History's Headlines: Lehigh Valley gets its first department store Santa

Original Airdate: 12/23/2013 | Some might say the Lehigh Valley pioneered the idea of Christmas in America. Into the 19th century, New England tended to regard the holiday as tied to both pagan feasts and Roman Catholic rites, and banned it entirely. It was celebrated in the South, mostly with English traditions that had survived the Atlantic crossing.
But starting with the founding of Bethlehem on a Christmas Day in the 1740s, the holiday easily found a home here. Non-Moravian Germans also revered the holiday as both a religious celebration and a break from the bleak winter. Along with church services and games, other secular pastimes were popular. And of course there was the Belznickel, the figure that brought gifts like an orange to good boys and girls and a swing from his switch to those who were bad.
Yet a question remains as to how Santa Claus (the modern version, that is) arrived in the Lehigh Valley. Well, no one can say for sure, but we do know that the first one to grace a local department store was in 1905.
The creation of the modern Santa Claus, of course, goes back to Thomas Nast, a German immigrant and cartoonist who created the "jolly old elf" in the 1863 Christmas issue of Harpers Magazine. It combined generous aspects of the original St. Nicholas figure, who had been the traditional gift-giver for centuries in Europe, with generous doses of the Dutch Kris Kringle.
Read Frank Whelan's full story at WFMZ.com:
www.wfmz.com/f...
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[@samanthab1923]

Love ❤️ all the old stories of Hess's those shots of Hamilton St. are great.

[@kimhenry2579]

I loved going to hess s with my nana and my son and daughter so many fund memories i miss Hess ita so sad its gone I remember Woolworth too and the othee department stores and wonderful memories i even meet Fabio at Hess s too and have photos i loved there strawberry pie no one can make it as good as hess.s

[@joynkindness]

Every culture has it's own version of a gift giver like Santa. M arr