Who will be Father Christmas at this Year’s Christmas Party?
Every Christmas party needs Santa Claus and hence the search for the perfect Santa hat, Santa suit and various other pieces for Santa costumes. Or maybe this year, your party will have both Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus visit. You’ll need more than just a Santa hat to impress the kids.
Father Christmas and the history of Santa Claus dates back a very long time. Today’s Santa in fact comes from a blending together from many cultures and customs around the world. Santa flies through the midnight skies in his red Santa hat and Santa suit trimmed with white fur, every Christmas eve delivering gifts to children around the world in his sleigh and is pulled by his team of reindeer. This ride through the sky comes from mythology.
The figure that we most associate with the story and the history of Santa is that of St. Nicholas, a religious bishop who lived in what is now know as Turkey. St. Nicholas was known for his generous spirit and giving to the poor and to young children.
Holiday Costumes make Christmas fun!
It is the tradition of giving, that we continue with throughout our Christmas season. It was thought that St. Nicholas entered homes through the window and gave to the needy when they were asleep. Today children believe that Santa Claus comes down the chimney, and for those children whose homes do not has a chimney, he comes in through the window. For many years children leave food out for Santa and his reindeer to help give them energy for their long arduous journey which begins and ends at the North Pole, the home of Santa and his elves and the location of his workshop.
The American version of Santa Claus got its name from the Dutch Sinter Klaas. It was Washington Irving, the popular author from this time, who wrote about the Dutch version of Saint Nicholas. Later in the early 1800′s, this American version of Saint Nick achieved his fully description in the poem The Night Before Christmas which was written by Clement Clarke Moore. He provided details as the names of Santa’s reindeer; as well as his laughs, winks, and nods.
Illustrator Thomas Nast first produced the image of jolly Santa in a red Santa hat and Santa suit for Harper’s magazine from the 1860 – 1880 Christmas editions. In 1931 he produced the now very famous Santa Claus images for the Coca-Cola ads, and of course Santa was depicted in the brand colors of red and white. Interestingly enough, Rudolph, the most famous reindeer, with his bright, red nose, was invented in 1939 for the Montgomery Ward Company.
