Santa Claus immigrated The true story behind Coca-Cola's Santa Claus
Without Coca-Cola, some people say there would be no Santa Claus. But that's not true. How Santa Claus came to the USA and why his origins have nothing to do with the US drinks manufacturer.
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- Today's familiar image of Santa Claus does not originate from Coca-Cola, but was coined by the company worldwide.
- Its historical roots go back to St. Nicholas of Myra.
- Dutch immigrants developed "Santa Claus" from this in North America.
- Literary works and illustrations from the 19th century further shaped the figure and created the basis for its modern, globally recognized appearance.
When you think of Santa Claus, this is the figure you usually have in mind: an older, white-haired, bearded and chubby man in a red and white fur suit. But why has this image become so popular and who invented the character in the first place? Although it is a widespread myth, Coca-Cola did not create Santa Claus, but shaped his modern image and spread it further.
According to an official statement from the US company, the figure is much older, but the brand has made a significant contribution to his now globally recognized image since the 1930s. According to Coca-Cola, the illustrator Haddon Sundblom, who was commissioned by the company, coined the image of a warm-hearted, corpulent man in a red and white coat from 1931. This image, which was distributed internationally in advertisements and posters, subsequently became the standard visual version.
However, the actual roots of modern Santa Claus go back much further. Historically, the figure is based on St. Nicholas of Myra, a 4th century bishop from what is now Turkey. In medieval Europe, legends spread about St. Nicholas, who was considered the patron saint of children and the poor and gave rise to numerous regional traditions.
Immigrants brought the idea for a modern US version
This figure is said to have come to North America in the 17th century via Dutch immigrants, among others. Their "Sinterklaas", worn by the early settlers in Nieuw Amsterdam, developed into "Santa Claus" in English-speaking countries. Because many Protestant communities in North America rejected the veneration of Catholic saints, the gift-giving later moved from St. Nicholas Day on December 6 (the anniversary of the death of St. Nicholas of Myra) to Christmas (December 24 or 25).
Santa Claus was given its literary form in the 19th century. The writer Washington Irving described him as a jolly, plump Dutchman as early as 1809. The poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" from 1823 had a decisive influence, in which central elements such as the reindeer sleigh, the nocturnal visit via the chimney and the distribution of presents were brought together for the first time.
Caricaturist paints sturdy, bearded man from the North Pole
Towards the end of the 19th century, illustrators refined the visual appearance. The German-born caricaturist Thomas Nast developed the visual features for the US news magazine "Harper's Weekly" from 1863. He developed a strong, bearded man in alternating red and white variations. He is said to live at the North Pole, is supported by helper elves and processes wish lists. Nast created depictions that are still used today.
Coca-Cola took up this template. Haddon Sundblom's warmly drawn Santa - human, friendly, approachable - finally gave the character a standardized appearance. This became established worldwide with the spread of American pop culture after the Second World War.
