St Nicholas was apparently a very shy bishop and and was known to travel mostly at night. Once, so a legend says, he wanted to leave some money for a family without being seen, so he dropped some coins down a chimney where they landed inside a little girl's stocking. St Nicholas, in continental Europe, became all about gift giving whereas Father Christmas, in Britain, was still about merry making and feasting.
Having the two combined, was too much for the Puritans who succeeded in having him and Christmas banned. Apparently there was an awful lot of drunkenness and overeating of mince pies and looting of houses if the merry makers were refused entry. They also didn't like that St Nicholas was a 'saint'. He seems to have survived in Northern Europe during the Reformation because he had moved beyond the Church and was so beloved. In Europe, his feast day, December 6th (or the night before), is the main gift giving time over Christmas, December 25th (or the night before). The Netherlands is the only Protestant country to maintain the legend of St Nicholas. The Puritans certainly didn't bring him along to the New World with them.
After the American Revolution, the New Yorkers who stayed, glad to be rid of the British, remembered with pride their nearly forgotten Dutch roots and made St Nicholas the city's Patron Saint. Pretty soon the satirists got into the act and caricatures and poems were appearing. St Nick, or Sinterklaas as he was affectionately called in Dutch, changed from looking saintly to a portly Dutch guy with a pipe. The poem 'Twas The Night Before Christmas' sealed the image of this un-St Nick-like Santa Claus, as did the cartoons and drawings that were based on this entirely made up tale. By the 1920's Santa's image had become more consistent and by the time Coca Cola had hired an illustrator for advertising, gift giving had become a huge phenomenon what with mass production and importing and this was just what was needed to symbolize the gift giver. He became more and more associated with commercialism and less of charity.
So you are saying that Santa Claus, as the Americans know him, is really a commercial invention? If it weren't for you telling them, they would not know about this and blissfully go on spending huge amounts of money in the name of a character invented by Coca Cola? How very interesting. Kind of makes the whole thing seem like a sham, doesn't it? Good old Saint Nick indeed. Living on the North Pole with his elves and a reindeer named Rudolph. How terrifying!
ReplyDeleteI knew it! :-)
ReplyDeleteI kind of struggle a bit with Christmas, especially as most Christmassy things are all snowy and glittery and COLD wheras we usually swelter at the beach or at BBQs this time of year!
It's all metaphor, everyhting aboutthe holiday. But that's one of the things I love about it.
ReplyDeleteIrene: more of a misrepresentation. Coke just got into the act and used it for all it's worth. as advertisers do!
ReplyDeleteSagittarian: perhaps the traditions will evolve into something more summery in the next century as people give up on the charade of snow?
CotW: exactly - metaphors make life more magical!
Fascinating telling of the history, Sanna. We didn't have Santa in our home, not that he was banned - just ignored. When I got older, I discovered Father Christmas through George McDonald, and that made me happy, since I always disliked the commercial entity.
ReplyDeleteWhat lovely cards. Even this old cynic can appreciate them even if Christmas here has been in full fling from september.
ReplyDeleteI am loving the pictures you have found to go with these posts. I am enjoying reading how Father Christmas evolved.
ReplyDeleteMA
Here we celebrate Mikolajki, which is St. Nicholas Day, but it's become less important and Christmas is growing as the day for gifts. Kids still put out their boots (cleaned and shined) on December 5th eve and wake up to candy and small presents in the boots.
ReplyDeleteSince the fall of communism, Poland is adopting the more American traditions, which is a bit sad.
Ruth: I do remember at a young age, not wanting to admit that I knew Snata wasn't real for fear I'd get no presents. The strange mind of a child!
ReplyDeleteKen: Aren't the Victorian cards the best?!
MA: I'm not just entertaining, I can be educational as well. Not very often, though.
Kylie: It is always my fervant hope that people will rise up against this insidious influx of American traditions and products and revert to their own time worn, familiar traditions.
What about Black Peter? What ever happened to him? Is he still around somewhere??
ReplyDeleteThe family from my old life had Sinterklass as their Christmas fellow.. leaving treats in wooden shoes.. but only sparingly... The Dutch I knew were quite strict and reserved...
ReplyDeletequite the evolution.. wonder where he is going now.. this Christmas feels very different... I think many people are exhausted of the commercialism .... but the making merry is good...
I think all legends charge and morph over time. That is the nature of legends. They are all lovely legends, though, aren't they? I love all the Christmas legends, and I refuse to allow anyone to turn it into the dreaded, ghastly "Holiday".
ReplyDeleteSo, in the spirit of Christmas, I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Cheers!
XUP: Zwarte Piet is still tossing bad little Dutch boys into sacks and dragging them off to sunny Spain.
ReplyDeleteSee, Santa isn't nearly so sinister as St Nick - the naughty ones only get a threat of no presents from Santa, wheres St Nick has switches and lumps of coal ... and Black Pter.
Gwen: making merry is what gets me through it all.
ReplyDeleteJo: Thank you. And Merry Christmas to you - has anyone ever heard anyone say "Happy Holidays" as a greeting??
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