During the disintegration of the Roman Empire , we note that many of the barbarian populations that arrived in Europe brought with them a series of traditions that defined their own religious identity. In this same period, the expansion of Christianity was marked by a series of adaptations in which the deities, festivals and myths of the pagan religions were incorporated into the Christian universe.
Among other examples, we can talk about the figure of Santa Claus , which for Christians today represents the altruism, kindness and joy that permeate the celebration of the birth of Christ . However, few know where this chubby, bearded figure came from. It is precisely there that the pagan religious traditions indicate the origin of the famous and celebrated “good old man”.
Origin of the legend
At the time when the barbarians took over the Old World, there were a series of celebrations that tried to alleviate the harsh temperatures and lack of food that took over Europe at the end of December. It was in this situation that the legend of the “Old Winter” appeared , a gentleman who knocked on people's houses asking for food and drink. According to the myth, whoever served it with generosity would enjoy a milder winter.
The association between Old Winter and St. Nicholas appeared many decades later. According to historical accounts, Saint Nicholas was a Turkish monk who lived during the 4th century. Christian tradition tells that this cleric would have helped a young girl not to be sold by her father, throwing a bag full of gold coins that could pay for the girl's marriage dowry. Only five centuries later was Saint Nicholas recognized by the Church as a saint.
From that moment on, December 6th was celebrated as St. Nicholas Day . On that date, children eagerly awaited gifts handed out by an old man who wore the garb of a bishop. It was from then on that the idea of the “good old man” began to take its first steps. From the “old vein”, known in the last centuries of Antiquity, the figure of a generous man began to be recognized.
How did the image of the paunchy old man with the white beard come about?
At the end of the 19th century, the German designer Thomas Nast had the idea of incorporating new elements into the image of the good old man. To this end, he published in the American magazine Harper's Weekly the drawing of a Santa Claus who, for the present day, most resembled a forest gnome. As the other Christmases passed, he improved on his original design until the old man got a bulging belly , good stature and a full white beard .
Despite the great contributions coming from Nast's experimentalism, we still have to discover the origin of his reddish clothes. In fact, several drawings had already portrayed Santa Claus with costumes of the most varied shapes and colors. However, it was in 1931 that Haddon Sundblom , hired by the soft drink company Coca-Cola , created the red pattern of the old man's clothes. Over time, the popularization of the brand's advertising campaigns ended up instituting the standard.