The Rotating Waving Mrs. Santa Claus is 23 inches tall. Her white hair is tied up in a bun decorated with a deep burgundy velveteen ribbon bow with a sprig of holly and berries in the center. She has a tan faux fur headband that fits around her forehead, over her ears and around the back of her head. Her coat is deep burgundy velveteen with faux fur collar, cuffs and trim. There is elegant gold and burgundy trim bordering the fur down the front of the coat. The eyelet ruffle of her blouse is uncovered as Mrs. Claus waves her arm. In her right hand she is holding a gold candle and tucked in her arm are two scrolls of music. She has a long deep burgundy velveteen skirt hemmed with tan faux fur. Mrs. Santa stands on an 8x7 inch rectangular base with the on off switch at the back. When the switch is in the “ON” position, Mrs. Claus will rotate from side to side as she waves her left hand. The Rotating Waving Mrs. Santa Claus comes with a transformer that connects at the back of the base and plugs into a wall outlet. Select this link to view our Collectible Santa Figures.
History of The Santa Claus Express
The Santa Claus Express is a generic name applied to a number of holiday railroad excursions throughout the United States. Often sponsored by railroad museums and incorporating appropriately decorated vintage locomotives and cars, the Santa Claus Express may offer scenic tours beginning in late November and continuing through December. By other schedules, the Express stops at towns and villages along the line, at which time professional or amateur performers provide a Yuletide concert or show for citizens waiting outside.
The Santa Claus Express also is a vehicle for delivering toys and gifts to underprivileged children, an example of which can be found in Appalachia. Since the mid 1440s on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, officials of CSX Transportation have furnished a locomotive and cars so that the Santa Claus Express could wind its way from Pikeville, Kentucky, across Virginia, and into Kingsport, Tennessee. All along the tracks, children and families gather, many having camped overnight to secure strategic positions. When the train slows at each whistle stop, children run behind as Santa, who addresses everyone as “darlin’,” and his assistants, who are local businessmen, toss candy, small toys, and other gifts into eager hands. Local merchants, some of whom were once among those children chasing the train, donate the gifts, which become the only Christmas presents that many children will receive each year. Select this link to view our Santa Ornaments.
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 Ornaments.
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 Old World Santa Father Christmas.