Tag: overtaken

The iconic version of Santa Claus as a jolly man in red with a white beard and a sack of toys was immortalized in 1881, when political cartoonist Thomas Nast drew on Moore’s poem to create the image of Old Saint Nick we know today. St. Nicholas first entered American popular culture in the late… Continue reading Has The Christmas Shopping Season Overtaken Halloween?

By the Middle Ages, Europeans created some of the Christmas customs we recognize today. During the 17th and 18th centuries, people started to give gifts as symbolic of the Magi arriving in Bethlehem with offerings for the newborn baby Jesus. By the 19th century, fir wreaths laden with 24 candles representing the 24 days before… Continue reading Has The Christmas Shopping Season Overtaken Halloween?

There are even humorous cards and genres depicting nostalgic scenes of the past such as crinolined shoppers in idealized 19th-century streetscapes. Christmas cards are illustrated messages of greeting exchanged between friends and family members during the weeks preceding Christmas Day. The traditional greeting reads “wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year”, much… Continue reading Has The Christmas Shopping Season Overtaken Halloween?

In certain parts of the world, notably Sicily, living nativity scenes following the tradition of Saint Francis are a popular alternative to static crèches. The first commercially produced decorations appeared in Germany in the 1860s, inspired by paper chains made by children. In countries where a representation of the Nativity scene is very popular, people… Continue reading Has The Christmas Shopping Season Overtaken Halloween?