector\u2019s items. <\/p>\n

Artists such as Norman Rockwell<\/strong><\/a> and writers such as Robert May<\/strong><\/a>, who brought us Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer<\/em>, combined to make Santa<\/a> as American as baseball and apple pie. Santa<\/a> was given his social voice through stories like Rudolph and his legend grew in songs such as Jolly Old Saint Nicholas<\/em> and Santa<\/a> Claus is Coming to Town<\/em>. <\/p>\n

Santa<\/a> Claus in the 1940s, 50s, 60s and 70s still carried a large focus on children but as time passed Santa<\/a> took on more adult themes in modern American culture. In the 1947 classic film, Miracle on 34th Street<\/em>, the very existence of Santa<\/a> Claus was debated in a famous court scene. <\/p>\n