Christmas is commonly viewed as the celebration of the birth of Jesus. This may give a misconception that christmas is a long-established festival since the first year of Anno Domini. In fact, the present celebrations of christmas or the 25th of December more specifically appearance is believed to be at 19th century. The origin of Christmas does no relation to the christmas cultures like sending christmas card to others or Santa Claus. Indeed the day 25th of December may be not the birthday of Jesus since some suggested that 25th of December was Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, “the birthday of the unconquered sun” while it was also the winter solstice of the ancient Romans. Although the exact day of birth of Jesus is unsure, December 25th was then christianized as Jesus’ birthday at the 2nd century.1

Santa Claus and Christmas card

Christmas is a fairly religious event. But there are quite a number of customs which has few linkages to the christianity. One of the most recognized is present Santa Claus character. I said present Santa Claus character because the early Santa Claus has gone through numbers of “evolution” to become the present kind old man. In a historical sense, Santa Claus is associated with a 4th century christian saint, Saint Nicholas. The story started with Saint Nicholas helping the misfortunes by giving golds to them. And the golds were thrown into a sock hanged by the stove is yet another anecdote. The virtue of Saint Nicholas was spread across European countries and Saint Nicholas became the very beginning of the Saint Claus figure. 

The early Santa Claus had some connection with the christianity due to the figure Saint Nicholas. But with the passage of time, the later Santa Claus images, together with other popular christmas customs seem made christmas less a religious festival. It may begin with the christmas card appeared in 19th century.  In 1840, the first stamp appeared in England. Afterward, a new era of communication began as postal service was established all across the world.2 The long established culture of exchanging greeting card had come to a new level since people were no longer bounded to a face-to-face exchange. And in 1843, the first christmas greeting card come to light in London. Sir Henry commissioned John Callcott Horlsey to design the first christmas card, and 1000 copies of the card were place on sales.3 The particular card have neither any image of Santa Claus nor religious image. Rather, the gathering family in the middle of the card suggested a more modern meaning of christmas, the family holiday. A well-known christmas greeting phrase “A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You” is also written on it. From the sales of the first christmas card onward, a strong sense of gathering and family festival was charged into christmas among the European countries. Also, christmas cards marked the very beginning of the consumption aspect of christmas since people can then purchase their favorite cards and mail them to greet others under the special occasion of christmas. These may be two of the main factors making christmas less religious as it used to be.

Evolution of Santa Claus

Since the first christmas card appeared in the mid 19th century, the culture of sending christmas cards has become more and more popular. The early christmas cards were illustrated with varies subjects, from fir trees to snow scenes, some with bells and flowers and some with christian figures, few of them even had pop-up figures. Santa Claus certainly is perhaps one of the most common candidate to be printed on the cards. It is hard to trace back the earliest christmas card with Santa Claus. But, the kindly old man in red suit perhaps came from a poem A Visit from St. Nicholas (also known as The Night Before Christmas). The poem has represented the Santa Claus as a jolly old man with round belly holding bundle of toys on his back. A fairly early christmas card with the cheerful old Santa in red was printed at 1911 by L.R. Conwell N.Y. It is perhaps a very early “standardized” Santa Claus image. Then in the 1920s, the standard of Santa, who is in a red, fur suit, has came solidified by the works from illustrators like N.C Wyeth and Norman Rockwell. But the time which the old Santa in red suit got really popular and deep rooted in people’s mind, perhaps, was from the advertisements from Coca-cola company. In 1931, the Coca-cola company had set an advertisement campaign containing the “most standard” Santa who was in red suit, white beard on a warmhearted old face and a big belly. From the above brief history, it is no doubt that the 4th century Santa has gone through many alterations and creation processes to become the widely accepted white-bearded old man in red suit.5

But let’s imagine we were in the early 20th century, where there was no internet and a less than sophisticated telephone network. Christmas cards perhaps acted as a rather important mean to spread the images of Santa as well as the sense of family holiday.  And to some extend, the technique of printing cards and the degree of consumption culture may as well contribute to the “evolution” of Santa. Take the early image of Santa like the one from T. C. Boyd’s A Visit from Saint Nicholas (1848)  (Fig.1). Its Santa is obviously less fine in details, the printing texture is rather rough. This showed the printing technique limited the image produced. And Boyd’s Santa tend to be more elf-liked with a less smaller belly than those Santa in modern time, like the one illustrated in Coca-cola ad (Fig.2) whose costume is fine and the figure is more humanized which made the modern Santa more or less a approachable to public.  The reason to make a more approachable Santa may be complicating, but it may affect consumers’ mind by making them to associate christmas with joy, and make it less as solemn as the religious story, in which the son of lord come to the world to save the sinful human. The humanized Santa and the relaxing, enjoyable christmas mood may both encourage people to consume in according to the gifts-giving custom of Santa and to enjoy the occasion with others or their family.  And, for sure, the bigger Santa’s belly may suggest some feature of the Coca-cola’s product.

The First christmas card, London, 1843 designed by John Callcott Horlsey

Early 1900's christmas card, Embossed, Gold Leafed Postcard

Retrieved from
http://www.emotionscards.com/museum/xmas.html

L.R. Conwell, N.Y,, Embossed, Gold Leafed christmas card, 1911, Retrieved from
http://www.emotionscards.com/museum/xmas2.html

(Fig.1) T. C. Boyd, A Visit from Saint Nicholas, Facsimile, 1848, retrieved from http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=35

(Fig.2) Haddon Sundblom, First Sundblom Coke Santa, 1931, retireved from http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=35 

1. "Christmas." Encyclopædia Britannica. Ultimate Reference Suite.  Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, 2008

2. 余鴻建 , 社會印件（二）, 印 藝 287 期, 2007 年 11 月

3. "Christmas." Encyclopædia Britannica. Ultimate Reference Suite.  Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, 2008

4. Saint Nicholas and the Origin of Santa Claus, http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=35, retrieved on Saturday, 6 December 2008
5. Saint Nicholas and the Origin of Santa Claus, http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=35, retrieved on Saturday, 6 December 2008

What has been mentioned above is just some of the many interesting aspects of christmas  customs. There are still a lot stories of Santa hasn’t been covered. Moreover, it is also interesting to learn how other countries, cultures or religious treat the festival. But, it is still obvious that the image of Santa has been modified quite greatly by the commodities, like the rooting of Santa image from the Coca-cola ad. Also, the printing technique also contribute to the refinement of Santa figure. But, in the digital age, Santa Claus on a christmas card with gold leaf or those shiny christmas card seem became rarer than before. It is both good and bad. Bad because I have fewer chance to receive a really nicely printed christmas card. Good because those nice christmas cards l kept in my drawer became some priceless relic to me.

Law Bo Kent Kevin 2008-12-18