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Tom A. Jerman
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Santa Claus Worldwide: A History of St. Nicholas and Other Holiday Gift-Bringers Paperback – May 11, 2020

by Tom A. Jerman (Author)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 40 ratings
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This is a comprehensive history of the world's midwinter gift-givers, showcasing the extreme diversity in their depictions as well as the many traits and functions these characters share. It tracks the evolution of these figures from the tribal priests who presided over winter solstice celebrations thousands of years before the birth of Christ, to Christian notables like St. Martin and St. Nicholas, to a variety of secular figures who emerged throughout Europe following the Protestant Reformation. Finally, it explains how the popularity of a poem about a "miniature sleigh" and "eight tiny reindeer" helped consolidate the diverse European gift-givers into an enduring tradition in which American children awake early on Christmas morning to see what Santa brought.

Although the names, appearance, attire and gift-giving practices of the world's winter solstice gift-givers differ greatly, they are all recognizable as Santa, the personification of the Christmas and Midwinter festivals. Despite efforts to eliminate him by groups as diverse as the Puritans of seventeenth century New England, the Communist Party of the twentieth century Soviet Union and the government of Nazi Germany, Santa has survived and prospered, becoming one of the best known and most beloved figures in the world.

Previous page
  1. Print length
    248 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    McFarland
  4. Publication date
    May 11, 2020
  5. Reading age
    18 years and up
  6. Dimensions
    7 x 0.5 x 10 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    1476680930
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1476680934
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Stimulating, thought-provoking, and informative…a comprehensive investigation into the complicated, complex, and vexing questions of Santa Claus’ origins…valuable”―Journal of American Folklore

“Comprehensive…fascinating, informative…exceptional…highly recommended”―Midwest Book Review

About the Author

Retired attorney Tom A. Jerman lives in Asheville, North Carolina.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ McFarland (May 11, 2020)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 248 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1476680930
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1476680934
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 18 years and up
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.9 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7 x 0.5 x 10 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 40 ratings

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Tom A. Jerman

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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
40 global ratings
This is a Great Book
5 Stars
This is a Great Book
McFarland Publishers turns out great books like this all the time.However, Amazon needs to check out their quality control. THIS is the condition my "brand new" $30 book was delivered in. I would rather the delivery take an extra day than have books arrive in this condition.
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Top reviews from the United States

L. M Young
5.0 out of 5 stars This is a Great Book
Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2024
Verified Purchase
McFarland Publishers turns out great books like this all the time.

However, Amazon needs to check out their quality control. THIS is the condition my "brand new" $30 book was delivered in. I would rather the delivery take an extra day than have books arrive in this condition.
Customer image
L. M Young
5.0 out of 5 stars This is a Great Book
Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2024
McFarland Publishers turns out great books like this all the time.

However, Amazon needs to check out their quality control. THIS is the condition my "brand new" $30 book was delivered in. I would rather the delivery take an extra day than have books arrive in this condition.
Images in this review
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Scott Norsworthy
5.0 out of 5 stars Fact-based and fun history of Santa
Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2020
Verified Purchase
Until now I've been especially interested in Clement C. Moore and his transcendent poem The Night Before Christmas. Tom Jerman puts Moore's classic in perspective with a broad and highly informative look at the international history of Santa Claus. For my own understanding of Moore's poem, the chapters on Washington Irving and "Old Santeclaus" as uniquely presented in the Children's Friend have been most helpful. And provocative, too, since Jerman does not merely paraphrase the work of others. Beyond that, this book is teaching me a lot about European and pre-Christian traditions and influences. Not to mention the best treatments ever of Bad Santas and Oddball Santas and all kinds of evil helpers. Overall I found SANTA CLAUS WORLDWIDE to be entertaining, persuasive, and in places hilarious! So refreshing to find solid evidence and arguments presented in non-academic language. All that and loaded with uncommonly good pictures, way more than usual. What's not to love?
Customer image
Scott Norsworthy
5.0 out of 5 stars Fact-based and fun history of Santa
Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2020
Until now I've been especially interested in Clement C. Moore and his transcendent poem The Night Before Christmas. Tom Jerman puts Moore's classic in perspective with a broad and highly informative look at the international history of Santa Claus. For my own understanding of Moore's poem, the chapters on Washington Irving and "Old Santeclaus" as uniquely presented in the Children's Friend have been most helpful. And provocative, too, since Jerman does not merely paraphrase the work of others. Beyond that, this book is teaching me a lot about European and pre-Christian traditions and influences. Not to mention the best treatments ever of Bad Santas and Oddball Santas and all kinds of evil helpers. Overall I found SANTA CLAUS WORLDWIDE to be entertaining, persuasive, and in places hilarious! So refreshing to find solid evidence and arguments presented in non-academic language. All that and loaded with uncommonly good pictures, way more than usual. What's not to love?
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4 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Thorough and interesting history of Santa Claus and more!
Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2023
This comprehensive history of Santa Claus and other gift givers is thoroughly researched and so interesting! I learned so much, not just about our modern version of Santa but all the various figures that contributed to the version we know today as well as ancient winter celebrations and more. Jerman's research is extensive and leaves no tradition, country or gift giver untold. If you want a deep dive into how our modern Santa Claus morphed into what we know today, you won't be disappointed! His history was so well-written and researched that I found myself scouring the chapter notes to find more sources so I can learn even more!
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Gerard F. Sherayko
5.0 out of 5 stars Must for all interested in Santa
Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2022
Verified Purchase
A deeply researched, thoroughly cited, nicely illustrated, and comprehensive study of Santa and other gift-bringers from around the world. An absolute must read for anyone interested in the history of Christmas. The extensive bibliography is a tremendous plus for those wanting an even deeper dive into this fascinating subject. A phenomenal piece of scholarship!
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umaara
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book on Santa
Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2021
Verified Purchase
This is a well researched and enjoyable book about my favorite childhood figure Santa Claus.Tom A Jerman sets the record straight about the history of Santa and why hes not some made up figure created by a few rich white men in New York as some would have you to believe.It may turn out that hes been with us for a long time for he is the personification of the spirit of the Christmas .As a life long fan of Santa and a professional Santa myself i really love and recommend this book.
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umaara
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book on Santa
Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2021
This is a well researched and enjoyable book about my favorite childhood figure Santa Claus.Tom A Jerman sets the record straight about the history of Santa and why hes not some made up figure created by a few rich white men in New York as some would have you to believe.It may turn out that hes been with us for a long time for he is the personification of the spirit of the Christmas .As a life long fan of Santa and a professional Santa myself i really love and recommend this book.
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One person found this helpful
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CV
5.0 out of 5 stars Might be definitive history of Santa Claus
Reviewed in the United States on December 25, 2020
Verified Purchase
This is for anyone interested in the history of Santa Claus as a constantly changing, adapting, and evolving cultural figure. The book is thorough and well-sourced with nice footnotes and bibliography. The paper copy is rather pricey, but the digital copy is well-worth the value. I did find several typos, but none of them were severe and didn't distract from my enjoyment or the value of the book.
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Linda Raedisch
4.0 out of 5 stars Don't let the page count fool you
Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2022
Even denser than Siefker's "Santa Claus, Last of the Wild Men," this will be a cover-to-cover read only for the most serious Clausologists. Even those who don't read it all the way through will find it an invaluable reference--I wish I'd had it when I was writing "The Old Magic of Christmas"! I'm taking one star off for the size of the book, which makes it look self-published when it's actually published by a small academic press. In a normal format, those 240 pages would probably be more like 400.
2 people found this helpful
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Patti
5.0 out of 5 stars Santa glass through the ages
Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2021
Verified Purchase
A fantastic historical study of evolution of Santa through different cultures over the years. It’s an interesting reflection of how different cultures developed similar characteristics of a mythical figure that has captured the imagination of people worldwide.
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