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For most of the 19th century, Santa took on various forms – he was short or tall, thin or fat and his coat was a range of colours.
From jolly old man to winter sprite, Father Christmas has taken many forms over the centuries. But how did this allegorical figure become the iconic symbol of the festivities we know and love today? Who is Father Christmas? Once plagued by boisterous behaviour led by the ‘Lord of Misrule’ and unruly children, the festivities were redefined by the Victorians as a time for children, religion and charity. St. Nicholas made his first inroads into American popular culture towards the end of the 18th century. In December 1773, and again in 1774, a New York newspaper reported that groups of Dutch families had gathered to honor the anniversary of his death.
Then in 1821, a poem called ‘Old Santeclaus with Much Delight’ was published that described Santa wearing a red coat, a riding a sleigh pulled by reindeer. By now, the traditional day for the delivery of presents had moved from St Nicholas’ Day to Christmas Eve. The first known depiction of Father Christmas as a gift-giver was in a 17th-century with an image that bears a striking resemblance to the modern-day version of Father Christmas. This is a great video from The Postal Museum which explains how the tradition of writing to Santa – and expecting a reply – came about. As Santa’s legend continued to spread, the imagination of generations of artists and writers added to the story.
Through the Victorians’ reinvention of Christmas, Father Christmas has maintained his place as a popular figure, albeit one that is now interchangeable with Santa Claus. The Untold Story of Father Christmas is one that feels very well written and thought out, with beautiful notes of hope, working together, and ensuring that the magic of Christmas is still there. The book itself is beautiful too. The silver trim feels magical, and the pictures within the book look like they’ve been passed down from generation to generation. It’s a lovely Christmas story to read with your little one, especially if they are curious about how Father Christmas came to be and how he found a bunch of Elves to help him! The earliest example of such a letter was in 1896, and a few years later the Post Office was dealing with thousands of letters. A legal obligation to deliver letters, even to Toyland and Lapland, meant a solution had to be found.Santa Claus’ story begins with European immigrants bringing their traditions and tales of Saint Nicholas with them to North America and, eventually, the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam – now New York. As Christmas became more focused on family and children during the Victorian era, a new kind of Father Christmas emerged. This version was less about drinking, feasting, and making merriment and more about giving gifts to children. In 1939, May wrote a Christmas-themed story-poem to help bring holiday traffic into his store. Using a similar rhyme pattern to Moore’s “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,” May told the story of Rudolph, a young reindeer who was teased by the other deer because of his large, glowing, red nose. But, When Christmas Eve turned foggy and Santa worried that he wouldn’t be able to deliver gifts that night, the former outcast saved Christmas by leading the sleigh by the light of his red nose. Rudolph’s message—that given the opportunity, a liability can be turned into an asset—proved popular. oooOooo The Untold Story of Father Christmas How a toymaker became a father to children around the world? Mills' book illustrations are included in the collections of Keene State University, University of Connecticut at Storrs, and the Mazza Collection, Finlay, Ohio.
For many, Santa Claus and Father Christmas are different names for the same man. There are, however, some historical and cultural differences. The mass production of cards during the Victorian era helped to spread the festive spirit far and wide. In 1658, in a story called ‘The Examination and Tryall of Old Father Christmas’, our festive friend was shown as having a fur-trimmed, old-fashioned gown and a white beard. In the story, he is put on trial for his life but was – thankfully for us! – acquitted by the jury. The era saw the birth of a family-friendly Christmas season and the reinterpretation of previous traditions.In the early days of Christmas celebrations, Father Christmas wasn’t very child-friendly, he was often shown as a mischievous merrymaker who presided over raucous festive celebrations.
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