Historical Studies

From Santa Claus to KFC: Tracing the origins of modern Christmas traditions

lanthierj — Tue, 20 Dec 2022 12:33:42 +0000

From Santa Claus to KFC: Tracing the origins of modern Christmas traditions

lanthierj Tue, 12/20/2022 - 07:33

Cutline

A statue of Colonel Sanders in Santa outfit is pictured on December 23, 2020 in Tokyo, Japan (photo by Yuichi Yamazaki/Getty Images)

Ali Raza

Topic

City & Culture

Historical Studies

Holidays

Research & Innovation

U of T Mississauga

Every year, families who celebrate Christmas decorate their tree and hang stockings in anticipation of the arrival of Santa Claus. But what does this have to do with the religious holiday itself?

Exactly how a celebration of the birth of Jesus became what it is today is difficult to trace, yet there are some clues to the cultural origins of modern Christmas celebrations, says U of T Mississauga history of religions professor Kyle Smith. While it’s hard to identify a single moment it all began, the second half of the 19th century is when some significant changes in the celebration of Christmas occurred, he says.

“Dutch immigrants to the United States, specifically to New York, are really important for the history of Christmas,” Smith says.

As immigrants from the Netherlands, Germany and other parts of Europe arrived in New York, they brought with them their own Christmas traditions. Because North America and Europe are situated in the Northern Hemisphere, where December is a cold month, those traditions reflect that.

Santa Claus is an obvious feature in modern Christmas celebrations. His origins relate to the Catholic St. Nicholas of Myra. In the Catholic Church, St. Nicholas’ feast day is Dec. 6, close to Christmas time. Known as a “gift giver,” he’s been venerated since late antiquity.

But the story of how the saint became Santa involves Dutch immigrants. The Dutch had their own tradition of a figure named Sinterklaas – based on St. Nicholas. Sinterklaas visits families during their Christmas feasts to offer gifts, as per Dutch tradition.

Nineteenth-century American book illustration for poem Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore (1779-1863) (Photo by Corbis via Getty Images)

As the Dutch arrived in New York – where an explosive literary culture took hold of the idea of Sinterklaas – stories and images of Santa Claus began to spread. Works penned in the United States by Washington Irving and Clement Clark Moore (‘Twas the Night Before Christmas) and in England by Charles Dickens (A Christmas Carol), among several other writers and illustrators, helped lead to Christmas taking a newer, commercialized form.

“It has to do with European immigration to the United States and this sort of creation happening in New York through a number of different writers and illustrators,” Smith says.

Moore’s stories developed ideas of Santa being an elf with reindeer who comes down the chimney. While Dickens’ stories, notably A Christmas Carol, drove the celebrations to be focused on children’s gifts and domestic feasts.

Santa Claus in Camp (published in Harper's Weekly,
January 3, 1863) (image from Library of Congress)

Santa Claus, as he is known today, first appeared in Harper’s Magazine in 1863 in an illustration by Thomas Nast. He’s shown as a plump elf with a beard and a hat, and of course, is a gift-giver.

“It’s completely fair to claim that Santa Claus is an American invention,” Smith says.

But one of the first Santa Claus parades took place in Toronto in 1905, and was held as a promotional event by Timothy Eaton for his department stores.

Stockings would have been one of the promoted products, another modern Christmas tradition alongside the tree and Santa Claus. Their origins, however, are a bit grimmer; they stem from a story of St. Nicholas as a bishop in the 4th century in Myra, in present-day Demre on the Mediterranean coast of Türkiye.

“There was this father who had three daughters, and he was very poor,” Smith says. “In order to feed himself he was on the verge of having to sell all three daughters.

“Supposedly, Nicholas comes and throws three bags of gold either through the window or through the chimney. And according to the story, the daughters hang their stockings to dry and one of the sacks of gold falls into the stocking.”

The story has seen different versions and alterations through the centuries.

Picture shows St. Nicholas from an etching by Muller after a painting by Boutet de Monvel. Undated. (Image by Bettman/Getty Images)

The origin of the Christmas tree is also elusive. Smith says there’s a long history of people in Europe bringing greenery into their homes during the cold winter months and decorating them. But the modern Christmas tree as we know it, he says, originates from 19th century Germany. That’s why it’s usually a fir tree or a pine tree, and almost never a palm tree. But the exact origins remain extremely difficult to pinpoint.

“There’s no aha moment to say, ‘Oh that’s a Christmas tree,’” Smith says.

Before the modern celebrations, Christmas involved dancing, costuming and feasting.

“We don’t necessarily associate dance parties and costuming, but that is what the Christmas celebration was very much so in medieval Europe,” he says.

In 12th-century London, a big feast would have been thrown by lords and nobles to express generosity, featuring such offerings as goats, chickens and barrels of wine.

The feasting tradition changed into a gift-giving tradition in the 19th century. Christmas marketing and advertising shifted from primarily being about food in the early 19th century to being about toys in the late 19th century.

Some modern celebrations have taken on unexpected turns. For example, in Japan, where there are few Christians, a popular Christmas celebration is to order KFC takeout.

“It clearly has nothing to do with Christianity or the nativity of Jesus, but it’s become this cultural thing,” Smith says. “That’s a result of 150 years of the spread of American commercialism. Christmas is exported to places that have zero cultural and historical connection to the celebration.”

With all the pomp around Christmas, it’s important to note that for most of Christian history, Easter was considered a far more important holiday.

“We have no idea when Jesus was born,” Smith says.

He explains there are no textual records that identify a year, month, day or season when Jesus of Nazareth was born. The date of Dec. 25 stems from winter solstice celebrations held by Romans. While the solstice is now on Dec. 21, it was on Dec. 25 before Julius Caesar reformed the Roman calendar in 44 BCE.

It wasn’t until 325 CE at the First Council of Nicaea that Christmas was decreed to be on Dec. 25. It fit pre-existing celebrations at the time of the winter solstice, including the pagan Feast of the Unconquered Sun.

But the idea of Jesus being born on Dec. 25 stuck.

“The most compelling theory is the whole point of the idea of the Messiah coming into the world at its darkest hour,” Smith says.

In the Northern Hemisphere, that is.

Maanjiwe nendamowinan: U of T Mississauga's newest building honours the past, looks to the future

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 23 Aug 2019 14:03:51 +0000

Maanjiwe nendamowinan: U of T Mississauga's newest building honours the past, looks to the future

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 08/23/2019 - 10:03

Cutline

The new building at U of T Mississauga was unofficially opened last year. The name Maanjiwe nendamowinan, chosen in collaboration with the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, means a "gathering of minds" (photo by Drew Lesiuczok)

Topic

Truth and Reconciliation

U of T Mississauga

The University of Toronto Mississauga has announced the official name of its newest building that acknowledges both the Indigenous history of the land and the future of the campus.

The new building, erected in place of the original 1967 North Building, unofficially opened its doors in September 2018. While construction crews completed landscaping and interior finishes, a university committee reviewed name suggestions – more than 700 in total – for the new structure.

An overwhelming number of submissions focused on Indigenous themes, leading to a collaboration with the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation (MCFN) on whose traditional territory the campus now stands. Following careful consideration, MCFN recommended Maanjiwe nendamowinan (pronounced Mahn-ji-way nen-da-mow-in-ahn), a formally endorsed Anishinaabemowin name meaning “gathering of minds.”

The university will celebrate the new name at an upcoming opening ceremony.

“On behalf of the entire U of T community, I would like to thank and congratulate all those involved in the naming of this key building on the UTM campus, including the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation,” said President Meric Gertler. “It reflects our commitment to engagement with Indigenous communities as we work together to lead the process of reconciliation.”

“I am pleased and honoured that UTM’s newest academic building will be known as Maanjiwe nendamowinan, meaning ‘gathering of minds’ in Anishinaabemowin,” said U of T Mississauga Acting Vice-President & Principal Amrita Daniere. “It captures, so perfectly, the spirit and purpose of this building, and reflects the land on which the campus operates and U of T’s ongoing response to the federal Truth and Reconciliation Commission.”

“We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation for bestowing the name of Maanjiwe nendamowinan on this beautiful building,” she said.

“This is a major step forward on reconciliation with the Mississaugas of the Credit and UTM,” said MCFN Councillor Veronica King-Jamieson. “Through naming a building in Anishinaabemowin – Maanjiwe nendamowinan or ‘the gathering place for good minds to come together’ – this is what education is about.”

“Our vision is to have an Indigenous hub at UTM that attracts Indigenous students as they seek higher education while enabling them to stay connected and grounded to their history and identity,” King-Jamieson said. “We are honoured that UTM created space for not only the Mississaugas of the Credit through this collaboration, but for all Indigenous Peoples.”

Maanjiwe nendamowinan is designed by Perkins+Will and built by Stuart Olson Inc. The six-storey, 210,000-square-foot building replaces the original North Building and completes the renaissance of the northern portion of campus. It features an airy, six-storey atrium and event space, 40,000 square feet of new classroom space with cutting-edge technology, active learning classrooms and more than 500 new study spaces. It houses the departments of English and drama, philosophy, historical studies, language studies, political science and sociology and the Robert Gillespie Academic Skills Centre. Sustainability features, such as rainwater recycling, energy-efficient mechanical systems and green roof space, resulted in a LEED Silver designation.

Believe in Star Wars you must? U of T researcher co-edits fan-focused book of essays by religion scholars

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 22 Feb 2019 20:42:17 +0000

Believe in Star Wars you must? U of T researcher co-edits fan-focused book of essays by religion scholars

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 02/22/2019 - 15:42

Cutline

The Myth Awakens: Canon, Conservatism, and Fan Reception of Star Wars features nine essays by religion scholars who explore the idea of myth in the 2016 film Star Wars: The Force Awakens (image via Lucasarts)

Topic

In a galaxy not so far away, religion scholars have taken a closer look at the story of Star Wars.

The Myth Awakens: Canon, Conservatism, and Fan Reception of Star Wars is a new collection of essays that examines the Star Wars film franchise through the lens of theology and myth.

“I’m interested in how things that we don’t think of as specifically religious are very like religions,” says Ken Derry, an associate professor, teaching stream in University of Toronto Mississauga’s department of historical studies who co-edited the book. “Some religious people pay very close attention to the word of God. You can draw a parallel with the scrutiny that some Star Wars fans apply to their reading of the films and other products.

“We’re looking at how people relate to both Star Wars and myth – what is it, how does Star Wars function as a myth for people, what does it do in people’s lives and how do people relate to it?”

Derry (left) worked with fellow editor and liberal arts professor John Lyden of Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa. The collection features nine essays by religion scholars who explore the idea of myth in the 2016 film Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

In their analyses, the authors reflect on fan responses to various elements of – and changes to – the Star Wars canon, including toys, video games, and novels, as well as several of the films through the critical lens of critical gender, race, psychology, politics, authority, music, ritual and memory.

Derry, who specializes in the history of religions, was co-chair of the American Academy of Religion’s religion, film and visual culture group and was planning for an upcoming conference when the first trailer for Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens was released in late 2015.

“The trailers were out and there was already backlash from fans,” Derry remembers. “People were upset about a Black stormtrooper and that it appeared a woman might be the hero of the story.”

Derry, who often uses film and popular culture as a jumping-off point to discuss religion in his lectures, soon realized the newest installment in the film series would make great fodder for further discussion.

He says that it’s important to take the study of popular culture and films like the Star Wars saga seriously because it offers an opportunity to discuss subjects that are sometimes ignored by theologians.

“What we study impacts how we think about it,” he says. “Stepping away from sacred texts permits more creative thinking, more inclusion of groups who are often sidelined, including women and children, and encourages a more lateral and playful approach.

“The essays also use Star Wars to address questions about the academic study of religion itself. There’s a real advantage in academia to the notion of play. We shouldn’t take ourselves too seriously.”