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Why does Father Christmas wear red and white?

Posted: December 18th, 2019, 10:18 pm
by Breelander
It's not for the reason you may think. Apparently Coca Cola didn't invent the red and white Santa as the popular myth has it, but they did invent Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. It was a rival drink, White Rock that invented the red and white clothed Santa.

That, and many other commercial Christmas facts here, from BBC Sounds.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3csz2x9

Re: Why does Father Christmas wear red and white?

Posted: December 18th, 2019, 10:53 pm
by tjh290633
There was a brief comment on Bargain Hunt today, when they showed the very first Christmas card. Apparently originally Father Christmas wore Green, but St Nicholas, aka Santa Claus, wore red & white, and that became more popular.

TJH

Re: Why does Father Christmas wear red and white?

Posted: December 18th, 2019, 11:01 pm
by mc2fool
Breelander wrote:...but they did invent Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.

Uh? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolph_the_Red-Nosed_Reindeer

Re: Why does Father Christmas wear red and white?

Posted: December 18th, 2019, 11:11 pm
by mc2fool
Breelander wrote:It was a rival drink, White Rock that invented the red and white clothed Santa.

According to Wikipedia Puck magazine beat White Rock by at least 13 years.

"Historically, Coca-Cola was not the first soft drink company to utilize the modern image of Santa Claus in its advertising—White Rock Beverages had already used a red and white Santa to sell mineral water in 1915 and then in advertisements for its ginger ale in 1923. Earlier still, Santa Claus had appeared dressed in red and white and essentially in his current form on several covers of Puck magazine in the first few years of the 20th century."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Claus
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Santa1902PuckCover.jpg

Re: Why does Father Christmas wear red and white?

Posted: December 18th, 2019, 11:33 pm
by mc2fool
Digging into the Talk page of the Wikipedia Santa Claus article finds this 1868 red and white Santa, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Santa-Sugar_Plums_1868.jpg

Re: Why does Father Christmas wear red and white?

Posted: December 19th, 2019, 9:25 am
by bungeejumper
mc2fool wrote:Digging into the Talk page of the Wikipedia Santa Claus article finds this 1868 red and white Santa, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Santa-Sugar_Plums_1868.jpg

Indeed. Plenty of red santas around in the mid 19th century. Even the Coca Cola website agrees on that point. https://www.coca-cola.co.uk/faq/is-it-t ... -coca-cola . Although he wasn't always fat and jolly. Don't know about the white trimmings, but I suppose those would have been intended to suggest snow rather than soft drinks? ;)

BJ

Re: Why does Father Christmas wear red and white?

Posted: December 19th, 2019, 11:14 am
by wydffa
There is an American anthropologist who suggests it represents Fly Agaric, which grows around Christmas trees (and others) and which reindeer are apparently fond of. Easily googled if you want to read more.

Re: Why does Father Christmas wear red and white?

Posted: December 19th, 2019, 11:59 am
by Breelander
Maybe it should be green then....

There are many stories and legends about pagan winter festivals which include a 'Father Christmas' type figure ... It's likely he represented the coming of spring and wore a long green hooded cloak and a wreath of holly, ivy or mistletoe and had the ability to make people happier during the long winter months...


...or blue.

When the Vikings invaded Britain, their traditions came with them. At the end of December the Norse God Odin took on the character of Jul. He visited earth and sporting a white beard and wearing a long blue hooded cloak rode through the world on his eight legged horse giving gifts to the good and punishments to the bad.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/york/hi/peo ... 394067.stm

Re: Why does Father Christmas wear red and white?

Posted: December 19th, 2019, 12:01 pm
by bungeejumper
wydffa wrote:There is an American anthropologist who suggests it represents Fly Agaric, which grows around Christmas trees (and others) and which reindeer are apparently fond of.

Makes you horny, doesn't it?

BJ

Re: Why does Father Christmas wear red and white?

Posted: December 19th, 2019, 12:15 pm
by AleisterCrowley
Makes you think you can fly, I think. Or is that psilocybin?

Re: Why does Father Christmas wear red and white?

Posted: December 19th, 2019, 4:15 pm
by Breelander
AleisterCrowley wrote:Makes you think you can fly, I think. Or is that psilocybin?


Both, apparently. But I think it's best not to try...

Fly agaric is psychoactive and hallucinogenic. ....cause psychotropic poisoning which may be severe in some cases although deaths are very rare.
http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:l ... mes:161267

Re: Why does Father Christmas wear red and white?

Posted: December 20th, 2019, 11:55 am
by stewamax
bungeejumper wrote:Makes you horny, doesn't it?

Er no - you are confusing it with Spanish Fly (aka Cantharidin) which is ground-up beetles.

Re: Why does Father Christmas wear red and white?

Posted: December 20th, 2019, 12:40 pm
by bungeejumper
stewamax wrote:
bungeejumper wrote:Makes you horny, doesn't it?

Er no - you are confusing it with Spanish Fly (aka Cantharidin) which is ground-up beetles.

Correct. My bad. :oops: Used to be quite a regular cause of death, apparently, although not so much these days when people can buy little blue tablets over the counter from Boots.

BJ