Santa Claus toy

This toy is an example of one of the ways Santa Claus or Father Christmas was portrayed in the early 20th century. It was a gift for Margaret Pike in 1912 when she was about 5 years old. He came with sweets – a Christmas treat.

Santa Claus, Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas or just simply Santa is a figure with mythical, historical and folklore origins. He brought gifts to ‘good’ children on the night before Christmas, December 24.

The modern figure of Santa Claus was derived from the Dutch figure, Sinterklaas or Saint Nicholas. He was a wealthy Christian bishop who liked to travel the country helping people and giving out money and gifts.

Santa Claus is now generally depicted as a portly, joyous, white-bearded man wearing a red coat with white collar and cuffs, white-cuffed red trousers, and black leather belt and boots. This image of Santa was fashionable in the 19th century when a poem by Clement Clarke Moore called 'A Visit From St. Nicolas' became popular in 1823.