Santa Claus' Many Hats
Stories of Santa Claus have been told and retold for centuries. Known all around the world, he has been given many names as individual countries celebrated the festive season with their cultural traditions; all providing their version of the truth to the tale that has stood the test of time.
Whenever we spot a Santa hat, many of us feel a sense of excitement due to what it symbolises. However, having looked through old stories and sketches of Santa, he wasn't always a jolly man dressed in a red suit and nightcap. He has been pictured wearing different types of hats to the one we're all familiar with, the first being the bishop's hat.
The Mitre
Image: Mitre
Who else loved fishing out a net full of shiny gold coins from their stocking filler? Surely, I wasn't the only one that spent little time peeling back each side of chocolate coins and eating them all up before breakfast?!
Ever wondered what inspired chocolate factories to produce one of our childhood favourites?
Well, it all started when Santa Claus was heavily associated with Saint Nicholas.
Once upon a time, a third-century Bishop known to all as Saint Nicholas gained a reputation in Turkey for being the protector of children. Wearing a red robe and a tall Bishop's hat, he would deliver life-changing gifts to children in need. Due to his shyness, his act of kindness was never caught in the act.
His generosity saved numerous families from a life of detriment.
Legend has it that he inherited a huge fortune from his late parents and gave the money away to those that needed it most. There is one story that stands out amongst the rest whereby a penniless father was going to sell his three daughters to a life of slavery and prostitution. In response to over-hearing this, Saint Nicholas delivered a dowry to each of the poor man's daughters, giving them each the option of marriage.
It is believed, the chocolate coins we indulge in each year and the tradition of filling stockings with gifts stems from Saint Nicholas himself after he used his initiative to drop coins down the chimney of those he helped when their bedroom windows were locked. Often, however, they would wake up to find coins in their stockings, having placed them by the fire the night before to dry.
The Crowned Wreath
Image: crowned wreath
Santa Claus is probably the only person in the world we allow to break into our home each year. We even leave our intruder a mince pie, a glass of milk and a carrot or two for his reindeers by the fireplace. And in the morning, we are pleasantly surprised to see the glass empty, a plate full of leftover crumbs and presents under the tree. Come to think of it, he must have one almighty stomach to digest so many mince pies in one night…
Still, the tradition to leave a small token of gratitude by the fireplace must have come from somewhere. Perhaps the clue lies with German American Illustrator Thomas Nast's drawing of Santa wearing a wreath crown...
It's believed that before Christmas became a Christian holiday to celebrate the birth of Christ, pagans celebrated the winter solstice known as Yule. Their festivities were celebrated between December twenty-first to January first, during the shortest daylight and longest night.
Just like we do at Christmas, our Celtic pagan ancestors brought a tree into their home. But instead of it being decorated with baubles, food and treats were hung on the branches to feed the good spirits that lived inside the tree to keep warm in the winter months and ward off any bad luck. Not only did they welcome good spirits into their home, but they also welcomed a secular figure dressed in a green cloak. This mythical figure that wore a wreath crown on his head would usually be a local, visiting each one of his neighbours to lift their spirits during the darkest of nights.
Before Father Christmas made it into the British history books, a pagan's secular figure that represented the coming of spring had many names: King Frost, Father Time and the most popular, King Winter. And just like we do for Santa Claus, pagan families would open their doors to him and have baked goods and a drink waiting for him by the fireplace. Being superstitious folk, they hoped their generosity to keep their guest warm and belly satisfied would bring them good fortunes such as a milder winter and good health.
The Pileus
Image: Pileus
Another tradition we continue is the placing of paper crowns in our Christmas crackers.
You may feel a little silly sitting at the table eating your feast with a bright-coloured, ill-fitted paper crown, but the tradition of giving and wearing crowns at the table can be traced back to the holiday of Saturnalia, an ancient Roman pagan festival which was held in mid-December to commemorate the God of Saturn. Over time, the tradition coincided with Christmas to bring paganism into the fold of Christianity.
However, throughout the Golden Age the winter festival allowed social norms to be overturned, permitting Roman slaves to be treated as equals. Whilst seated, each slave was given a pileus to wear as their masters served them their feast. Though Roman pagans marked the pileus as a liberty hat before Christmas was formed, it was also a common infantry helmet worn by soldiers in the fifth century BC.
Consequently, newspaper illustrator, Thomas Nast, famously drew Santa Claus during the American Civil War (1861-1865) as an elf-like figure visiting a Union Army camp in 1863 with a pileus on his head, influencing modern portrayals of Santa's features.
After the feast, gifts were given and received to honour Saturn, the agricultural deity. Figurines made from wax or pottery were exchanged during the festivities which later inspired the biblical story of the three wise men giving baby Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
We also see in many adaptations of 'A Christmas Carol' by Charles Dickens, Scrooge’s charitable deeds of giving to the poor and exchanging gifts with people from all social classes. Thanks to the continuity of tradition, we have adopted the act of giving and receiving gifts to strangers and loved ones alike, though for many it has become somewhat commercialised and a chore in recent years.
The Nightcap
Image: nightcap
By the early twentieth century, people were well accustomed to the secular figure having grown up seeing Thomas Nast's sketches in newspapers during the previous century. However, the mysterious elf-like being with a white beard was to have his appearance altered once more.
The Coca-Cola company had the idea to feature Santa Claus as a wholesome figure for their Christmas marketing campaign in the 1920s. Though it wasn't until the 1930s that we see the plump grandfather figure painted in familiar surroundings; making him relatable to adults, and for children to look up to.
Artist Haddon Sundblom took inspiration to feature Santa exactly how Clement Clarke Moore had described him in his 1822 poem, ''Twas the Night Before Christmas'. Painting Santa Claus smiling through his snowy white beard with twinkling eyes and rosy dimpled cheeks portrays him as a warm and approachable figure that could be easily loved by all.
His classic floppy red hat with white fluffy trim and bobble replicated that of a nightcap worn by Victorian males to bed, which is also featured in the poem. It is believed to symbolise Santa Claus' task to personally deliver presents to children at night whilst the entire family was tucked sound asleep in their beds.