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The history of the Santa Claus tradition as we know him today first emerged when the Dutch settlerswent to Manhattan on Christmas day 1624. Sinterklaas, the good saint in Holland was named the patron of their new home. In Holland, Sinterklaas (Santa Claus) wore a red robe while riding a white horse, and cared a bag of gifts to fill the children's stockings. A sinister assistant called Black Pete proceeded Sinterklaas in the Holland tradition to seek out the naughty boys and girls who would not receive gifts. Black Pete, to the delight of all the American children, was left behind in Holland by Sinterklaas. By the late 1600s and through out the 1700s Sinterklaas would be known as Sancte Clause who would arrive on Christmas eve, December 24. It was not until the 1800s that the Santa as we know him today started to emerge. Writers and artist depicted a lovable jolly fellow, small in size with a giving heart. On Christmas eve he would ride in a magnificent sleigh pulled by eight reindeer over the treetops and roofs. He dropped gifts down the chimneys of good boys and girls. Select the following link to view our old world Santa father christmas. In the early 1820’s Clement Moore describes St. Nicholas as dressed in a fur hat and suit, with rosy dimpled cheeks and a red cherry nose. His face was broad with a droll little mouth and a snow-white beard. St Nicholas was chubby and plump with a little round belly that shook like a bowlful of jelly. It is Moore's description of Santa that we most often think of today. Up to this point his physical appearance were open to individual interpretations as well as the colors of his suit. Clement Moore also tells us the names of his reindeer. Select the following link to read Clement Moore's Christmas Poem - "Twas the Night before Christmas" The Christmas Story to find out their names. In 1821, the first Santa Claus pictures were illustrated along with a poem titled “The Children’s Friend, A New-Year’s Present to the Little Ones from Five to Twelve” gave us one of the earliest images of Santa when it was published along with eight color lithographs. One of the lithograph illustrated him dressed in a red suit that was not anything like a suit of clothing an American might be wearing, nor like a flowing robe as Saint Nicolas might wear. In 1837 Robert Weir an art teacher at West Point painted the first American portrait. He posed him wearing a stocking hat and short suit as he started to climb into a chimney with a sack overflowing with Christmas gifts as described in Moore‘s poem. Along with the stocking hat and short suit Weir added a long clay pipe and a red cape edged in fur to his character. To view our Unusual Christmas Gift Ideas select this link. The elves appeared as early as 1856 in an unpublished book titled “Christmas Elves.” He relied on helpful elves who worked long hours in their polar workshop to make Christmas toys for all the children. Godey’s Magazine also incorporated elves in their engravings described below. The elves would surround Santa Claus while he was working in his workshop. Select this link to see Hand Carved Santas & Santa Clause Folk Art.
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