With respect to attributing the modern conceptualisation of Santa to Coca Cola: Coca Cola based their advertising on the characterisation of Santa from ‘Account of a visit from St Nicholas’ aka ‘Twas the night before Christmas’ published in 1822 purportedly by Clement Clarke Moore https://www.coca-cola.co.uk/marketing/christmas/coca-cola-and-father-christmas--the-sundblom-santa-story
With respect to the red coat, in 1881 the political cartoonist Thomas Nast used the poem as inspiration for his depiction of Santa which features a red coat and even before that a stained glass portrait of St Nicholas from 1340-50 showed him wearing a red coat https://www.thecollector.com/thomas-nast-illustrator-creator-of-santa-claus/ . Coca cola’s Santa-themed artwork was started in 1931.
One of the things that I enjoy about Christmas is that this is mythology in practice. The concept may have evolved from real people (different ones depending upon the culture) but I find it impressive that a collection of communities come together to perpetuate a mythological explanation for their actions. They surrender the acknowledgment of their actions (giving children presents) in favour of a socially protected belief - one which can lead to condemnation if you fail to accord by the largely unspoken rule that parents are the ones who should tell their children when they feel it is the right time. However, there is no universally accepted age that children should be ‘let in’ on this adult collusion.
When I was young I memorised the poem ‘a visit from St Nick’ and there are some features that epitomise the modern conceptualisation of Santa as a positive being who brings joy into our lives. “His eyes - how they twinkled, his dimples, how merry…… His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow……. He had a broad face and a little round belly, that shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly. He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, and I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself. A wink of his eye and a twist of his head, soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.” This jolly, friendly and harmless characterisation of Santa is likely necessary given his association with children.
I find it interesting that this mythological conceptualisation is not about self-generated happiness where you are an active participant in creating your joy (beyond inviting Santa to your home using what could be termed ‘rites’ such as leaving out food/drink for Santa etc) but primarily it is an external agent entering one’s life (symbolically entering into a private, safe space - your home) to provide you with happiness (or at least capitalist symbols of it via gifts). There is also often some risk of punishment/exclusion from this beneficent gift-giving if children have behaved badly.
The symbolic significance of many actions at Christmas is also featured in the poem: “The stockings were hung by the chimney with care” - the ‘with care’ shows that the action itself is not the most significant part, the reverence with which it is enacted is - to me this is emblematic of placing totems upon an altar and I have to say that I decorate my home with that same care. Each decoration has its place and after the holiday they will all be packed up carefully to preserve them for the next year.
I also find that there is a sense that this is a time when people actively seek out the construction of good memories (via gatherings, cooking ‘traditional’ foods). Interestingly, despite growing up with the belief that such memories are generated as a result of a magical being, people do take responsibility for creating their own positive Christmas - possibly as a result of recognising the effort that their parents had to go to so that they, as children, could enjoy Christmas.
People engage in reciprocal social behaviours (exchanging gifts/cards, wishing each other well for the season) which may act as a repeated (year after year) reinforcement of social bonds. Often I have contact with people at Christmas that I don’t see/hear from at any other point in the year and information regarding their lives is shared through cards/newsletters. Therefore, Christmas may act to help enable the formation, maintenance and potential revitalisation of friendships.
I would love to say that people are nicer, or more generous, at Christmas as that has always been my perception but I cannot find any statistics on that so perhaps I simply look at the world through an altered viewpoint at Christmas as a result of my own choices to immerse myself in Christmas themed uplifting activities and entertainment media - you could say that I wear ‘Christmas tinted glasses’ for a month each year.
The_10th_Woman t1_iyi3mli wrote
Reply to Why “the Christmas feeling” is more profound than you think - some holiday themed philosophy by Melodic_Antelope6490
With respect to attributing the modern conceptualisation of Santa to Coca Cola: Coca Cola based their advertising on the characterisation of Santa from ‘Account of a visit from St Nicholas’ aka ‘Twas the night before Christmas’ published in 1822 purportedly by Clement Clarke Moore https://www.coca-cola.co.uk/marketing/christmas/coca-cola-and-father-christmas--the-sundblom-santa-story With respect to the red coat, in 1881 the political cartoonist Thomas Nast used the poem as inspiration for his depiction of Santa which features a red coat and even before that a stained glass portrait of St Nicholas from 1340-50 showed him wearing a red coat https://www.thecollector.com/thomas-nast-illustrator-creator-of-santa-claus/ . Coca cola’s Santa-themed artwork was started in 1931.
One of the things that I enjoy about Christmas is that this is mythology in practice. The concept may have evolved from real people (different ones depending upon the culture) but I find it impressive that a collection of communities come together to perpetuate a mythological explanation for their actions. They surrender the acknowledgment of their actions (giving children presents) in favour of a socially protected belief - one which can lead to condemnation if you fail to accord by the largely unspoken rule that parents are the ones who should tell their children when they feel it is the right time. However, there is no universally accepted age that children should be ‘let in’ on this adult collusion.
When I was young I memorised the poem ‘a visit from St Nick’ and there are some features that epitomise the modern conceptualisation of Santa as a positive being who brings joy into our lives. “His eyes - how they twinkled, his dimples, how merry…… His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow……. He had a broad face and a little round belly, that shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly. He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, and I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself. A wink of his eye and a twist of his head, soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.” This jolly, friendly and harmless characterisation of Santa is likely necessary given his association with children.
I find it interesting that this mythological conceptualisation is not about self-generated happiness where you are an active participant in creating your joy (beyond inviting Santa to your home using what could be termed ‘rites’ such as leaving out food/drink for Santa etc) but primarily it is an external agent entering one’s life (symbolically entering into a private, safe space - your home) to provide you with happiness (or at least capitalist symbols of it via gifts). There is also often some risk of punishment/exclusion from this beneficent gift-giving if children have behaved badly.
The symbolic significance of many actions at Christmas is also featured in the poem: “The stockings were hung by the chimney with care” - the ‘with care’ shows that the action itself is not the most significant part, the reverence with which it is enacted is - to me this is emblematic of placing totems upon an altar and I have to say that I decorate my home with that same care. Each decoration has its place and after the holiday they will all be packed up carefully to preserve them for the next year.
I also find that there is a sense that this is a time when people actively seek out the construction of good memories (via gatherings, cooking ‘traditional’ foods). Interestingly, despite growing up with the belief that such memories are generated as a result of a magical being, people do take responsibility for creating their own positive Christmas - possibly as a result of recognising the effort that their parents had to go to so that they, as children, could enjoy Christmas.
People engage in reciprocal social behaviours (exchanging gifts/cards, wishing each other well for the season) which may act as a repeated (year after year) reinforcement of social bonds. Often I have contact with people at Christmas that I don’t see/hear from at any other point in the year and information regarding their lives is shared through cards/newsletters. Therefore, Christmas may act to help enable the formation, maintenance and potential revitalisation of friendships.
I would love to say that people are nicer, or more generous, at Christmas as that has always been my perception but I cannot find any statistics on that so perhaps I simply look at the world through an altered viewpoint at Christmas as a result of my own choices to immerse myself in Christmas themed uplifting activities and entertainment media - you could say that I wear ‘Christmas tinted glasses’ for a month each year.