Santa
Claus. Is there anyone else who has the power to look inside
a child's heart and fulfill his secret desires?
Is there anyone else who gives without getting in return year
after year? Only Santa. Santa is the spirit of giving
itself, and of course, it wouldn't be Christmas without him.
The tradition of midwinter gift-giving goes back to the
ancients. As day by day the sun climbed higher in the sky,
it was considered good luck to be generous to one
and all by giving presents that were not just tokens of affection
but an attempt to surprise the recipient. Over the
centuries, that spirit of generosity has been embodied in the
figure of the gentle, white-bearded St. Nicholas, a fourth-century
Turkish bishop who became known as the patron saint and guardian
of children. His birthday, December 6, was celebrated for
centuries, and in some European countries the custom of leaving
secret gifts for children on the eve of St. Nicholas Day is still
practiced today.
In the early eighteenth century, Clement C. Moore's immortal
poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" introduced American
children to a new image. St. Nicholas became a "right
jolly old elf" riding through the air on his miniature
sleight drawn by eighteen reindeer. It wasn't until later in
the century, as the Victorian ideal of home and family took hold,
that Santa took on the wise, grandfatherly aspect so beloved
today. This modern ideal sprang from the pen of cartoonist
Thomas Nast, whose illustrations
frequently appeared in the Harper's Weekly. In 1863,
Nast transformed Santa into that much adored figure, with the
twinkling eyes and cherubic, portly figure. Wrapped in a red
robe trimmed with fur, shiny black belt and boots, his fluffy
white beard and funny little cap, the enduring persona of Santa
links generation to generation--so much so that young children go
to bed on Christmas Eve dreaming about the same Santa as did their
parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents.
Later, from the perspective of adulthood, Santa Claus comes to
represent more than toy trains and dolls. His greatest gift
is one that lasts all year--the joy of giving. Despite
crowded department stores, families everywhere plunge into the mad
joy of shopping, determined to find just exactly the right
presents for loved ones. It's Christmastime. It's
everyone's turn to become Santa.
and all by giving presents that were not just tokens of affection
children to a new image. St. Nicholas became a "right
jolly old elf" riding through the air on his miniature
sleight drawn by eighteen reindeer. It wasn't until later in
the century, as the Victorian ideal of home and family took hold,
that Santa took on the wise, grandfatherly aspect so beloved
today. This modern ideal sprang from the pen of cartoonist
Thomas Nast, whose illustration
s
frequently appeared in the Harper's Weekly. In 1863,
Nast transformed Santa into that much adored figure, with the
twinkling eyes and cherubic, portly figure. Wrapped in a red
robe trimmed with fur, shiny black belt and boots, his fluffy
white beard and funny little cap, the enduring persona of Santa
links generation to generation--so much so that young children go
to bed on Christmas Eve dreaming about the same Santa as did their
parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents.
