Santa is a Colourful chap, in all senses of that phrase. He’s a bit of a snappy dresser, not afraid to work vivid hues into his unique vintage look. He obviously values comfort and fashion – a cosy coat and hat are clearly essential workwear (it must be proper brass monkeys cold up in that sleigh!), but he has always liked to add a dash of trendy colour to his outfit too. His wardrobe may be almost entirely red these days, but that wasn’t always the case, as we shall see.

The red-coated Santa we all know and love came about in the latter half of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century, mostly in the United States to begin with, due to a number of factors. These included Thomas Nast’s widely-seen festive illustrations for periodicals like Harper’s Weekly, the continuing popularity of Clement Clarke Moore’s now-classic poem A Visit From St Nicholas (better known as The Night Before Christmas), and various seasonal advertising campaigns. Incidentally, the well-known Coca-Cola tale is a myth – they were neither the first nor the last to use a red clad Santa in their ads.

Prior to that…. well, take your pick. Santa was depicted wearing almost every shade, including red. Blue, green, purple – even black (Goth Santa perhaps?). It may be rather odd to our modern eyes to see Santa in a blue coat riding a motorbike (see below), but personally I think it rather suits him!

The result of all of this colourful chaos means that behind today’s window is a veritable rainbow of Santas. Sort of…

For more colourful Christmas things from over a decade of festive blogging, click here.