I've been having a debate regarding Coca Cola's role in defining our current perception of the jolly giftgiving man from the North Pole. St. Nicholas clearly existed long before Coca Cola coopted his image in the 1930's. But I want to know if his uniform is a Coca Cola invention.
2006-12-21 08:04:04 · 11 answers · asked by Matt McAlister 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Mythology & Folklore
ok click the link I have provided, and it is by no means scientific proof that coca cola didnt have something to do with it but the copyright on this postcard is from 1908 (quickest answer with proof I could find for you) I also agree with the first answer but on that website I did come across images of Santa Clause pre 1900 showing him wearing a longer jacker but still had it belted and wore pants and boots (however the image was not then same as we see today by any means, it was shown on a victorian postcard)
2006-12-21 08:10:05 · answer #1 · answered by Jen B 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The perception of Santa Claus as a jolly fat man, dressed in red with big 'ol boots and a huge black belt with the brass buckle are not the way Santa was depicted "back in the day". Santa was dressed sometimes in white, no big boots or belt, and not very "fat", and sometimes shown with not all that much in the way of facial hair.
The Coca-Cola image did pretty well make up the minds of the consumer that Santa "HAD" to look like that, and it has been passed on. But you can find old post cards, even older woodcuts (No color there, unfortunately.) that show Santa as almost an ordinary guy just slightly better dressed and carrying "goodies". Which were not toys, but mostly fancy (for the time) foods and candy.
It was a heck of a marketing coup at the time, and it's probably a good thing it happened back when it did. You see, if I were to "market" Santa today I would have him riding a Harley, wearing leather, tattoo's, looking like Chuck Norris would if 'Ol Chuck was 6 foot 4 inches tall and 260 pounds, and handing out butt kickin's to bad guys instead of toys. Santa would be making a delivery to Osama bin Loser this year, and all the other buttheads that refuse to see reason.
Yep, good thing they did it in the 30's. As far as the uniform being their "invention", I don't believe so. Santa wore so many "uniforms" that they likely went with red to take advantage of the fact that the color catches the eye. Bits and pieces of the suit he wears now were always around, they just picked a working combination for the times. I'm sure that had it been their work entirely, they would have gotten a copyright on it and you would not see people running around in Santa suits without Coke trying to get into their pocket.
2006-12-21 08:33:04 · answer #2 · answered by rifleman01@verizon.net 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In 1863, a caricaturist for Harper's Weekly named Thomas Nast began developing his own image of Santa. Nast gave his figure a "flowing set of whiskers" and dressed him "all in fur, from his head to his foot." Nast's 1866 montage entitled "Santa Claus and His Works" established Santa as a maker of toys; an 1869 book of the same name collected new Nast drawings with a poem by George P. Webster that identified the North Pole as Santa's home. Although Nast never settled on one size for his Santa figures (they ranged from elf-like to man-sized), his 1881 "Merry Old Santa Claus" drawing is quite close to the modern-day image.
The Santa Claus figure, although not yet standardized, was ubiquitous by the late 19th century. Santa was portrayed as both large and small; he was usually round but sometimes of normal or slight build; and he dressed in furs (like Belsnickle) or cloth suits of red, blue, green, or purple. A Boston printer named Louis Prang introduced the English custom of Christmas cards to America, and in 1885 he issued a card featuring a red-suited Santa. The chubby Santa with a red suit (like an "overweight superhero") began to replace the fur-dressed Belsnickle image and the multicolored Santas.
2006-12-21 09:15:13 · answer #3 · answered by Martha P 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
because of the fact they does no longer have the flexibility to sell Coca-Cola to Liberals, in the event that they used Jesus as a picture. Liberals curiously do no longer look to love him very plenty. they are people who % the ten commandments out of colleges, courts, and public homes. Liberals additionally say that all and sundry Christians are fanatic maximum surprising-wingers. besides, a lot of people could locate utilising comparable to Jesus eating a Coke sacrilegious. the assumption does look somewhat unusual for any company to do,in my opinion.
2016-12-11 13:47:59 · answer #4 · answered by slagle 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
where do u think coca cola got it from? a sweet drink thats bad 4 u didnt invent anything on santa
2006-12-21 09:38:33 · answer #5 · answered by A J 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Our current "Santa Claus" was the creation of Thomas Nast in 1862.
2006-12-21 10:48:23 · answer #6 · answered by m. b 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He had a red coat, but it went all the way to the ground. No boots either. He was dressed like a bishop.
2006-12-21 08:07:32 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
There were images of him with a faded red coat, but he was more scruffy and threadbare.
2006-12-21 08:32:27 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
no coke gave him the red suit and the boots and the hat
2006-12-21 08:37:19 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
ummm duh santa has always had a red coat since like forever....everyone knows that and some superficial company can't create a legend lol jkjk
2006-12-21 08:44:48 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋