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270-280AD Birth of St. Nicholas, who was to become the most accurate and actual ancestor of Santa Claus. He was ordained Bishop while still a very young man, and spent his life helping the poor & underpriviledged. He loved children, and often went out at night disguised in a hooded cloak, to leave necessary gifts of money, clothing or food at the windows of unfortunate families.
343AD St Nicholas died on the 6th of December
540AD There was an elaborate Basilica built over his tomb, and dedicated to him.
600AD The Saxons, which invadd and settled Britain had the cutom of giving human characteristics to the weather elements, welcoming the characters of King Frost, Lorn Snow, etc, to their home in the hopes that the elements would look kindly on them. They would dress an actor in a pointed cap and cloak, or cape, and drape him with Ivy, bringing him into their midst, and bidding him join their feast. He was to represent the Season and would be treated with all respect, and they would drink toasts to him.
800AD The Vikings brought with them their beliefs in the Northern deities and Elementals, and their main god Odin, who in the guise of his December character came to earth dressed in a hooded cloak, to sit and listen to his people and see if they are contented or not. It was said that he carried a satchel full of bounty which he distributed to the needy or worthy. He was portrayed as a Sage, with long white beard and hair.
842AD First written life of St. Nicholas listing all his miracles, by Methodius, Bishop of Constantinople.
850AD The Clergy of Cologne Cathedral were commemorating the death of St. Nicholas by giving fruit and cookies to the boys of the cathedral school on the 6th of December.
987Ad St. Nicholas became the patron Saint of Russia
By this time, his fame had spread far and wide, and he was adopted by many guilds and groups as their patron, including: Sailors, Children, Spinsters, Pawnbrokers. All bearing a direct reasoning to the stories told about St. Nicholas. As patron said of sailors, his effigy was the figurehead of many ships, and thus his cult spread across the seas to Britain, and later to the New World.
1087AD Life of St. Nicholas written by a Norman monk named Jean.
1120 Nuns in Belgium and France were giving gifts to the children of the poor, and those in their care, on the Saint's Feast Day, December 6th.
1150AD Guace, a Norman French scribe to the royal household, wrote the life of St. Nicholas as Metric Poems for use as sermons.
1200AD Hilarius, who studied under Peter Abelard, wrote the first 'musical' play about Nicholas.
1300AD Until this time, Nicholas was portrayed with a short dark beard, like an Eastern Bishop. Belief in Odin, flying through the skies on his eight legged white horse, Sleipnir, with his long white beard flowing, was superimposed over the saints characteristics, and he developed a white beard. In Germanic countries, he was further overlaid with the character of 'Winterman' who supposedly came down from the mountains with the snows, dressed in furs and skins, heralding winter. This character was also known in Scandinavia, where the Laps believed that he herded the reindeer down to lower pastures, and this was a sign that the winter snows were coming. Lap homes had one opening, which was both door and smoke hole. They were dome shaped houses, usually covered with skins, and usually with top openings. A reason for the subsequent romantic story that Santa comes down the chimney.
1400AD Over 500 song and hymns had been written in honor of St. Nicholas by this date.
1492AD Christopher Columbus arived in Haiti on December 6th, naming the port St. Nicholas in thanks for the safe journey.
1500AD More than 700 churches in Britain alone were dedicated to St. Nicholas by this date. There is some evidence to support the fact that in Europe, street parades were held, led by a man dressed in Bishops robes and Mitred hat, riding a horse, on the feast of St. Nicholas, in the late Middle Ages. In Britain, each parish would employ a man from outside the parish to dress in long hooded guise, and go to each home leaving a small gift and taking back any important news of the needy to the priests.
1616AD Ben Jonson presented his play, 'Christmas, his Masque' at the Court of Kings James. In this, the Season of Christmas is represented by an actor, and his entourage consists of the special characteristics of Christmas impersonates, Minc'd Pie, Plum Puddin', etc.
1626AD A fleet of ships, led by the "GOEDE VROWE' (Goodwife), which had a figurehead of St. Nicholas, left Holland for the New World. They purchased some land from the Iroquois, for $24, named the village, 'NEW AMSTERDAM' (now New York), and erected a statue in the square to St. Nicholas.
1645AD A Broadsheet appeared on the streets of London, taunting the Government by a humorous political 'scandal' about the conviction & imprisonment of Christmas, and the Hue & Cry after his escape therefrom.
1647AD Christmas was banned in England, and the traditional mumming plays were visited by Father Christmas, who issued a taunting challenge to the government: "In comes I, Old Father Christmas, Be I welcome or be I not, I hope that Christmas will ne'er be forgot".
1678AD A book was published in London, entitled "The Examination and Tryal of old Father Christmas" and his clearing by jury. From the 17th - 19th century it was the country mummers plays which kept Father Christmas alive in Britain. With the 'cleansing' of religious popery, it is interesting tonote that the saintly bhshop, represented by the Parish giftbringing visitor was replaced once more by the half pagan Impersonation of the Element of Season of Christmas.
1651AD The State of Massachusettes, settled by English Puritans, banned all observation of Christmas.
1664AD New Amsterdam was fought over and won by the British, who named it New York. They first banned St. Nicholas, and his statue fell. But later came to accept the pleasure of the festival of the Saint, not associating it with Christmas, it being held on December 6th.
1773AD St. Nicholas first made the news in the New york Gazette which referred to him as otherwise known as St. A.Claus.
1908AD American writer, Washington Irving, described St. Nicholas in his 'History of New York', in a description of the figurehead on the ship Goede Vrowe, as being..."equipped with a low brimmed hat, huge pair of Flemish hose, and a pipe that reached to the end of the bowspirit..."
1810AD The New York Historical Sociaty held the first offical St. Nicholas celebration, and the occasion was commemorated with the production of the first portrait of St. Nicholas in the USA, and a full description of his characteristics.
1821AD A learned professor, student of European folklore, and poet, Reverend Clement Moore, gathered together all the elements of European lore, deities and folk characters, added them to the descriptions of his fellow countrymen at the Historical Society and Washington Irving, and created a poem which was to become the gospel of Santa Claus, for ever writer and artist for a century to come. Called 'A visit from St.Nicholas', or 'The Night before Christmas'. But he did this poem for his children, and when it was published by a friend, Moore did not allow his name to be associated with it until 1837. There were subsequently many different publications, each illustrated according to the characteristics dictated b the poem, published from 1823 onwards, and while Thomas Nast has been attributed with being the first to illustrate Santa Claus, this assumption has long since been corrected by a vast number of earlier illustrations being found.
1863AD Thomas Nast did a political cartoon of Santa entitled 'Santa in Camp', for Harpers Weekly Journal. Dressed in Stars & Stripes, Santa had joined the civil war on the side of General Grant in the North. Perhaps he could have also appeared, (being Santa, and strictly neutral) dressed in rebel gray for the South, but if so, it was a private drawing as the South did not have the publishing resources of the North.
1864-1886AD Thomas Nast continued to draw Santa Claus every year, and became known as THE Santa Claus artist of the mid 1900's. Meanwhile, Britain was importing illustrations and cards depicting Santa Claus from Germany. He was called Father Christmas by the English, following the 17th changes, and that name stuck. He was usually represented as a tall, almost aesthetic character, saintly and stern rather than the 'Jolly Elf' character being portrayed by the
1860's The English custom of a visit from Father Christmas was revived and established as the character visiting on Christmas Eve and leaving gifts for children in their stockings. Images, dolls and artwork from Germany helped to strengthen this custom. The Germanic images showed him as a saint, in bishop's robes, as a winterman in furs, as a saintly old man, often seen in the company of the Holy Child, and as a giftbringer in robes of every color from brown, white, green, blue to golds, pinks and red. Even in this later guise, his countenance was serious more often than jolly, though laughing Santas did appear. These were usually those which were influenced by the American imagery, and intended for export to the USA.
1870's Santa Claus began to put in appearances in Department stores in the USA and Canada.
1873AD Louis Prang of Boston published the first American Christmas Card. His images showed Santa Claus much in the same tradition as the earlier American images, but with a wofter, gentler look. More the saintly old gent than the Jolly Old Elf.
1890's Father Christmas began to appear in English Stores.
1922AD Norman Rockwell created a perfect blend of saintly and jolly when he created Santa for the Saturday Evening Post.
1931AD Coca Cola began their major promotion using Santa to promote their drink. Their artist, Haddon Sundblom created Santa in his own image!! It is the Coca-Cola Santa which springs to mind now asthe traditional Santa.
1948AD Department stores in Britain increased the thrill of the Santa Grotto with train rides, sleigh rides, trip to the moom and elaborate animated scenes.
mid 1950's English Father Christmas slowly gives way to American Santa Claus.
1980's European traditions of Giftbringers begin to give way to Santa Claus. Spain's Three Kings, Italy's Befana, and Sweden's Tomte, in particular have all given way to Santa Claus as the anticipated Giftbringer, sometimes even as an additional Giftbringer. |
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