feature - The colour of Christmas

feature

The colour of Christmas

The symbolic colours of red and green we associate with Christmas today are deeply entrenched in the pagan past. It can be traced back over 2500 years to the Celts, long before the birth of Christianity. These ancient people revered the holly bush, considering it a powerful and magical plant. With its red and green hues, its foliage retained colour throughout the winter.

The Celts believed holly kept the Earth beautiful during the dead of winter and would bring protection and good luck to their families in the coming year. They would celebrate the winter solstice festival by wearing crowns of holly to ward off evil spirits and to celebrate new growth. Holly was also seen as a powerful fertility symbol. It represented the male plant and ivy the female, and it is from this belief the traditional Christmas carol The Holly and the Ivy evolved.

Holly was also the sacred plant of the god Saturn and used during Saturnalia – a week-long Roman festival held from 17th December to honour their God. The Romans gave one another gifts as well as holly wreaths which were used to decorate images of Saturn. A custom the early Christians adopted.

With the arrival of Christianity, the greenery was given a Christian meaning. One story suggests the holly first sprang up under the footsteps of Christ, when he trod the earth, and its thorny leaves and red berries, were like drops of blood, that symbolised the Saviour’s sufferings. Another, is that the prickly leaves represent the crown of thorns that Jesus wore when he was crucified and that the berries are the blood shed by Jesus because of the thorns. In Scandinavia, the holly tree is known as ‘Christ’s Thorn’. The use of these symbolic colours continued in the church and in the 14th century they were used to paint rood screens (the screen, which carried the rood or cross, used to separate the people from the priest and the altar). Along came Santa… Contrary to popular belief, Santa Claus as he is recognised today, was not a concept brought about by Coca-Cola. Over the centuries Santa has been depicted as everything from a tall gaunt man to a spooky-looking elf. He has donned a bishop’s robe and a Norse huntsman’s animal skin. The origins of this large, jolly man with his white beard, wearing his very distinctive red suit trimmed with white fur, riding his sleigh, giving presents, is firmly rooted in the past at least to the 3rd century.

About 1600 years ago Nicholas of Bari, a Greek holy man who became bishop of a small town called Myra (now in present-day Turkey), was known for his generosity and care of his people. Portrayed as a bearded bishop in bright red canonical robes, Saint Nicholas’ first Christian act is believed to be the distribution of his family’s entire wealth to the poor. His reputation grew, when it is said he gave gifts secretly. Legend has it that he saved three impoverished young girls from a life of prostitution by providing for their dowries. He secretly threw three bags of gold through the open window of their home which landed into socks that were left hanging above the chimney to dry. As the patron saint of children, he has long been associated with giving gifts to children. Saint Nicholas’ feast day is celebrated on the anniversary of his death, 6th December.

Another legend that brings us close to Santa Claus is Odin or Wodan, a Norse god. Odin would ride his eight-legged grey horse Sleipnir through the air as the leader of the Wild Hunt, always accompanied by two black ravens, Huginn and Muninn. These two helpers would listen, at the chimney – a hole in the roof at that time – to tell Wodan about the good and bad behaviour of the people.

It is unclear when the first image of the large jolly man in his red suit first came about. One of the earliest written reference to the Christmas character is from around 1460 when a carol was written by the Rev. Richard Smart called ‘Sir Christmas’. I am here, Sir Christmas Welcome, my lord Sir Christmas, Welcome to all both more and less; Come near Nowel.

In 1644, Christmas was banned by parliament which was heavily influenced by the Puritan movement. Christmas was not restored for another 16 years, during which time Father Christmas was put on trial. “The examination and tryall of Old Father Christmas. At the assizes held at the town of Difference, in the county of discontent. Written according to legal proceeding, by Josiah King.”

This was a parody of a serious situation – the church felt Christmas should be recognised as nothing more than a symbol of gluttony and idleness. “More mischief is that time committed than in all the year besides …What dicing and carding, what eating and drinking, what banqueting and feasting is then used … to the great dishonour of God and the impoverishing of the realm.”

It was at this time that the earliest known drawing of Santa appeared. It was printed on the front cover of the pamphlet used for the trial of Santa and dated 1658. The character bears

an interesting resemblance to the modern-day Santa. Although it could be argued that the clothes worn by this Santa were the normal attire for many in this period, it’s not hard to imagine the coat in a striking red, since it was a fashionable colour of the day for both men and women.

In other parts of Europe, such as the Netherlands, Santa Claus is known as Sinterklaas (Sint-Nicolaas) and can be dated back to the Middle Ages when they celebrated the Sinterklaas Feast on Saint Nicholas’ Eve, 5th December. The feast was an occasion to help the poor, by putting money in their shoes which later evolved into putting presents in children’s shoes.

Sinterklaas is based on Saint Nicholas and is also closely linked to Odin. Sinterklaas rides the rooftops on a white horse giving presents to children. Unlike Odin with his two crows, Sinteklaas has mischievous helpers with black faces known as Zwarte Piet, Black Peter, who listen at chimneys to find out whether children are bad or good and report to Sinterklaas.

As with England, Europe in the 17th century went through a time of religious turmoil and the Protestant reformers took control. Martin Luther an important figure in the Protestant movement changed the name Sinterklaas to Christkindl or Christ Child. He also moved the date of the celebrations to 24th December – Christmas Eve. However, the Dutch ignored much of these changes and continued to celebrate Sinterklaas and the associated celebrations as they still do today. Santa goes commercial… By the early 19th century the legend of Sinterklaas had been exported to America by Dutch settlers, along with the customs of giving gifts and sweets.

In 1809, the modern Santa began to take shape when the satirical writer Washington Irving wrote a book entitled Knickerbocker’s History of New York in which he described “… the good St. Nicholas came riding over the tops of the trees, in that self-same wagon wherein he brings his yearly presents to children … hanging up a stocking in the chimney on St. Nicholas Eve; which stocking is always found in the morning miraculously filled; for the good St. Nicholas has ever been a great giver of gifts, particularly to children.”

In 1822, Santa’s image was further enhanced, when Clement Clark Moore, a professor of Oriental and Greek Literature, wrote a poem for his children called A Visit from St. Nicholas also known as Twas the Night Before Christmas (see poem on page 22). In it he describes Saint Nick with his sleigh and eight reindeer flying through the sky.

Santa was first used commercially in 1863 by a German cartoonist Thomas Nast who was living in America. Nast produced a cartoon for the cover of a political magazine called Harper’s Weekly. His first Santa was of a small elf-like figure wearing a ‘Santa’ style coat made from the America flag.

Nast continued to draw Santa for over 30 years, changing his looks and the colour of his coat which went from tan to the red he’s known for today as can be seen in the image above Merry Old Santa Claus produced in 1881.

Nast’s Santa owed much to the description given in the poem by Clement Clark Moore.

In 1931 the image of Santa went global when the Coca-Cola Company used him to promote their product. Coca-Cola’s story is that Haddon Sundblum an illustrator, was employed to create a Santa that was a portly white-bearded gentleman dressed in a red suit, with a soft red cap, and that Sundblum used the poem Twas the Night Before Christmas to define his Santa.

No doubt there is some dispute here, since the Coca-Cola Santa image above was produced 50 years after Nast’s, shown at the top of the page and clearly both are of a portly whitebearded gentleman dressed in a red suit.

In fact, this portly gentleman appears in numerous advertising posters well before Coca-Cola’s Santa in 1931. Some for commercial products, others as posters for WW1. There is even a Japanese illustration produced in 1914 and a cover for an Australian magazine produced a year before Coca-Cola’s Santa went commercial.

Whatever the story, the Christmas Colours came about from a mixture of religious tradition, commercialism, joy and good cheer! Ed. PS continued on page 22

By Clement Clarke Moore (1779-1863) Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, In hopes that Saint Nicholas soon would be there. The children were nestled all snug in their beds, While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads; And mamma in her ’kerchief, and I in my cap, Had just settled down for a long winter’s nap;

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter. Away to the window I flew like a flash, Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash. The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below, When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer, With a little old driver, so lively and quick, I knew in a moment it must be Saint Nick. More rapid than eagles his coursers they came, And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:

“Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen! To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall! Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!” As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky, So up to the house-top the coursers they flew, With the sleigh full of toys, and Saint Nicholas too. And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof The prancing and pawing of each little hoof. As I drew in my head, and was turning around, Down the chimney Saint Nicholas came with a bound. He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot, And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot. A bundle of toys he had flung on his back, And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack. His eyes — how they twinkled! his dimples how merry! His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry! His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow. The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath. He had a broad face and a little round belly, That shook, when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself. A wink of his eye and a twist of his head, Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread. He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk, And laying his finger aside of his nose, And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose. He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, And away they all flew like the down of a thistle. But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight, “Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!”

Pictures and poem from “A Visit From Saint Nicholas” a retelling of “The Night Before Christmas”.