All Things Christmas by E. G. Lewis Read Free Book Online

need or distress, Nicholas is also said to have rescued innocent men who were falsely imprisoned. He became known as the friend and protector of all in trouble or need. He was said to have been able to calm raging seas and rescue sailors in peril, causing his fame to spread thr oughout the Mediterranean area.
    Centuries after his death , his remain s were transported by sailors to Bari, a port in Italy . A monument was constructed over his grave and the town became a destination for those pilgrims intent on honor ing him. His fame eventually spread around to the Atlantic Coast of Europe and the North Sea making St. Nicholas day part of the European Christmas holiday tradition. The Protestant Reformation of the 16 th Century slowed, but never completely eradicated St. Nicholas traditions and observances of his comings and goings.
    Coming to America
    He traveled to America with Dutch colonists who settled in New York and called him Sinterklaas . In 1809 American author, Washington Irving, took the first step that eventually morphed the saintly Bishop into the blatant marketing tool known as Santa Claus. Irving’s satirical Knickerbocker’s History of New York made frequent reference to a jolly St. Nicholas-type character who was an elfin Dutch burgher with a clay pipe.
    More damage was done in 1823 when a poem called, A Visit from St. Nicholas , was published. Better known by its first line, Twas the Night b efore Christmas , it tells the story of a man who awakens to noises outside his ho m e and sees St. Nicholas arrive in a sleigh pulled by eight reindeer …all with names . Interestingly, the stockings had been hung by the chimney with care in the hopes that St. Nicholas would soon be there…not on December 6 th , but on December 25 th ! He was dressed all in fur, no doubt to protect him from wind chill while flying about in an open sleigh. His eyes how they twinkled , h is dimples how merry … His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry . H is droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, a nd the beard of his chin was as white as the snow. He was chubby and plump, a right jolly pipe-smoking old elf .

    Thomas Nast ’s Image of St Nicholas
    D uring the Civil War, political cartoonist Thomas Nast did a series of drawings for Harper's Weekly magazine based on the descriptions found in the poem and Washington Irving's work. For the first time, Santa moved into the arena of public opinion by letting it be known that he supported the Union cause. Nast continued drawing Santas until 1886 . More than St. Nicholas’ appearance changed during the 20 odd years that Nast did his drawings. His name, which had been the Dutch Sinterklaas or German Sankt Niklaus , changed into the Americanized phone tic approximation, Santa Claus.
    It didn’t take long for this new Santa Claus to become decidedly commercial. Dozens of artists competed with each other producing Santas in a wide variety of sizes and shapes. By the 1920s the standard American Santa had emerged. A rotund, normal-sized man, instead of an elf, he had a flowing white beard, wore a fur-trimmed red suit, and though seldom seen with his pipe, continued to travel from his North Pole residence in a sleigh pulled by reindeer.
    In short order this new Santa became a shameless shill. He willingly hustled any and all products no matter how silly or mundane. If you want Marilyn Monroe, James Dean or Elvis Presley in your ad, even though they’re dead, it’ll cost you an arm and a leg. Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck aren’t even real people, but you’ll still have to pay t he Disney Studios a royalty for them . Meanwhile Santa Claus, who retains just enough of a saintly persona to make him ma rketable, comes free of charge.
    Devoid of scruples and free for the taking, Santa Claus became the ultimate pitchman. Not even a saint can compete with that , as if St. Nicholas cares. The latest word is he’s decided to give up the wrestling circuit and enjoy a leisurely retirement