The Coca Cola Christmas Santa Claus Ornaments are 8 inches long, including the inch hanging loop. The Santa Claus Decorations are wearing the traditional red Santa Suit and hat with white faux fur trim, a black belt and brown boots. These Coca Cola Collectibles show Santa Claus Drinking Coca Cola from a Bottle in his left hand. The index finger of his right hand is at his lips gesturing all of us to be still and enjoy the magic of this Christmas Season. These Coca Cola Christmas Santa Claus Ornaments can hang on your tree or stand alone on your mantle or shelf. These Santa Claus Decorations are one of a kind Coca Cola Memorabilia.
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75th Anniversary of The Coca Cola Santa.
In 1931, the Coca Cola Company developed advertising images using Santa Claus. What started as an advertising campaign soon became a tradition that has captured the public’s fancy for 75 years.
Most people agree that Santa Claus is a pleasantly plump, jolly man with a red suit and white beard. Santa Claus has been depicted as everything from a tall gaunt man to a rather spooky looking elf. His costume has included a bishop’s robe, a Norse huntsman’s animal skin. Our modern day Santa is a combination of several stories from many countries. For example, Santa’s reindeer and sleigh are from Scandinavian stories and his pipe and chimney were taken from stories from Holland.
Civil War cartoonist Thomas Nast depicted Santa Claus, for Harper’s Weekly, in 1892, as a small elf like man who supported the Union. Thomas Nast drew Santa for 30 years and as time changed he changed the color of Santa’s coat from tan to the, now traditional, red.
The Coca Cola Company began its Christmas advertising in the 1920’s with shopping related print ads in magazines like the Saturday Evening Post. The first Santa ads used a strict looking Santa, in the same style as that of Thomas Nast.
Santa Claus made another appearance in Coca Cola advertising in 1930. This time artist Fred Mizen painted a department store Santa in a crowd drinking a bottle of Coke. The ad featured the world’s largest soda fountain, which was located in the department store of Famous Barr co. in St. Louis, Ms. Mizen’s painting was used in print as that Christmas season, appearing in the Saturday Evening Post on December 27, 1930.
Archie Lee, who was the agency advertising executive for Coal Cola, wanted the next campaign to show a wholesome Santa as both realistic and symbolic. In 1931, Coca Cola commissioned illustrator Haddon Sundblom of Michigan, to develop the advertising images of Santa Claus.
Sundblom used Clement Clarke Moore’s 1822 poem “A Visit From St. Nicholas,” as the inspiration for his images. Moore’s description of Santa as “chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf” led to the image of Santa as warm, friendly and human. For 35 years, Sundblom painted portraits of Santa that created the modern image of Santa Claus that lives on in the hearts of children of all ages all over the world.
A company called HALCO are the makers of the original red Santa Suit and hat with white fur trim. HALCO, which has been around for over 60 years and has been a member of the National Costumer’s Association for over 20 years, still makes Costumes for Santa’s, Mrs. Claus’s and many Elves across the United States and around the world.
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St. Nicholas Day.
During the Middle Ages St. Nicholas was one of the most venerated saints in western Europe. Although his popularity has since declined, his feast day, December 6, is still celebrated in the Netherlands and other European countries. Immigrants brought the legends and customs surrounding St. Nicholas with them to the United States. There the saint was transformed into the American Christmas season gift bringer called Santa Claus.
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