“He gave us santa claus”

“advent calendar door 13: Claes Wahlin on tomtefars father – cartoonist Thomas Nast”

“This is a kulturartikel which is a part of Aftonbladet’s opinionsjournalistik.”

“the GAP 13. This year’s elf named Thomas Nast died in 1902. He was an american cartoonist who gave us the modern, iconic image of santa claus: the stout with the white beard and the clay pipe. “

“The last part has been well, unfortunately, disappeared at the later time. This figure appeared for the first time in Harper’s Weekly in 1862 with the text ”Merry Christmas to all”.”

“nTomtens pedigree goes back to Saint Nicholas from the 300-century and during the reformation, so, yes, reformed in he to the protestant symbol and the saint. In Germany, provided he, Jesus (Christkindl – the christ child) and was called Kris Kringle. The religious symbolism’, and it is this secular santa claus that immigrants to New York. He gets a literary life of Washington Irving, it is Irving’s santa claus that Nast turns to the image.”

“The thin, älvliknande the figure changes shape and presented in 1862, during the civil war. He became a symbol of the north, a unification, generous, and benevolent savior of the world. With time, he becomes the one that gives the fine, american goods to americans, a materialismens secular angel.”

“nThomas Nast also gave the Democrats their donkey and the Republicans their elephant. And the iconic image of the corrupt politician with a shiny, west, as well as the Capitalists, rundmagad and cigar smoking. So was the Nasts the united states: a constant interplay of corruption and christmas presents.”