Feast of St. Nicholas and the Christmas Movie

Today is the feast day of St. Nicholas of Myra. St. Nicholas the gift giver. Patron saint of children. The Russian Orthodox patron saint of merchants. Whom the dutch call Sinterklaas. Reformation Protestants decided to muddle the waters further preferring the pius Christkindl (the Christ child or Kris Kringle).

Like Odin, St. Nicholas is pictured as a robed, long-bearded man who magically rides the sky with his hoofed beast(s). A powerful and very necessary myth to help make sense of who we are and what we believe is good and true. Sadly, this necessity is obfuscated in late-capitalism's pornographic obsession with the real. It is usually replaced by cynicism, irony, hyper-materialism and consumerism.

In an age of cinema, the desire to reclaim this mythic space has become a central theme for the "Christmas Movie". Over the course of Advent I will look at several Christmas films that I find particularly successful in briging us to the heart of the matter. But, for now, enjoy this treat.

The first known film about Santa Claus, I believe, is this very magical Méliès-like 1898 short by British film pioneer  G. A. Smith.:

Santa Claus (1898)

                         

Comments

[Tony]

So when did the shift happen from the imagery of St. Nicholas to Santa Claus?

The theme of his costume and his rituals appear to be pretty unchanged over the years...

Do you think it's true that early Coca Cola ads actually shifted our perception of him in American folk lore? They make this claim on their website. http://bit.ly/L6Fr

[TOJ]

What Coca Cola actually accomplishes, i dare say, is the comodification and branding of Santa Claus. The final secularization of St. Nicholas. Protestants thought this move would emphasize the spiritual significance of the birth of Christ (i.e. the Dutch give gifts on Dec 6 and attend church on Dec 25) but it has had the opposite effect in late-capitalism --it has gutted Christmastide of any spiritual significance.

By the 1920's, the birth of modern propaganda/advertising, the move in America is already drifting away from the more mythic Thomas Nast images in Harper's. The features are simplified and 'modernized' for easy consumption. This makes the Coca Cola Santa possible by 1931ish.

As you know, many people think they are making Christmas more Holy by keeping St. Nicholas out, but all they are accomplishing is a promotion of pornographic materialism. I say, if you want to resist the commodification of Christmas then re-enchant it with more myth --as the Victorians did. This is the genius of Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" ... but now I'm spoiling my list of films.

[TOJ]

And if I might be so bold, I'd dare say 'secularization' of Christmas and St. Nicholas (Coca Cola Santa) reveals that late-capitalism has its own metaphysics rather than being a rejection of metaphysics.