Santa Claus was not invented by Coca Cola, but was brought to the USA by the Dutch more than 300 years ago. Back then, the bearded fellow was called Sinterklaas and resembled our St. Nicholas; he wore a green suit and bore a closer resemblance to a sailor. When did Santa Claus come into existence, and how many people does he bring joy to in America?
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Table of Contents
The Origins of Santa Claus
The figure of the bearded man known as Sinterklaas was brought to the USA by the Dutch in the 17th century. He became a symbol of Christmas after 1809 when the writer Washington Irving, in his book History of New York, rebranded him as Santa Claus. In early drawings, he resembled a plump Dutch sailor with a pipe, wearing a green coat.
Santa Claus’ reindeer first appeared in the poem The Night Before Christmas, which was published in the New York Sentinel on December 23, 1823. The reindeer were named Blixem, Comet, Cupid, Dancer, Dasher, Dunder, Prancer, and Vixen. Later, Blixem became Blitzen and Dunder was changed to Donner. Rudolph the reindeer joined the pack one Christmas when a storm was raging and the original eight were not strong enough to pull the sleigh and Santa.
In the mid-19th century, Santa Claus became more prevalent in society, evolving into a major symbol of Christmas. Illustrator Thomas Nast was the first to dress Santa Claus in a red coat in 1863, and simultaneously designated the North Pole as his home.
In the 20th century, Santa Claus became globally recognized, with Coca Cola’s Christmas ads significantly aiding his popularity. One myth even suggests that Santa Claus was invented by Coca Cola, which isn’t true. The company merely helped increase his awareness.
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Interesting Facts about Santa Claus
- In the USA, approximately 20,000 people impersonate Santa Claus professionally. They converse with children in department stores and undergo intensive training before Christmas, receiving advice on how to behave and maintain a jovial spirit.
- Santa Claus was born in 270 AD. The magic of Christmas keeps him alive and well.
- In 1955, a Sears store printed an ad with a toy store’s phone number, encouraging children to call and make their Christmas wishes. A misprint in the ad led to children actually calling the commander of the USA Air Defense Forces. This mistake inadvertently birthed a charming Christmas tradition where the military tracks Santa Claus’s current location.
- Santa Claus resides at the North Pole with the elves and Mrs. Claus, whose first name is probably Martha.
- In Canada, Santa Claus has his own postal code, H0H 0H0. Postal workers answer some of the children’s letters.
- Santa Claus’s sleigh flies at the speed of light, covering 1.08 billion kilometres in an hour. In the USA alone, Santa must visit 90 million households in one night, that’s 832 every second.
- In the USA and Canada he is called Santa Claus, in England Father Christmas, and in Germany Christkind.
- Santa Claus keeps detailed records of children’s behavior. Good children receive presents at Christmas, while naughty ones get coal.
- Santa Claus’s distinctive laugh is a “hohoho”.
- American children leave cookies, milk, and carrots for the reindeer by the fireplace for Santa. The Irish treat Santa with Guinness beer, and in Norway and Sweden with rice porridge.
- Christmas movies featuring Santa Claus include: Santa Claus (1994), Bad Santa (2003), Bad Santa 2 (2016) or Fred Claus (2007).
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