As the Christmas season begins to get into full swing, people we start shopping for Christmas presents, family will begin making plans to travel, and of course Santa! Tis the season when we will begin to see Santa Claus on our TV, on billboards, and most importantly in person. Shopping centers, town halls, and community centers nationwide will soon start having visits from Santa.
Have you ever wonder how St. Nick became so busy leading up to his big day? The use of Santa in stores has been attributed to James Edgar in 1890 in Massachusetts when hired an actor to play the role. Store employees acted as Elves to help him with the flood of children. Having your picture taken with Santa dates back to at least the 1910s.
Santa’s workshop, or some name to that effect, is a staple of the Christmas season in most communities. Pictures with Santa are as much a tradition for many families as Christmas cards. While the trend of an in-store Santa may have begun in 1890, a store Santa can expect to work ten hour days and see over 30,000 kids a season. In fact, schools across the country now train people to play Mr. Kringle. Since so many are running around, I guess they do know who has been naughty or nice.
If you want a chance to see Santa for yourself, then bring the family down to the museum this Saturday December 1st. We will have Santa in the Stans House, as well as marshmallow and weinie roasts in the Community Garden. It’s the annual Holiday Fest and we would love to have you come out and enjoy the day with all of us here at the museum.