Pap Noel or Santa Claus is the universally recognized symbol of the Christmas season with its traditional robes. But the red suit and white-trimmed hat have given rise to the belief among some that those responsible for Coca-Cola advertisements dreamed of modifying the image of Santa Clausand worse still, they succeeded.
And while there is some truth to the idea (Coca-Cola ran a campaign for 30 years with a fat and jolly Santa Claus who, logically, dressed in red.), its color combination owes more to ecclesiastical vestments than to brainstorming in an office.
The colors are widely believed to derive from the original Saint Nicholas, who was bishop of Myra in the 4th century. Red and white were the hues of traditional bishops’ robes, although some historians maintain that he originally dressed in different colors.
Saint Nicholas was famous for his kindness towards children and his generosity towards the poor. After his death, the legend of Saint Nicholas grew and he is still remembered in some countries on December 6, as is the case in Holland.
A legend that is half true
Already in the 19th century, Dutch emigrants told their story of a legendary gift-bearer named Sinterklaas to America.where he eventually became known as Santa Claus.
Over time, the bishop’s cape and miter were replaced by the fur-trimmed suit. There are records of Santa wearing suits of various colorsbut red was by far the most popular and became known as Santa’s quintessential outfit.
In recent history, The red and white suit has been arranged and standardized for certain events and advertising campaigns.. Between 1863 and 1886, the magazine Harpers Weekly He published a series of engravings by Thomas Nast that strengthened his image.
Afterwards, the Coca-Cola’s involvement in the early 1930s when the swedish artist Haddon Sundblom He began to draw the advertisements for the drink with a huge Santa in a red coat decorated with white fur, they did the rest. His drawings were used in the company’s holiday advertisements for the next 30 years.truly consolidating the image.
