Have you ever wondered why the Santa Claus we know wears a red suit?

The American version of our modern day picture of the jolly old elf started taking shape in 1863. Harper's Weekly hired a young man by the name of Thomas Nast to illustrate pictures of Santa. His task was to feature Santa bringing gifts to Union troops during the Civil War.

Nast used the description of Santa from Clement Moore's poem, "Twas the Night before Christmas" and get this, Uncle Sam, to form his image of Kris Kringle. His suit featured our flags stars and stripes.

The picture was so popular that it was used for 40 years, with the only alterations being the removal of the stars and stripes over time. The suit always ranged in colors from black to blue, yellow and even green.

In 1931 Santa got his next upgrade and became the Santa we still know and love today. Coca-Cola hired Hadden Sundblom to design a Santa for an add to help boost their winter sales, because at the time Coke was regarded more as a summer drink.

With the Harper's Weekly image in mind and his fortune of finding a real live model to use in a retired Coca-Cola employee, named Lou Prentice, Sundblom created a fat and cheery Santa. He used Coca-Cola's signature red for the suit that has forever shaped the way we envision our beloved Santa Claus.......and that's how Santa got his suit!

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