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About Herald and news. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1942-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 25, 1962)
J Herald It News Klauuth FalU Tum., Dec. 25. 1! Page t-B Santa Cfatts1 Mrst 'Press Ag cut ?iljrw;:a'::l;,.';".''.'".","y I 38 I .Why -so much Christmas tradition V3" comes to us from Washington Irving j 1'J$S (left, an imaginative historian. ! ' V. 77 Y - 1 Best Xmas Wishes From The Herald l 1 x-n a i r X f N. w Hoping Your Christmas Will Be The Jollies, Ever BUD CLOAKE and Crew CHEVRON STATION 1203 Main St. "VVITHOUT Irving there would " be no Santa Claus," a learned professor said. He meant Wsshington Irving, the creator in The Sketch Book of Rip Van Winkle, the Headless Horseman, and other legendary characters of the Catskill Mountains. The evidence Indicates Irving Indeed had much to do with San ta Claut' being a particularly New York contribution to Ameri can mythology. And, yes, to world mythology. One English historian wrote that "the conver sion of St. Nicholas Into Santa Claus seemed to have first oc curred, believe It or not,-in the United States." Another English historian noted that the amalga mation of the Identity of Father Christmas, "who has a respecta ble ancestry in the mummers' plays" with Santa Claus was "accomplished through the agency of Washington Irving and Clem ent Clarke Moore." Clearly, Irving prepared for 4 V 3 J' r rfli i ; 1 J'Ji 4aj )V If GoUan Verplanck, one Dutch scion who didn't Ret mad at living's "History," had this portrait of Irving's Santa Claus painted for him by R. W. Weir in 1837. Moore's verses, A Visit from St. Nicholas, to strlks a responsive chord &nd have the effect de scribed by the second of the Eng lish hlitorlani quoted above: "For most American children, and more recently for many English ones, that poem says all there Is to be said about Christmas, St Nicholas, or Sanla Claus." However, Irving said It first, in a work entitled History of New York, from the Beginning of the World to the End of the Dutch Dynasty, which he pub lished under the pseudonym 'Died rich Knickerbocker.' That is the book, Dr. Charles Williams Jones affirmed, which was "the source of all the legends about Saint Nicholas in New Amsterdam . . . Here are the descriptions of fes tivities on Saint Nicholas' Day in the colony. Here is the descrip tion of Santa Claus bringing gifts to children parking his horse and wagon on the roof while he slides down the chimney." -rO UNDERSTAND fully why 1 "Knickerbocker's" History of New York should have been so in fluential, it is necessary to know that Christmas observance in any manner had been opposed or dis couraged in New England since Pilgrim and Puritan timeB, be cause the festivities were regard ed as pagan or Roman. This feel ing also prevailed among the Scotch Presbyterians who settled in middle and Southern colonies, and natvirally had its reflection among the English In New York. The Dutch settlers of . New Amsterdam had brought over the custom of observing St. Nicholas' Day, December 6th, as a festive day. San Nicholaas (say It rap Idly and you have Sannaklass) "Sannaklaas" on Dec. 6, in old New Netherland, as depicted in a 19th century drawing by Oscar Pletsch, engraved by H. Gunter. Note the thin burgher in the blanket-like cloak carries a switch with which to give a swat or two to any child not deemed to have been good as he or she should have been. (K.F.S.) made rounds that date on his white horse Sleupner, to demand from children an accounting of thlr conduct. Those adjudged good and worthy were rewarded with gifts, those deemed other wise were switched. Irving made the departure from the Dutch placement of San Nicholaas on a white horse for the visitations to children. How could Santa carry enough In one bag for all the children? Irving gave Santa a horse and wagon. In New York in those days, wheels were replaced with sleigh runners for winter travel. Sleighs flew like the wind on frozen, icy ground. It was not too fantastic for Santa's sleigh to zoom up upon roof-tops where snow was banked high against the walls, or for Santa to descend via the warm chimneys to fireplaces where only embers glowed at night. Settlers to whom firewood was costly in labor or pennies, did not have roaring fires. And covert visits at night relieved the kindly Santa of the necessity of interviewing the children and switching them for katzenjam- mering of which they certainly had been guilty, as healthy chil dren. THE Knickerbocker History 1 came from Irving's pen after he had established himself in New York as a lawyer and anony mous essayist for local newspa pers and literary reviews. He amused himself and others with "Letters of Jonathan Oldstyle, Gent.," followed by "Salamagun di: The Whim-Whams and Opin ions of Launcelot Langstaff and Others." In these series, Irving satirized society, manners and lit erature in the booming city of New York. ' A volume entitled Picture of New York, or the Traveller's Ouide Through the Commercial Metropolis of the United States, was a new publication. In it young Dr. Samuel L. Mltchill gave a somewhat pedantic and effusive description of the city's founders and developers. Parody ing the Mltchill volume, In the guise of an equally stuffy Dutch man, Diedrtch Knickerbocker, Irving mock-seriously and with fictional digressions chronicled the annals of the New Amster dam colonists. But the heart of the book, in more than one sense, was the accounts of Jolly old customs of the Dutch, such ss observance of San Nicholaas' Day, New Year tippling merriment, bowling-on-the-green at taverns, kaetzen, "pulling the goose," skittles, and other frivolities somewhat out of character with the staid con duct of the Stuyvesants, Beeck mans, De Peysters, Roosevelts and other Dutch aristocracy of Irving's time. Irving's History naturally pro duced choler among the Dutch burgher descendants whose sense of humor was shorter than their pedigrees. Aside from its reception by humorless Dutch scions, the His tory, published in 1809 In two volumes, had an astonishing suc cess. It went through printing after printing and was translated into six languages (including Dutch), In addition to fostering 'Father Knickerbocker' as the personification of New York City, the volumes begot the nams 'knickerbocker1 for loose-fitting breeches, gathered in at the knee, worn by boys, cyclists, sports men, etc., and at one time by women as an undergarment. (George Cruikshank's illustra tions for the Irving japery de picted the Dutch burghers in such breeches.) T TNTIL the publication of the u Knickerbocker History, as Dr. Jones emphasizes, St. Nicholas had been as unwelcome at many homes . as a "parasitic germ." With the circulation of the vol umes, and respectability the book acquired through Its literary ac ceptance internationally as a comic master-work, San Nicho laas, Sannaklaas, Santa Claus, was looked upon in a less serious, more kindly light. The public was prepared for the verses X Visit Irom St. Nicholas and the stories of Charles Dickens to have their effect in amalgamating Santa Claus with Christmas and overcoming of Puritan and other prejudices against Chriatmia observances. Uo, ho, ho and a very happy ' holiday to one and all! We take pleasure In sending Santa your way with thanks lor your patronage and our warmest Christinas wishes. CLARA SHEARON, BETTY PUSSER MARYANN KEENEY and MARY MARTIN HOUSTON BEAUTY SALON To ail our friends and customers m the Klamath Basin ... here's wishing you m eras from oil the crew at JUCKELAND MOTORS 1 lth & Klamath Your International Dealer 7a Jt's in olJ-lthionei custom, 'tis true, Bui it's custom w still think is sublime, To sing out our good wishes to you For t simply perfect happy holiday timet ifp! THIS WEEK IS IXCHANG WEEK AT DREWS! Once in a while Santo goofs with some thing that's too big, too small or too many. No problem we're all set this week ta handle your exchanges cosily and willing ly. If it's the wrong size, style or color oi you prefer something entirely different, just bring it back. E VP REDEEM GIFT CERTIFICATES, TOO! Take advantage of this week to redeem your gift cer tificates. We've kept stocks at a peak so that you will have the finest selection available. If your gift certifi cate will not buy what you want, charge the difference on a convenient 30-day or revolving charge account. If you received cash for Christmas, better come in and get yourself the gift of your choice. i.ngs.in hiimiiuimi i s i TO ALL OUR OLD AND NEW CUSTOMERS CHRISTMAS GREETINGS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR DOROTHEA'S GIFT SHOP and BOOK EXCHANGE Al Our Ntw Loeotion 61 9 Klomoth Ave. Down Town ond Town & Country DUEWS ASffltore 733 Main 5tK and Main p
