It's December 6: the feast day of St. Nicholas! In the days when New York was "Nieuw Amsterdam", children would put their shoes outside on Saint Nicholas Day hoping to have them filled with treats.
I found no treats in my running shoes this morning, but I did enjoy a fun article about the changing popular image of St. Nick, a.k.a. Santa Claus, by Owen Edwards in the current issue of Smithsonian Magazine: "A Mischievous St. Nick from the American Art Museum".
The article centers on a 19th century American painting by Robert Walter Weir that's in the Smtihsonian American Art Museum in Washington. The subject of the painting is a very mischievous St. Nick indeed--or as Owen says, a Saint Nick who "resembles a classic trickster as much as a jolly gift-giver. He may be poised to fill stockings with toys and goodies—but he also looks as if he could be making off with the family silver."
I don't want to get in trouble by copying an image of the painting, so click here to have a look at this trickster! And why not read the full article by clicking here.
Weir's 1838 depiction of Santa was possibly inspired by his fellow Knickerbocker, Washington Irving (of Sleepy Hollow fame), who published a piece describing a St. Nicholas who, like a Dutch burgher, smoked a clay pipe and “laying his finger beside his nose,” used a flying wagon to deliver presents to children...via the chimney. Sound familiar? Irving published in 1809. Clement Moore published his tale in 1832!
Here at Galison Holiday, we celebrate Santa and Rudolph from the beloved 1964 stop animation television special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer . Here they are on our Rudolph and Santa holiday cards:
See a rare daylight spotting of Santa on our Mudpuppy Merry Christmas Book of Stickers, too.
A personal note to St. Nick: It's okay that my shoes were empty this morning, but I'm hoping for better luck under the tree!
~~Susan
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