'Give Santa the sack - he's not the real thing'

The Scotsman ^ | November 25, 2006 | ALLAN HALL

[MadIvan]

GERMANS and Austrians are uniting against a kindly old man who brings joy to children all over the world. Their call: Ban Santa.

Campaigners in both countries claim Father Christmas is an invention of the Coca-Cola company in the United States and should be ditched.

In Austria, "Pro Christkind" - it means "For Christ Child" - want images of the baby Jesus and St Nicholas to replace the white-haired, portly old man dressed in red and white, who they see as symbolic of the commercialisation of Christmas. Their campaign, with a logo featuring a picture of Santa with a red line through him, begins on 2 December, the day before the first Sunday in Advent, at an event where traditional Christmas wreaths are made.

Thousands of "Santa Free Zones" stickers have been printed and pamphlets have been handed out reminding people that the traditional bringer of presents is St Nicholas. There are even kits on sale with stickers to turn chocolate Santas into St Nicholas.

An internet campaign is urging people in Switzerland, Germany and Austria to sign up to promote activities that support a traditional Christmas and not the Santa-led celebrations that have appeared in recent years.

In some places, such as the east Austrian town of St Wolfgang, Santa has even been banned from the local Christmas market and shopkeepers have been restricted to offering traditional Austrian products and gifts as well as typical local culinary delights.

Bettina Schade, of the Frankfurter Nicholas Initiative, said: "We object to the material things, the hectic rush to buy gifts and the ubiquity of the bearded man in the red suit taking away from the core meaning of Christmas.

"The Christian origins of Christmas, like the birth of Jesus, have receded into the background. It's becoming more and more a festival that is reduced to simply worldly gifts and commerce."

A Swedish-American artist, Haddon Sundblom, created the jolly Santa character for Coke and it was used in advertising campaigns in the 1930s and 40s. He was based on a previous figure produced for Harper's Weekly in the 19th century by Thomas Nast, a German immigrant to the US.

The character is thought to have been based on several figures, including St Nicholas, a 4th-century bishop who had a reputation for generosity - Santa Claus is a corruption of the Dutch "Sinterklaas", meaning St Nicholas - the Russian character Ded Moroz, meaning Grandfather Frost, who gives presents to children, and the pagan Green Man.

Early depictions of Father Christmas in Britain often showed him wreathed in ivy and dressed in green. Before Coca-Cola made red his signature colour, the Victorians would dress him in a range of colours including red, blue and purple.

[MadIvan]

And "bah, humbug" to you too Germany and Austria. Just some people are allergic to having fun.

Regards, Ivan

[MadIvan]

Ping!

[saveliberty]

LOL

Who says that German and Austrian schools are good? December 5th or 6th, depending on where you are that Sankt Niklaus comes with candy for the good children and Knecht Ruprecht (the servant who uses the switch on bad children)?

BTW, it was a German tradition to add a Christmas tree, but oops, it's a pagan celebration of Winter soltice. Can they understand the word Idiotenhaft?

No, I thought not.

[Dallas59]

From 2002....

Aussie pre-schools ban Santa

[kb2614]

I wasn't aware the words "fun" and "German" go together, unless invading Poland at least once a century is considered fun.

;-)

[sumocide]

That's not fun either, they hardly fight back.

[samtheman]

European Nanny-Staters fulfilling one of Ray Bradbury's predictions of the future.

[proudofthesouth]

My Mom (who was born and raised in Germany) celebrated St. Nicholas when she was a kid and received coal in her shoes a couple of times. I celebrated as well when I was a kid and my favorite toy was always a Slinky.

[Darkwolf377]

I suggest they replace the Santa Claus image with stats of the death camps, you know, to make the campaign informative about history there in the land of kindergarten. This "campaign" will disappear faster than a bottle of Scotch at the Kennedy compound.

[nathanbedford]

Here in Bavaria they have virtually the identical practice on December 5. The week before the parents write out an indictment of the child's declensions over the year but balance them with some reference to the child's better characteristics. The parents register in our town with the bank and two men set out at sunset to make the rounds with the parents' double entry ledger in their hands. At the threshold of the House they find a selection of gifts wrapped and labeled for each child. When it is dark and expectations have long been aroused, an ominous knock will be heard at the door and chains will be shaken and there will be an unearthly growl. That is the Grampus a hideous figure with blackened face wearing a bearskin rug in a bearskin cap and possessed in one hand of switches and in the other, chains which are brandished freely throughout.

St. Nicholas is also along and he does all the talking. He is dressed in ecclesiastical garb although he has a white cotton beard. He reads the child's sins from the ledger and with every indictment, Grampus shakes his chains and brandishes his switches. The performance is really quite terrifying, especially of St. Nicholas Grampus have been wassailing along the way. No matter, in the end all is well as the child's good points are emphasized and the Christmas gifts are distributed.

And yes,kb2614, the Germans do know how to have fun.

[ccmay]

That's not fun either, they hardly fight back.

Wrong, wrong, wrong. The valiant Poles fight as hard as anyone. They were severely under-equipped to face the Nazi invasion, but they did their very best, inculding suicidal cavalry charges against the Panzers.

My Dad was a fighter pilot in the RAF. He had a Free Polish squadron in his group. They hated the Nazis so much, and were so brave and foolhardy, that they would try to ram the German planes or saw their tails off with their own propellers if they ran out of ammunition. He won't tolerate anyone speaking ill of the Poles in his presence.

-ccm

[Ditter]

"It wasn't so much that the naked Santa surprised Helga, it was the size of his sack."


Sorry, but I got a risque Christmas card with that comment on it, and I thought it would fit in here.

[kb2614]

And yes,kb2614, the Germans do know how to have fun.

I know, just kidding. :-) I was stationed over in the UK for a while in my USAF days. Traveled Europe quite a bit while over there, including Germany.

Wrong, wrong, wrong. The valiant Poles fight as hard as anyone.

I'm aware of Polands effort in WWII. I wasn't denigrating it. Just making a lame joke. No offence intended. :-)

[doberville]

Thank you for setting that straight.

The Poles definitely need a good PR agent.

[kb2614]

Wrong, wrong, wrong. The valiant Poles fight as hard as anyone.

I'm aware of Polands effort in WWII. I wasn't denigrating it. Just making a lame joke. No offence intended. :-)

[sumocide]

"I'm aware of Polands effort in WWII. I wasn't denigrating it. Just making a lame joke. No offence intended. :-)"

I thought I made that lame joke. But thanks for doing my replies, it's pretty close to what I was about to post.

[jimfree]

Here is an Austrian post card from the 1820s showing that eccesiastical garb.

http://www.stnicholascenter.org/stnic_gallery_popup.jsp?image_sakey=3511

Mrs. jimfree is the historian for a house museum in the Maryland suburbs of DC. Riversdale is a federal period (early 19th c.) mansion first resided in by natives of Antwerp. For one of the programs she does a Sint Niklaas (Flemish spelling) day event for children. One of our volunteer interpreters has wonderful long white hair and beard. David presides for us as this version of Father Christmas.

[DManA]

It's not just a coincicence that Santa wears Coca-Cola red.

invention of the Coca-Cola company

[LonePalm]

Sorry Ivan,

I'm with them this time. I wish we could get away with it here in the states.

Putting the 'Christ' back in Christmas, it would scare the hell out of the ACLU and the liberals.

What a lovely thought.

Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)

[MadIvan]

I'm libertarian on this issue. If you want to keep Santa out of it, that's your own choice - but don't tell others how to celebrate Christmas. As for me, I have space in my Christmas for both Santa and Jesus, for both egg nog and Mass. There's space for fun as well as reflection.

Regards, Ivan