PRIMARY SOURCES OF SANTA INFORMATION

CLEMENT C. MOORE:

In the United States and most of the English speaking West, we have one major source for information about Santa, the poem by Clement C. Moore, A Visit From St. Nicholas (Twas The Night Before Christmas).

A Visit From St. Nicholas

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.

And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,

Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow

Gave the luster of mid-day to objects below.

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!

On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!

Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,

When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.

So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,

With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof

The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my head, and was turning around,

Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,

And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.

A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,

And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,

And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.

He had a broad face and a little round belly,

That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.

And laying his finger aside of his nose,

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

 Clement Clarke Moore, 'A Visit From St. Nicholas" (Twas The Night Before Christmas), 1822.

From this poem, we know:

1.       Santa comes on the night before Christmas (Dec 24th and early 25th). Some Christians, specially in the East, celebrate gift giving one the night before Saint Nicholas' Day, December 6 (in the West) or 19th (in the East).
2.       He comes down the chimney. With few modern houses not having chimneys, this fact has had to have many explanations. Moore himself explained it by saying he was an elf. Others have depicted it as a magical creation of a chimney, the enlargement of the chimney to fit Santa, that Santa uses alternative entrances (windows or doors)... The one that seems the most satisfying to me is that he uses a combination of these. (see discussion in a later blog entry).
3.       Stocking and used for smaller gifts. Again, with fewer chimneys, people have found other locations but the point is that stockings are used. The stockings are where Santa places the gifts although larger gifts go under the tree. Although not in the poem, the stocking gifts include fruits (oranges, apples, bananas) and nuts (walnuts, chestnuts, pecans), candy, and a few small toys. Some southern cultures use shoes placed in windows.
4.       Santa comes in a sleigh pulled by 8 reindeer. In 1939, Robert L. May wrote a small booklet called Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer which introduced a 9th reindeer who lead the way with his brightly shining nose. Rudolph has been so popularly accepted around the world that he earns a place in the canon. The names of the 8 other reindeer are:

•       a)      1st row: Dasher and Dancer 
•       b)      2nd row: Prancer and Vixen 
•       c)       3rd row: Comet and Cupid 
•       d)      4th row: Donner and Blitzen

      5.   While Santa is an old, rotund man, he is very spry. He has a red, round nose and cheeks. He has a white, long beard. Santa is dress in a red with white trim fur outfit, a black belt and back boots.  Originally, Santa smoked a pipe although this is depicted less and less in modern artwork.
      6.   Santa is the ultimate example of "Christmas Cheer" characterized by fun, joy, laughter, happiness, and a general mood of celebration.
His sleigh is filled with gifts. Santa carries the presents in a giant red bag that never seems to empty.
      7.   The common Christmas greeting is: "Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night". Over the last decade this has been modified to "Happy Holidays" in order to include all people including non-Christians and to take in the whole season from Thanksgiving to New Years Day. 
      8.   The sleigh flies. While there are disagreement on many other facts about Santa, the fact that the reindeer and sleigh fly is not one of those. 

L. FRANK BAUM:

In 1902, L. Frank Baum wrote a book called "The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus." This fine book does warrant consideration: 

1)      Infancy:  Santa Claus was found as a baby in the forest. He is raised by a wood nymph and taught by many different woodland magical creatures.

2)      Young Adulthood: When Claus was in his early adulthood, he went to live with other mortals where he saw the best and worse in humanity. Sometime during this period, Claus invents what he calls "toys" and starts his gift giving activities. Originally, the toys were simple wood carvings. Nevertheless, these evolved quickly into other types of toys.

3)      As he grew older with more gifts to deliver, Claus started to use a sleigh pulled by reindeer. The original sleigh was pulled by two reindeer, Glossie and Flossie.

4)      When Claus extends his rang to the Gnome kingdom, he needs to increase his reindeer to the 8 traditional number. With the original two, this number increased to ten. The new ones were Racer, Pacer, Fearless, Peerless, Ready, Steady, Feckless, and Speckless. They did not fly. However, they ran so fast and jumped to far that it gave the impression of flight. Baum is never clear about when and how the reindeer received the power to fly.

5)      Immortality: When Claus was in his 60's and approaching death, a counsel of magical creatures tried unsuccessfully to find a replacement for Claus. After realizing that this would be impossible, they gave Claus immortality.

6)      Santa lives at the North Pole in the Laughing Valley. Santa lives in a magical castle where he works year round with his elves making gifts for every child in the world.

           L. Frank Baum, The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, 1902

From this book, we gain the following facts about Santa:

1. As with all humans, he was born, grew up, was trained in a profession, and was a very generous present maker and giver. 

2. He was not always eternal. 

3. He has more than just 8 Reindeer that pull his sleigh. 

4. He can never be replaced.

5. He lives at the North Pole.

RELATED INFORMATION ABOUT MRS CLAUS:

In neither of these two stories is Santa Claus married.  However, Mrs Claus is so fundamental to our idea of Santa that she needs to be included.

1. We are not sure of her first name. She has been called Mary, Annalina, Jessica, Layla, Ahoop, Seeki, Martha, Kasey, Juliana, Gretchen, and Santarina. 

2. She too is immortal and can never be replaced. 

3. She is as jolly and happy as Santa. 

4. She acts as mother and teacher of Santa's hundreds of elves.