Santa Claus Pictures.

The history of the Santa Claus tradition as we know him today first emerged when the Dutch settlers came to Manhattan on Christmas day 1624. Sinterklaas the good saint in Holland was named the patron of their new home. In Holland, Sinterklaas (Santa Claus) wore a red robe while riding a white horse, and cared a bag of gifts to fill the children's stockings. A sinister assistant called Black Pete proceeded Sinterklaas in the Holland tradition to seek out the naughty boys and girls who would not receive gifts. Black Pete, to the delight of all the American children, was left behind in Holland by Sinterklaas. By the late 1600s and through out the 1700s Sinterklaas would be known as Sancte Clause who would arrive on Christmas eve, December 24.

It was not until the 1800s that the Santa as we know him today started to emerge. Writers and artist depicted a lovable jolly fellow, small in size with a giving heart. On Christmas eve he would ride in a magnificent sleigh pulled by eight reindeer over the treetops and roofs. He dropped gifts down the chimneys of good boys and girls. Select the following link to view our Old World Santa Father Christmas.

In the early 1820’s Clement Moore describes St. Nicholas as dressed in a fur hat and suit, with rosy dimpled cheeks and a red cherry nose. His face was broad with a droll little mouth and a snow-white beard. St Nicholas was chubby and plump with a little round belly that shook like a bowlful of jelly. It is Moore's description of Santa that we most often think of today. Up to this point his physical appearance were open to individual interpretations as well as the colors of his suit. Clement Moore also tells us the names of his reindeer. Select the following link to read Clement Moore's Christmas Poem "Twas The Night Before Christmas" to find out the reindeer names.

In 1821, the first Santa Claus pictures were illustrated along with a poem titled “The Children’s Friend, A New-Year’s Present to the Little Ones from Five to Twelve” gave us one of the earliest images of Santa when it was published along with eight color lithographs. One of the lithograph illustrated him dressed in a red suit that was not anything like a suit of clothing an American might be wearing, nor like a flowing robe as Saint Nicolas might wear.

In 1837 Robert Weir an art teacher at West Point painted the first American portrait. He posed him wearing a stocking hat and short suit as he started to climb into a chimney with a sack overflowing with Christmas gifts as described in Moore‘s poem. Along with the stocking hat and short suit Weir added a long clay pipe and a red cape edged in fur to his character. To view our Unusual Christmas Gifts.

The elves appeared as early as 1856 in an unpublished book titled “Christmas Elves.” He relied on helpful elves who worked long hours in their polar workshop to make Christmas toys for all the children. Godey’s Magazine also incorporated elves in their engravings described below. The elves would surround Santa Claus while he was working in his workshop.

In 1863, a picture drawn by Thomas Nast gave Americans a Santa Claus that looked and behaved like a real person. For twenty-three years, his annual drawings of him in Harpers Weekly magazine allowed Americans to peek into his magical world. The pictures showed him reading letters from children, making lists, and toys year around in the workshop. Select the link to view our Santa Ornaments. When Nast was asked to illustrate Moore's charming verse for a book of children's poems, he gave us a softer, kinder person who was still old but appeared less stern than the St. Nicholas. He dressed him in a red and white suit and hat. The elf's were dressed in red endowed with human characteristics. Most important of all, Nast gave Santa a home at the North Pole. 

The December 1867 issue of Godey’s magazines opened with an engraving of a bearded old character wearing a long tunic suit. He carried a staff in one hand and in the other hand held out a doll toward a crowd of children. The 1868 the December issue had instructions on how to make a pine cone Santa in the craft section. He had a full bag of toys, apples and nuts. He was carrying a Christmas tree, a birch staff and a wooden nutcracker. Select the following link to view our Christmas Nutcracker Decorations. In 1873 Godey showed him working in his workshop surrounded by elves and Christmas toys for children. The Christmas issue in 1878 opened with an engraving titled “Welcome, Kriss Kringle. Come In” showed him in a flowing robe, with a long white beard and hair, wearing a tall peaked hat.

Markus Rautio announced on his popular children’s show in 1927 that Santa and his elf assistants lived in Lapland's korvatunturi where the landscape resembles a huge ear. This is where Santa listens to find out if the children are being naughty or nice. A warning to all boys and girls that Santa is listening and making a list of stops before he hitches the reindeer to the sleigh filled with toys for his sleigh ride on Christmas eve. Select a link to view our Unique Gift Ideas For Girls.

The final touch as we know Santa today came in the 1931 drawing by Haddon Sundblom. His billboards and other advertisements for Coca Cola-Cola featured a portly, grandfatherly man with human proportions and a ruddy complexion. Sunblom's exuberant, twinkle-eyed fellow firmly fixed the gift-giver's image into the publics mind. The pictures portrayed a life size figure with the spirit of an elf resembling Clement Moore's physical description. He wore a red suit that was trimmed with white fur and wearing black boots. Select to view our Santa Claus Hats or our Santa Suits and Santa Wig and Beard.

St. Nicholas' evolution into today's happy, larger-than-life character is a wonderful example of the blending of countless beliefs and practices from around the world. He makes toys all year long with the help of his elves. On Christmas eve he dresses in his famous suit and black boots, climbs into his sleigh pulled by eight reindeer to begin his gift giving trip of toys to the good boys and girls of the world. Today he embodies all the goodness, charity and innocence of childhood. Select this link to view our Collectible Santa Claus Gifts.

The arrival of Santa on Christmas eve has become the most anticipated event of the Christmas holiday season. The American version of Santa has reached almost every part of the globe. People can now identify the jolly, chubby, white bearded man in the red suit and hat as Santa Claus. He is recognize around the world as symbolizes love, caring, and gift giving through out the Christmas season. Select to view other Christmas Decorations Ideas.

"A Merry Christmas to all and to All a Good Night."