Two stick figures drawn in black on a white diagram.
Over the one on the left is written "1st - 26th Dec." The figure is wearing a red Santa hat and has a big curvy smile. Underneath it says "Festive."
The figure on the right has "27th Dec - 31st Dec" written over the figure, which has only a straight line for a mouth, is hatless, and holding a wedge of yellow-ish cheese in its right, uh, "hand." Underneath it says "Confused. Full of cheese. Unsure of the day of the week."
This is a black-and-white advertisement with three panels. The far left panel has a gentleman in a white T-shirt with boxers writing a Christmas list wearing a Christmas hat. The center has a crew cut T-shirt with white briefs, a Santa hat and a Santa bag over his shoulder. The far right panel has a guy in a white T-shirt with striped boxers and he too is wearing a Christmas hat. He holds a Christmas beard in his hands as though he has taken it off.
his illustrated postcard shows Santa Claus standing on a snow-covered rooftop beside a red brick chimney. Santa is dressed in a red coat and hat with white trim and black boots. He leans forward and lowers a sack into the chimney using one hand. A large tan sack rests on the roof behind him. The roof is flat and covered with snow, with a bare tree visible at the left edge of the image.
Behind Santa, an early open-frame aeroplane is parked on the roof. The aircraft has a boxy wooden structure, exposed framework, spoked wheels, and a light-colored fabric wing above the body. Evergreen branches are tied to the aircraft, suggesting it is decorated for Christmas. The background shows a pale winter sky and a flat, snowy landscape.
Along the bottom of the postcard, printed text reads: “Christmas Greetings. If it doesn’t snow, there’s no need to complain, for Santa can come in his aeroplane.” The overall style is early 20th-century illustration, combining Christmas imagery with early aviation.
A cartoon illustration of Santa with a flamethrower standing at the doorway of the Toy Shop looking at an alien creature absorbing all the horrified elves and reindeer (ala The Thing.) Caption reads "The Thing in Santa's Toy Shop."
This illustrated postcard shows Santa Claus standing on snowy ground beside a wooden fence. Santa wears a red coat and hat with white trim and black boots. He holds a wrapped rectangular gift in his left arm and carries a bundle of evergreen branches over his right shoulder. His white beard is long and full.
Behind Santa, an early open-frame biplane rests on the snow. The aircraft has two fabric-covered wings supported by visible struts and wires. It sits on spoked wheels. The plane is loaded with wrapped gifts and evergreen branches placed along the fuselage and rear section. A pilot’s seat and mechanical components are visible, with no enclosed cockpit.
The landscape is wintery and flat, with snow-covered ground, small leafless shrubs, and a distant treeline. The sky shows a pale yellow and orange band near the horizon, suggesting sunrise or sunset. Icicle shapes form a decorative border around the image.
Printed text below the illustration reads: “Merry Christmas. Santa in his aeroplane has come to greet you on this joyous day.” The artwork reflects early 20th-century postcard illustration and combines Christmas imagery with early aviation.
Photo of Shogun Santa with Cinnamon Roll and Danish Pastry, Mastodon stuffed toys, outdoors by a giant decorated Christmas tree around Japanese-style buildings during a bright afternoon. From top to bottom, Shogun Santa's visible attire consists of: a golden kabuto helmet; rectangular glasses; a white, bushy, wig-and-beard combo; a red-and-gold happi coat; black mid-calf pants; white tabi socks; and wooden, black-fabric geta footwear. They are sitting on a beige upholstered bench with wooden legs outdoors in front of a towering, elaborately decorated Christmas tree. Shogun Santa is sitting with his legs parted and back straight, his arms held out at a 90-degree angle in front of him as he stares right at the camera. Cinnamon Roll sits in his right hand while Danish Pastry sits in his left hand. Between Shogun Santa and the Christmas tree behind him are giant, decorative presents, and further in the background are white, two-story buildings with Japanese-style windows and tiled roofs.
The cover features musician Marvin Gaye dressed in a Santa Claus outfit, including a red coat trimmed with white faux fur and a Santa hat. Gaye is shown smiling toward the camera, lifting one hand in a light, playful gesture. The headline reads “Stars Tell About Their Best Xmas,” highlighting the issue’s holiday theme and celebrity-focused content. The photograph is styled in JET’s typical mid-1970s portrait format, with simple studio lighting and a close-up composition centered on the featured personality.
This is the December 1974 issue of Playgirl magazine, presented as a special Christmas edition. The cover features a close-up of a smiling man dressed in a Santa-style red outfit with white trim, holding what appears to be part of a holiday prop or costume accessory. The background contains soft, festive colors that enhance the seasonal theme. The masthead is printed in bold green with pink shadowing, while cover lines promise a mix of holiday features, investigative articles, and lifestyle content, including pieces on photographing pain and pleasure, political commentary, and winter-themed pictorials. The layout uses saturated colors and strong typography consistent with 1970s magazine design.
Photo of a shopping mall, taken in the upper level of the nall. A "Santa's Sleigh" display is only partially hanging from the ceiling. All except one reindeer has fallen to the floor, far below. Meme caption reads, "All the reindeer USEU TO laugh and call him names."
This image is a scene from the television series 227, featuring the characters Mary Jenkins dressed in a Santa Claus costume and Sandra Clark dressed as a fashionable Mrs. Claus. The two characters are standing on a city sidewalk set, wearing bright red holiday outfits trimmed with white faux fur. Mary’s Santa look includes a long white beard, hat, and gloves, while Sandra’s Mrs. Claus ensemble has a stylish cape, matching hat, and a white shopping bag in hand. Their expressions reflect the playful, good-natured rivalry and comedic chemistry the two characters are known for throughout the series.
Any season can seem stressful -- I'm reminded of spring when we want to get the garden planted but are distracted by new goat kids and grass that grows faster than we can cut it.
Christmas time, as well, has a reputation for stress, but is that because we fill it too full of things to do, driven by advertisers and media?
It is a popular mathematical experiment to try and work out just how fast Santa has to be to reach every house with a child in a single 24 hour period.
The calculations always end up with a significant fraction of the speed of light.
There then usually follow discussions about what the collateral damage from Santa's passing would be. And cargo limits, and so on.
All of these are wrong, and ignore another end-of-year tradition. The portrayal of the ending year as an old man.
Now that I've put these two traditions side-by-side, I think you can see what is really going on.
It is possible for one man to visit every house in a night, with no shock waves or any of that silliness. But it comes at a cost.
For that man, the night lasts many years, as he travels back in time after each visit. Even with time travel, he does not get much time to eat - so the snacks you leave out are essential to him surviving the night.
But he only just survives. By the end of the night he will have aged over forty years. And then he hands the reigns of the time-travelling sleigh to a younger man, warning him of the cost.
Someone always answers the call, despite the cost, because there is always someone willing to sacrifice everything to bring joy and light, even just a little, even if only for a moment.
So leave the snacks, and, if you catch a glimpse of him, give him a bow of respect. He deserves it.
We have a wood stove in our home, and it provides the coziest, really warmest, heat on a cold winter night.
The tree is up -- has been for a couple weeks -- and we are fortunate to have young children regularly running and tromping through, and sometimes sitting in, our place.
A colorful hummingbird perches on a blue mug filled with hot cocoa and marshmallows. Snowflakes gently fall against a vibrant blue background. Art by Lisa S Baker.