Whoever heard of a skinny Santa? At one time, Santa was described as slim and tall, believe it or not.
Today we are accustomed to thinking of Santa in terms of Clement Clarke Moore’s “plump and jolly old elf”, described in his poem “A visit from St Nicholas”, that we take it for granted that Santa has always looked that way.
But until Moore wrote his now famous poem, there were differing notions as to Santa’s appearance.
He was described as slim and tall in some accounts, short and fat in others,
No doubt many thought of him as being dignified, for he was known as St Nicholas at that time.
But then Moore wrote “A visit from St Nicholas”, which appeared in print for the first time in the Sentinel of Troy, New York, just before Christmas in 1832.
At that time it was published anonymously. By 1837, after having been printed every year in the Sentinel, it had been attributed to Moore.
The amusing and endearing description of Santa – “a little old driver, so lively and quick… his eyes how they twinkled! His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry” – captivated the imagination of readers and later, an engraving of Santa accompanied the poem to further establish him in the public’s mind as a fat and jolly type.
With the passage of time, Moore’s poem has become a traditional part of the Christmas scene. And every youngster, as the holiday season approaches, pictures Santa as “chubby and plump – a right jolly old elf”, calling out as he takes off in his sleigh, “Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”
