What tartan does Santa Claus wear

[Livingston]

"The Night Before Christmas" was written by Clement C. Moore, was originally titled "A Visit from St. Nicholas". Moore based his story on the Dutch Tales found in Washington Irving's "Knickerbocker Tales" of New York. (Before it was New York, New Netherland was a Dutch colony) So, while the modern Santa doesn't have a lot in common with St. Nicholas/Sinter Klaus, you simply cannot dismiss the Dutch origins of the "jolly old elf", since most scholars credit Irving and the Dutch tales of Old New York with inspiring Moore.

The man who really gave us our modern image of Santa, btw, was the famous cartoonist, German immigrant Thomas Nast, so I would agree with your suggestion that one of the German tartans would also be appropriate, as well as the fact that, as you mentioned, many of our traditions are German in origin.

The Arctic tartan would also do, since Santa/St. Nicholas is reported to live above the Arctic Circle in Finnish Lapland:

http://www.santaclausvillage.info/eng/main.htm

Regards,

Todd

Todd, this is probably the only subject on which I disagree with you. Clement Moore actually stole that from Henry Livingston who had written it for his family years before. Currently there is a lot of research going on that will, eventually, prove that it was written by Henry Livingston and not Clement Moore. So, I would say that Santa wears the Livingston tartan.

[macwilkin]

Todd, this is probably the only subject on which I disagree with you. Clement Moore actually stole that from Henry Livingston who had written it for his family years before. Currently there is a lot of research going on that will, eventually, prove that it was written by Henry Livingston and not Clement Moore. So, I would say that Santa wears the Livingston tartan.

Fascinating! Many thanks for posting that. According to one of the web sites above, Henry Livingston Jr. was of Scots and Dutch heritage, so I still stand by my arguement that the Dutch tartan is an appropriate one, as well as the Livingston tartan:

http://www.iment.com/maida/familytre...abouthenry.htm

Great Stuff!

Todd

[Panache]

Fascinating! Many thanks for posting that. According to one of the web sites above, Henry Livingston Jr. was of Scots and Dutch heritage, so I still stand by my arguement that the Dutch tartan is an appropriate one, as well as the Livingston tartan:

http://www.iment.com/maida/familytre...abouthenry.htm

Great Stuff!

Todd

This is how you can tell that Todd is a true scholar. When you disagree with him and can provide some actual information / research he is interested instead of annoyed.

Hmmm, I wonder what kind of sporran Santa wears?

Cheers

Jamie

[Livingston]

Hmmm, I wonder what kind of sporran Santa wears?

Cheers

Jamie

Must be one of the clan crest sporrans with the Livingston crest.