Chapter 139: Santa Claus (1)
Red clothes and hat, a lush white beard.
A jolly old man with a large sack of gifts slung over his shoulder, hopping from chimney to chimney—Santa Claus.
The origin of this character was Saint Nicholas, a bishop who once went around doing good deeds for people.
It is said that Bishop Nicholas secretly left marriage funds at the home of three sisters who were so poor that they were at risk of being sold into a brothel because they couldn’t afford a dowry.
Since then, people began calling those who showed charity to others "Sinterklaas," which is the Dutch pronunciation of Saint Nicholas. And ss Christmas traditions spread worldwide around the 19th century, this name evolved into today’s "Santa Claus."
However, Santa Claus did not always have the friendly image he does now.
In his early depictions, Santa Claus, fitting his status as a saint, was portrayed as very solemn and strict.
The transformation of Santa into the cheerful and approachable grandfather figure we know today happened through Coca-Cola’s advertising.
Struggling with declining winter sales, Coca-Cola adopted Santa Claus, a symbol of Christmas, as their mascot.
They dressed Santa in the red and white colors of the Coca-Cola logo, giving him a uniform look, and launched ads with him as a jolly old man who climbed down chimneys.
The ads showed him as a grandfatherly friend, arriving to deliver gifts to children, getting caught sneaking a Coke from the fridge, or playfully stealing their snacks.