Alan Mays

Alan Mays club

Posted: 15 Dec 2017


Taken: 14 Dec 2017

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December 25


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A Happy Christmas?

A Happy Christmas?
John Grossman included this puzzling postcard in his book Christmas Curiosities: Odd, Dark, and Forgotten Christmas (Stewart, Tabori and Chang, 2008), p. 110. He suggests that the actions of this mean Santa Claus derive from earlier European traditions like the Krampus, a devilish figure who punished misbehaving children and sometimes carried them away in a bag or basket (see Grossman's book for illustrations).

By the early twentieth century when this German postcard was published, however, most American Santas were depicted as benevolent fellows who rewarded--not punished--children.

My copy of the card is unused with no address, message, or postmark on the back.

Smiley Derleth has particularly liked this photo


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