Frazz by Jef Mallett for December 18, 2016

The curious thing about possessions is that the longer you wait to own them, the more you can own.

The younger generation is less interested in possessions??

What fake news site did that come from?

He has been reinvented many times, including in the USA over the years. The one most remember is by a corporation called Coca Cola in the 1930’s onward. See more at Snopes: http://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/santa/cocacola.asp

Also, Montgomery Ward’s catalog showroom chain marketing invented the Rudolph character.

@alien012Let us not forget that Thomas Nast also created the Democratic Donkey, the Republican Elephant and the Tammany Hall Tiger.

The webcomic “Something Positive” currently has the sarcastic main character creating a Christmas lawn display at the urging of his pushy neighbor. His display includes a child being shoved into a meat grinder, based on a legend about St. Nicholas bringing three children back from the dead after an evil butcher killed them to make sausage from their corpses.

less interested in possesions? try taking their phone away

Yes, speking about re-inventing the old fellow, he’s looking mighty white here, Mr. Mallett.

I have a set of “Santas” from all over the world. Some are dressed as “St. Nicholas” and some in the more modern “Santa” type costumes.

Yeah, the Bishop’s outfit became too exclusionary, at least in large parts of the world

My impression, based mainly on news articles bemoaning it, is that the possessions they aren’t interested in are a house in the suburbs, and two cars in the garage. Allegedly useful gadgets they can wear or carry are completely different.

@Alberta: Santa’s universal.

What happened to celebrating what’s his name’s birthday?It is Christmas that we are supposed to acknowledge and goodwill toward man(woman and child). It does not matter when he was born, but that once a year we are reminded to be charitable to all no matter who they are.

DocForbin

Nast was also responsible for Boss Tweed’s arrest – a Spanish customs agent recognized him from a Nast cartoon.

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“Deck the halls with advertising, Fa la la la la la la la laT’is the time for merchandising, Fa etc.”Stan Freberg, Green Christmas

People have been celebrating Hannukah, Yule, and Winter Solstice for centuries, if not millennia, before the (much disputed) date of Jesus’s birth.