Buzz
Let's take a look at some photos of Santa Claus from the 19th century. Santa Claus didn't always wear red and wasn't always jolly.
An image of Santa Claus hunched over, from 1897.At that time, Santa Claus had the appearance of a hunched-over, gaunt man, sometimes looking rather intimidating, unlike the current image of him, always cheerful and kind-faced. He was described as wearing a green coat, not red, with a rather fearsome, bushy beard.
The majority of the photos are black and white, dating back to the 1880s, showing Santa Claus as a thin man, often wearing a bishop's robe, without a sleigh pulled by reindeer.
An image of Santa Claus from the 1890s.
‘A Vision of Christmas,’ 1897.
Image captured in the 1880s.Truly, the image of Santa at this time is scarier than I imagined, some pictures from the 1880s depict him with a large mask, and most of the pictures describe him as a ghostly figure.
Saint Nicholas and Krampus.
Images of the creature Krampus capturing children in the early 20th century.Particularly in certain regions of Europe, it is believed that the depiction of Santa Claus during Christmas is an embodiment of Saint Nicholas, a saint with a gaunt figure, intellectual face, and solemn demeanor. Many depictions of this saint are accompanied by creatures named Krampus, which appear quite frightening, including images of this creature capturing children and carrying them on a rather terrifying broom.
Image of Santa Claus in France in 1910.It wasn't until the 1920s that Santa Claus's image began to resemble what we commonly see in modern times. This transformation was largely due to a Coca-Cola advertising campaign, which altered Santa Claus's appearance to be plump, cheerful, and adorable. They also changed his coat color from green to red to match the brand. The success of this advertising campaign made people partly enamored with this new appearance, and partly because many people were unaware of Santa Claus's previous form, they simply accepted this as his perennial look.
Image of Santa Claus in Boston, Massachusetts, 1880.
This image also dates back to the late 20th century.Currently, as I write this piece, it's also Christmas Eve. I wish you all a joyful and peaceful Christmas Eve.
