Today
is Christmas Eve, the big guy has done his prep work, the Naughty and Nice list
has been checked twice and the sleigh is being loaded up for his annual trip
around the world.
The
story of Santa Claus is based on the Christian Saint Nicholas, who died in 343
AD. He was known to help children and their families, so he became a patron Saint
of children. In the last 1,670 years his story has evolved and his appearance has
changed. He is no longer seen as the Bishop of Myra but now a jolly old elf who
laughs of in spite of himself.
Around
the 1200s he became the “gift giver”, he then began to take on a more fictional-like
appearance, larger than life and the long white beard. The Germans visualized a
character with a red, fur-lined suit (though evil). In the 1800s he evolved
even further to the point where we begin to recognize the Santa we all know
now. The caricaturist Thomas Nast is credited with introducing the modern Santa
in the late 1800s.
Santa
Claus, while based on a real person, has become so mythical in stature that
there is no single accurate description. Because of this I decided to sit down
and take a look at some of my favorite popular culture depictions of Santa
Claus, both good and bad.
Jolly
St. Nick
5-
The Grinch Santa (After his heart grew)
4-
Rankin Bass Santa Claus
3-Tim Allen in the
Santa Clause
2-Norman
Rockwell Santa Claus (The Coca Cola version too)
1-Edmund
Gween in the Miracle on 34th Street (1947 version)
Evil Bastard Santa
5-Robber
Santa in Friday After Next
4-
Billy Bob Thorton in Bad Santa
3-
The Grinch Santa
2- Santa’s Helpers (Export Santa) in Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale
1-
Robot Santa Claus in Futurama
Dis-Honorable Mention
Greenpeace Santa
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