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Why does Father Christmas wear red and white?
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- Lemon Quarter
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Why does Father Christmas wear red and white?
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
That, and many other commercial Christmas facts here, from BBC Sounds.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3csz2x9
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- Lemon Half
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Re: Why does Father Christmas wear red and white?
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
TJH
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- Lemon Half
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Re: Why does Father Christmas wear red and white?
Breelander wrote:...but they did invent Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.
Uh? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolph_the_Red-Nosed_Reindeer
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- Lemon Half
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Re: Why does Father Christmas wear red and white?
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
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- Lemon Half
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Re: Why does Father Christmas wear red and white?
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
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- Lemon Half
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Re: Why does Father Christmas wear red and white?
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?
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.
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- Lemon Quarter
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Re: Why does Father Christmas wear red and white?
Maybe it should be green then....
...or blue.
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.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/york/hi/peo ... 394067.stmWhen 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.
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- Lemon Half
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Re: Why does Father Christmas wear red and white?
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
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- Lemon Half
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Re: Why does Father Christmas wear red and white?
Makes you think you can fly, I think. Or is that psilocybin?
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- Lemon Quarter
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Re: Why does Father Christmas wear red and white?
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...
http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:l ... mes:161267Fly agaric is psychoactive and hallucinogenic. ....cause psychotropic poisoning which may be severe in some cases although deaths are very rare.
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- Lemon Quarter
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Re: Why does Father Christmas wear red and white?
bungeejumper wrote:Makes you horny, doesn't it?
Er no - you are confusing it with Spanish Fly (aka Cantharidin) which is ground-up beetles.
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- Lemon Half
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Re: Why does Father Christmas wear red and white?
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. 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
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