Kris Kringle

 Kris Kringle~ aka Santa Claus, also known as St. Nick, and Father Christmas~ is known across the globe.

I set a table with my various Fitz & Floyd Santa pieces collected through the years. . .

 

  The western idea of Santa Claus is a combination of the European traditions of Kris Kringle, Father Christmas and the Christian Saint Nicholas.

 Kris Kringle is derived from the German “Christkindl” which translates to Christ Child in English. The German version of Kris Kringle portrayed a sprightly young boy that brought gifts to the children in the Germanic countries. Although Kris Kringle is used interchangeably with Santa Claus in the U.S., the traditional Kris Kringle is very different from the modern idea of Santa Claus.

 

 I’ve always loved Miracle on 34th Street by Valentine Davies~

I’m sure most everyone is familiar with the tale of the white-bearded gentleman who appears at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and fills in for an unfit Santa Claus—and as a result is asked to become the store’s resident Santa. This Kris Kringle believes he is Santa, as do children from all over the city, and reindeer at the zoo nearby. Since its first publication in 1947, this tale has been treasured by generations of believers, making this Academy Award-winning story part of holiday traditions all across America.

A Christmas classic, which debuted in 1947 in theatres, the same year as the book. Since that time there have been four remakes of the movie, as well as a Broadway musical. The most recent remake in 1994 had a more serious tone than the original 1947 version with a large portion rewritten, although the majority of the plot and characters remained intact. The film also added a subtext concerning religious faith.

Because of a film industry strike, there was a shortage of color films available from all the studios for screening that summer, so Twentieth Century-Fox decided to release Miracle on 34^th Street twice—once, in June, to select theaters to fill the gap in new movies; then in early fall nationwide. Archival letters detail how the book’s release date was pushed to tie in with that of the film. Within months of its release, the book was appearing on bestseller lists, with more than four hundred thousand copies in print. The film went on to win three Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor, for Edmund Gwenn’s portrayal of Kris Kringle; Best Screenplay and Best Original Story.

Postwar America was ready for some old-fashioned Christmas spirit, packaged in this modern tale.

The story has withstood the test of time. More than fifty years after the publication Macy’s still hosts its annual Thanksgiving Day Parade and the U.S. Postal Service continues to receive thousands of letters to Santa Claus each holiday season. In Kris Kringle’s words, “Underneath all the hurry and bustle people still believe in Santa Claus and all Christmas stands for.”

Do you believe in Santa Claus?

 I was told at a very early age, if you didn’t believe, Santa wouldn’t come. . .

 I’ve been a believer ever since :-)

 I filled hurricanes and glass jars with nuts, cranberries, lady apples, and small pine cones ~ to bring a little nature to the table. . .

 

The clip below is from the original 1947 film version that won Edmund Gwenn an Oscar for his portrayal of the jolly old elf Kringle and with then newcomer Natalie Wood playing Susan.

Wishing you something to believe in this Christmas Season~

Thank you for your visit, I’m joining:

•  Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursdays~

•  Jenny Matlock for Alphabe-Thursday~

•  Jain at Food for Thought, a delicious blog for readers with an appetite for the written word~

• The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays~

• No Minimalist Here Holiday Dining Party~

• A Stroll Thru Life for Table Top Tuesday~