Santa Claus is a figure of western folklore and pop-culture affiliated with the celebration of Christmas.
History[]
Background[]
Santa Claus is a combination of various figures from European folklore, quantified in what is now the United States of America by various cultures of European colonist around the 18th-19th centuries. Amongst the figures he is based on are the norse god Odin, the Nisse and Tomte household spirits of Scandinavian folklore and the Christkindl (German: Christ-Child) of German tradition (the latter of whom is the origin of Santa's namesake Kris Kringle). Santa is also frequently identified with the identify of St. Nick, a reference to the historic Saint Nicholas of Myra (270- 343), better known as Nicholas the Wonderworker who was said to perform miracles while being patron-saint of sailors, prostitutes, merchants, archers, repentant thieves, brewers, pawnbrokers, the unmarried, students, and children. In 1931, the soda company Coca-Cola created the recognizable depiction of Santa as part of a promotional campaign for their products, basing his red and white outfit on their logo's colour-scheme.
The standard Santa Claus mythology is that he is an old magical man who lived on a fictitious arctic land-mass in the North Pole. He has a work-shop where he has elves craft toys for human children that he delivers every Christmas Eve night to all the good children of the world while the bad children receive coal. He delivers these presents via a magical sleight pulled by eight flying reindeer named Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner/Donder, and Blitzen (though sometimes a ninth, red-nosed reindeer named Rudolph is inserted). He enters houses via slipping down and up the chimneys and leaving presents underneath of indoor pine-trees and within the socks of children hung over the fireplace.
Biography[]
Jungle Cruise Appearances[]
Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye[]
In a message to Sallah, Indiana Jones compares the popularity of tourism in the Temple of the Forbidden Eye to that of Santa Claus.
Jingle Cruise[]
There are assorted references to Santa throughout this attraction. The boathouse has a faux-fireplace used by skippers to ask Santa to stop there. Letters to Santa from JNC staff can also be found in the queue along with presents & tags from Santa, and a portrait of Santa outside of Alberta Falls' office.[1] At the end of the attraction, Chief Nah-mee appeared dressed as, "Trader Sam-Ta" (a portmanteau of the name of his more famous cousin, Trader Sam), offering shrunken-heads as Christmas gifts.
Nigel Greenwater makes reference to receiving a special transmission from the North Pole listing the Mistletoe Millie, Sleighride Sadie and Icicle Irma as being on Santa's list. Nigel also makes the jokes, "Why is Santa a great skipper? Because his jokes always sleigh!" and, " Did you know Santa tried using elephants before he settled on reindeer? The complaints about roof damage were overwhelming, but boy, you should’ve seen the trunk space!".
There are assorted references to Santa on the attraction. The baboons are shown having ripped up a Santa outfit.[2] In the African veldt, the Lion Pride has decorative figures of Santa and his reindeer which they've mauled. Later in the Umbala territory, one of the drummers wears an ugly-sweater with Santa on it. There is also a figure of Santa's head hung on the elusive O.I. Cyhu's shack. The wrecked Kwango Kate also appears with a burlap sign renaming it to the, "Kwango Kringle". Chief Nah-mee's Santa Claus outfit makes an appearance within Trader Sam's Gift Shop!.
Liki Tikis[]
In Tokyo Disneyland, the Liki Tikis will be given Santa hats and shown alongside Stitch from Lilo & Stitch (2002), dressed as Santa.
Skipper Canteen[]
In the library of the Skipper Canteen is a book titled, "Sandy Claws; Indonesian Beach Tigers" by K.P. Rafferry. This might reference how the Sandy Claws pun was used in Disneyland's Jingle Cruise and the author references imagineer Kevin Rafferty and might reference Rafferty's project of Disney's Blizzard Beach, a tropical-beach/winter themed water-park that features Santa as a character. The posting in the mess hall for the Jingle Cruise imitates Santa with the line, "Ho ho ho".[3]
Trader Sam's[]
During the holiday seasons, artwork and decor of Santa is hung throughout Trader Sam's bar. Sam also takes on a Santa-like role, even keeping a naughty & nice list and sack of gifts. There are also stockings for various characters to recieve gifts in including: Sallah Mohammed Faisel el-Kahir, Samantha Sterling, Colonel Critclow Sunchbench, Otis T. Wren, Slappy, Graves and Shrunken Ned.
Other connections[]
Disney's Typhoon Lagoon[]
The Winter Summerland mini-golf course in Disney's Blizzard Beach revolves around a part of the titular Blizzard Beach resort used as a vacation-home for Santa and his elves. In it, Santa left the message, "Going snorkeling at Shark Reef. Be back soon…I hope. “Santa Jaws”". Shark Reef is a location in Typhoon Lagoon.
Haunted Mansion[]
Santa is frequently referenced in Haunted Mansion Holiday as, "Sandy Claws". The attraction acts as a continuation of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), a film where the ruler of Halloween Jack Skellington tried to take over Christmas. In this attraction, Jack Skellington resumes the Sandy Claws moniker to bring Christmas to the Haunted Mansion. The most direct reference to Santa in this attraction is a portrait within the manor of Santa on his sleigh only for it to change and show Jack instead.
Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar[]
Various of Jock Lindsey's holiday drinks allude to Santa.[4]
Other appearances[]
While it is ambiguous if Santa Claus is an in-universe character in the Jungle Cruise mythos, many other Disney Parks properties feature him as a canonical entity.
Country Bear Christmas Special[]
There are several allusions to Santa Claus throughout this overlay with songs being sung such as, "Rock and Roll Santa" and, "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" by the titular Country Bears.
It's a Small World Holiday[]
Santa's silhouette appears in a Mary Blair inspired North Pole section of this attraction's overlay.
Winter Summerland[]
This mini-golf course in Disney's Blizzard Beach revolves around a part of the titular Blizzard Beach resort used as a vacation-home for Santa and his elves.
Trivia[]
- In Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), the role of Santa Claus was assumed by the Halloween ruler Jack Skellington who gave one child a shrunken-head, a gag reminiscent of the racist, "Trader Sam-ta" from the Jingle Cruise.
Gallery[]
External links[]
- Santa Claus on wikipedia.
References[]
- ↑ http://www.mainstgazette.com/2015/12/happy-gnu-year.html
- ↑ https://www.themouseforless.com/blog_world/disneylands-holiday-jingle-cruise/
- ↑ https://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g34515-d9718609-i190445320-Jungle_Navigation_Co_Ltd_Skipper_Canteen-Orlando_Florida.html
- ↑ https://www.laughingplace.com/w/news/2022/11/23/photos-jock-lindseys-holiday-bar-returns-to-disney-springs/