This Musical Figurine is 6½ inches tall, 5½ inches wide and depicts Santa on his knees beside a small manger filled with straw. The Baby Jesus is lying on top of the bed of straw, covered with an ivory colored blanket. Lying next to Santa is a small white lamb. Santa and the manger are on top of circular stone platform surrounded by lambs, chickens, palm trees and baskets of fruit. This Musical Figurine plays “Oh Come All Ye Faithful.” Select this link to view our Music Boxes.
Be Kind, Do Not Overwind
History of Santa Claus
Born in the United States of mixed ethnic and religious heritage, Santa Claus embodies the American ideal of the nation as a great melting pot of cultural identities. Santa Claus became an important folk figure in the second half of the nineteenth century, about the time when Americans were beginning to celebrate Christmas in large numbers. Santa Claus bears a good deal of resemblance to his closest relative, the old European gift bringer St. Nicholas. Indeed “St. Nick” serves as one of Santa’s nicknames. Select this link to view our Santa Claus Hats.
Many popular songs tell of his North Pole and Christmas Eve activities. Nearly every American child can tell you that Santa is a plump, old man with a white beard who wears a baggy red suit and cap trimmed with white fur. Many send letters to his North Pole workshop describing the gifts they would like to receive for Christmas. They eagerly await Christmas Eve, when he loads his sled with toys for good girls and boys and flies around the world, sliding down chimneys to place the presents under decorated Christmas trees. As if to confirm this Christmas fairy tale, men in Santa suits regularly appear on street corners, at office parties, and in department and toy stores around Christmas time. Select this link to view our Santa Suits and Santa Wig and Beard.
What is a Music Box?
The music box is a 19th century automatic musical instrument that produces sounds by the use of a set of pins placed on a revolving cylinder so as to strike the tuned teeth of a steel comb. They were developed from musical snuff boxes of the 18th century and called “Carillons a Musique.” Some of the more complex boxes also have tiny drum and small bells, in addition to the metal comb. Alec Templeton, an avid collector of music boxes and a professional concert musician, once noted that the tone of a musical box is unlike that of any musical instrument. Select this link to view our Nativity Creches for Nativity Sets.