Santa suit facts for kids
A Santa suit is the special outfit worn by people who pretend to be Santa Claus. The Santa suit we know today, with its bright red color and white fur trim, became popular thanks to an artist named Thomas Nast. He drew Santa for Harper's Weekly magazine. Many people think another artist, Haddon Sundblom, designed the suit for The Coca-Cola Company. While Sundblom's drawings made the red suit very famous, Nast actually drew it first. In some European countries, where Saint Nicholas is still popular, the outfit looks more like religious clothes, like a Bishop's mitre.
How the Santa Suit Began
The first time we saw a modern Santa Claus with the suit we recognize was in drawings by Thomas Nast. Nast's early pictures showed a small Santa who could fit down chimneys. Later, his drawings made Santa full-sized. Nast was also the first to draw Santa wearing a red suit. This included a fur-lined stocking cap and a wide belt with a big buckle.
Before Nast's work, Santa's clothes were often tan. Nast changed the color to red, though he also drew Santa in a green suit sometimes. Many people mistakenly believe Haddon Sundblom changed the suit to red. Sundblom drew Santa for Coca-Cola advertisements starting in 1931. Even though Sundblom's work made Santa very famous, the red suit was shown on Harper's Weekly covers much earlier. The Coca-Cola Company itself has said that Nast's earlier drawings inspired the red color. Before the Coca-Cola advertising, Santa looked different in many pictures. He was sometimes shown as a gnome. Sundblom's drawings helped make the red suit and the look Nast created the standard image of Santa.
Different Santa Suits Around the World
The type of suit Santa Claus wears can be different depending on the country. In the United States and the United Kingdom, Santa usually wears a red jacket and pants. These have white fur trim. He also wears a wide belt with a buckle, a matching hat, and black boots.
In some European countries, like the Netherlands or Austria, Saint Nicholas is still very popular. There, the outfit is closer to what a saint would wear. This includes a long robe and a Bishop's mitre (a special hat).
