Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way… As the familiar song rings throughout every public space once again, it's obvious that Christmas is coming. Can you still remember what gift you wanted most from Santa Claus when you were a kid? The man who brings happiness and warmth is often depicted in a red suit with fluffy, white beard and a big bag full of presents. However, the jolly old fellow hasn't always appeared the way we envision him today.
叮叮当，叮叮当，铃儿响叮当……当这首熟悉的歌曲再次响彻每一个公共区域时，我们都知道圣诞节就要来啦！你还记得小时候最希望圣诞老人送给你什么礼物吗？人们通常这样描述这位带来幸福和温暖的老人：穿着红色套装、有着白花花的大胡子、背着一大袋礼物。但是，这位欢乐的老家伙却并不总是以我们想象中的这种形象出现。
It is said that Santa's clothes were initially green in the early 17th century, as the colour was thought to have the power to defeat the cold. Setting the stage for the modern-day depiction, in the 1860s, cartoonist Thomas Nast drew Santa Claus for Harper's Weekly, the famed American political magazine based in New York City, as part of a larger illustration whose title was "A Christmas Furlough".
据说在17世纪初期，圣诞老人的衣服是绿色的，因为人们认为绿色可抵御寒冷。到了19世纪60年代，漫画家托马斯·纳斯特为纽约市一家声名远播的美国政治杂志《哈珀周刊》绘画圣诞老人的形象，以作为"圣诞节休假"插画的一小部分，这为现代人眼中的圣诞老人形象奠定了基础。
In his work, Santa Claus was drawn complete with reindeer and a sleigh. However, for a long time, the well-known red suit was not the default version. In the 1864 edition of American writer Clement Clarke Moore's poem "A Visit from St Nicholas" (also known as "'Twas the Night Before Christmas"), Santa Claus was depicted in yellow.
他的作品描画了圣诞老人，以及驯鹿和雪橇。但是，长时间以来，我们所熟知的红色套装并非其初始造型。在美国作家克莱门特·克拉克·摩尔的诗歌《圣尼古拉来访》（1864年版）中，圣诞老人的着装可是黄色的。
The most significant turning point came in the 1920s, when the Coca-Cola Company began its Christmas advertising. It is said that Santa's red coat appeared because of the predominant colour of Coca-Cola's logo; however, the red clothes had already existed long before illustrator Haddon Sundblom painted him for the campaign.
20世纪20年代迎来了最重要的转折点，当时可口可乐公司开始做起圣诞节专题广告。据说，由于可口可乐的标志主要是由红色构成，因此才有了穿红色衣服的圣诞老人。然而，在插画家哈登·宋布伦（Haddon Sundblom）为广告设计出这一形象之前，红色衣服早已现世。
Due to the magical powers of advertising, the famous slogan "The Pause That Refreshes" impressed people, together with the kindly, grandfatherly man with round, rosy cheeks and a scarlet outfit. Some of Sundblom's works depicting Santa Claus have also become valuable art pieces that have been exhibited in famous museums, such as the Louvre and the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. Coca-Cola solidified the image in our minds - and the marketing machine is largely responsible for our association with Santa in his big red suit.
由于广告宣传的魔力，那句最著名的广告语"振作起来"（The Pause That Refreshes）令人们印象深刻。与此同时，和善如祖父般的、有着圆润红透脸颊、穿着猩红色外套的老人也给人们留下了难忘的印象。宋布伦描绘圣诞老人的某些作品现已成为著名博物馆（比如卢浮宫和芝加哥科学与工业博物馆）展出的珍贵艺术品。可口可乐进一步巩固了圣诞老人在人们心中的形象--我们认为圣诞老人穿的是红衣服，这主要归因于营销机制。
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