why do we see trains as christmas and what have they got to do with christmas. it beats me as i havent a clue.
also the original santa costume is green not red , so why red?
2006-12-06 23:22:18 · 20 answers · asked by minty 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Holidays ➔ Christmas
Don't know about Santa's suit changing colors, but I'm sure the trains are part of the evolution of toys for kids. Toys are the greater part of gifts given to children over the holidays. There were always 'push' type wooden trains. Eventually, toys began being made out of tin plate and steel. It was only a matter of time before electric motors were put into them, so they could run themselves around a track.
I was raised with a giant American Flyer train layout built by my dad and assembled and played with for about a month, around Christmas. As soon as my son was old enough (actually, I think it was as soon as I felt like it), I bought some HO trains for him (me). Both of my kids loved to do the same thing I did. We put them up at the beginning of December and took them down in January or February ... but the tradition continues!
2006-12-06 23:38:19 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
My thought about the train thing is that long ago it was how you traveled if you lived far away. Christmas is the time when people "go home". It might be the only time when you would travel by train. The Polar Express is a great movie and book but it was written in 1985 and trains and Christmas have been associated long before 1985. I always though coke changed Santa's suit from green to red.
2006-12-07 00:48:56 · answer #2 · answered by applecrisp 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The train idea comes from the Santa Express, the idea that you have a train that will take all of the good girls and boys to see santa a the North Pole. (Tom Hanks did a film about it).
Anyway, Santa Clause is derived from the pagan Green Man. In the original pagan religion, holly and other evergreens were used as symbols for eternal life, since they are green all year round. The original green man and his derivitive - Father Xmas could originally be seen with a holly garland around his head.
It changed in the early part of the 20th C when Coka Cola ran an add campaign, borrowing the traditional Father Xmas image and decking him out in their own colours - Red and White. Due to marketing this is the image that became fixed into popular culture.
2006-12-06 23:36:29 · answer #3 · answered by Alice S 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Trains? Christmas? What?
Coca cola changed the Santa costume to red.
2006-12-06 23:23:37 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
1. Santa's elves made trains for kids to play with just like dolls or any other toy.
2. The green Santa suit you're talking about, was originated in Europe somewhere. Besides, children can see Santa better dressed in red! Red means stop, right? All good kids want Santa to stop at their house, especially if they've been good all year.
2006-12-06 23:28:29 · answer #5 · answered by GreenIce10 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Watch the Polar Express. Granted it is a new movie, but it is a very cute one.
Santa sends out for certain boys and girls to ride the Polar Express to get to the North Pole. Each little one has a ticket, half of it is punched with a msg before, the rest when they aboard for the last time. The msg. on the ticket has something to do with them,
Suppose to help transport people on their way for a very Christmas.
Now for the olden days, I am really not sure. But I thought this was a cute enough definition of why trains are used.
Merry Chirstmas!
2006-12-06 23:55:00 · answer #6 · answered by mke 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
About the train, the classic traditional toy symbol is a train or teddy bear. That's why you see dinky little trains in your christmas calendars etc.
(eg, wooden train set for a boy, bear or doll for a girl)
No idea about the green santa thing though...
2006-12-06 23:34:40 · answer #7 · answered by genghis41f 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I didn't know that trains did have anything to do with christmas, not noticed that but as far as santa goes, he was changed from green to red by coco cola, not sure when but years ago they changed him to match the colour of coco cola and it just stuck
I think he looks better in red any way, we dont want him to blend in with the elves do we as they are mostly green.
im sure in a few years time they will probably make him slim too as it is bad for you to be overweight lol
2006-12-06 23:26:18 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Generally only associated with coke - the original father christmas was green and white it changed about 100 yrs ago to coke cola colours red and white.
Shame really :(
2006-12-06 23:36:09 · answer #9 · answered by Longjohn 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Easy!
Trains run on rails.
Rails ryhmes with snails.
Snails are things the French eat.
Heat burns.
Burns was a poet.
Poets write.
Right left.
Left out.
Out house.
House warming.
Warming pan.
Pancake.
Cake tin.
Tin mine.
Mine? Yours!
Yours? Ours!
Ow's your father.
Father Christmas.
2006-12-07 07:10:38 · answer #10 · answered by jamesducker 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋