As promised in my previous post, some more info Of Sint and Santa...
December 6, is the birthday of Saint Nicholas.
From our traveling days as International Consultants, I did save this very informative story from the KLM Royal Dutch Airlines' in-flight magazine.
It is in English, so if you like to, you are able to read it.
~
Of Sint and Santa
Whatever you call him - Father Christmas, Santa Claus, Sinterklaas - St. Nicholas presides over the season of giving. Ghislaine Kruit and Terri J. Kester look into the long history of the man in red and the Dutch tradition that bears his name.
Facing page and above: Dutch children turn out in their thousands to welcome Sinterklaas in mid-November
Sinterklaas is treated with the reverence owing to a bishop
Right: gangs of Zwarte Piets accompany their master. They distribute small treats among the crowd.
Left: Image from The Book of Hours (ca 1500) illustrating St Nicholas' revival of three drowned boys.
St Nicholas' Day was once observed all over Europe as a special day for children.
Below: German and French Christmas cards from the early 1900s show St Nicholas presenting gifts.
Above: Season's greetings from France (1920-12).
Right: Thomas Nast's incarnation of St. Nicholas as Santa (Harper's Illustrated Weekly, 1870)
Father Christmas made this appearance in Punch in 1880
In this Swedish illustration (1917) Santa knocks at the door
Santa-shaped balloon floating over New York City (1949)
~
Indeed, the ending is so true: Whichever way you look at it, St Nicholas plays a starring role in the longest party in history.
December 6, is the birthday of Saint Nicholas.
It is in English, so if you like to, you are able to read it.
~
Of Sint and Santa
Whatever you call him - Father Christmas, Santa Claus, Sinterklaas - St. Nicholas presides over the season of giving. Ghislaine Kruit and Terri J. Kester look into the long history of the man in red and the Dutch tradition that bears his name.
Sinterklaas is treated with the reverence owing to a bishop
Right: gangs of Zwarte Piets accompany their master. They distribute small treats among the crowd.
St Nicholas' Day was once observed all over Europe as a special day for children.
Below: German and French Christmas cards from the early 1900s show St Nicholas presenting gifts.
Right: Thomas Nast's incarnation of St. Nicholas as Santa (Harper's Illustrated Weekly, 1870)
In this Swedish illustration (1917) Santa knocks at the door
Santa-shaped balloon floating over New York City (1949)
~
Indeed, the ending is so true: Whichever way you look at it, St Nicholas plays a starring role in the longest party in history.
Related links:
{How the Dutch Brought Us Santa, Presents, and Treats} | previous post by me
{SAINT NICHOLAS - SINTERKLAAS 2013} | previous post by me
{SAINT NICHOLAS - SINTERKLAAS 2013} | previous post by me
The Origin of Santa Claus Video about history, listen till the end to hear how Sinterklaas morphed into Santa Claus...
{Saint Nicholas | Sinterklaas} | previous post by me about my newspaper publication
{Humble Gifts of the 1950s} | previous post by me about my early childhood treats for December
{Chocolate & Silver Alphabet Letters for Saint Nicholas} | previous post by me
{Chocolate Letter LOVE} | previous post by me
{Chocolate Letter LOVE} | previous post by me
{Chocolate and Silver Alphabet Letters for Saint Nicholas} | previous post by me
{Since 1896 Dutch CHOCOLATE LETTERS - Have YOU Tried Them?} | previous post by me
{Since 1896 Dutch CHOCOLATE LETTERS - Have YOU Tried Them?} | previous post by me
