Top 10 Characters of Christmas: 10-6
Santa Claus, the elves, Rudolph, the Grinch, Cindy Lou Who, Frosty, Krampus, George Baily, Ebenezer Scrooge...the list goes on and on and on. Christmas has some of the most familiar and beloved characters around the world. Stories are nostalgic and warm when it comes to the holidays and people watch the same movies and read the same books year after year. Depending on your generation or your family traditions, you might have some characters that say "Christmas" more than others, but the likelihood that you recognize many of the others is quite high.
If you celebrate Christmas in the United States, you probably know who Santa Claus is. You probably know about Rudolph and his shiny nose. You also probably know that Santa has a wife (Mrs. Claus) and that the elves are his workshop helpers. Also, you are likely aware that Rudolph is the 9th of the 8 tiny reindeer. The number of Christmas characters is far too large to speak of them all, so I have limited myself to 10--of course with a brief description as to why I ranked them thus.
For ease, I have chosen secular characters only and, of course, this is solely my opinion. Well, and that of my husband because I needed help. Needless to say, there were disagreements. We compromised and finally came up with the below list:
#10 - Jack Frost
This was a highly debated topic, but I won out. I am writing the blog, after all, so I kind of have final say. Jack Frost is one of my favorite Christmas characters because he is so versatile. I have seen him as a fiesty teenager and a grumpy old man. The stop-motion movies have him as a younger man with an almost elf-like appearance. His origins are most likely in Norse and Viking mythology where two frost giants were combined into one character. His development over time has shrunk him considerably and he has become almost the Christmas bad boy--not necessarily a villain, though he is often depicted as such--but more along the lines of the Danny from "Grease" if Christmas was a musical that took place in the 1950s. Cultures the world wide have some form of a Jack Frost and, it is for this reason, that I believe he deserves a spot in the Top 10.
#9 - Jack Skellington
And this is where I lost. While I do find Jack Skellington to be an iconic Christmas character, I do not think he is necessarily Top 10 material. My husband staunchly disagreed and so he is here at #9. He is a relatively new addition to the Christmas cannon, being introduced to his fans in 1993 in Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas." He has, however, captured the hearts of millions and is a holiday-spanning character with tons to offer. When do you watch the movie? Halloween or Christmas? At our house, it is resoundingly both. I did not grow up with this character, but my husband did as did so many of our friends. Now, our friends' children know that Jack Skellington is just another part of Christmas and I believe he is a permanant fixture of the holiday.
#8 - The Coca-Cola Polar Bear
Another 1993 staple, the Coca-Cola Polar Bear was technically first introduced in 1922 in a French ad. His big return 71 years later has seen this furry bundle of cuteness as a representation of both the Coca-Cola brand and Christmas in general. When the television ads for the best Black Friday deals start airing, you know that the Polar Bear is right around the corner. And, seeing as Coca-Cola is an internationally recognized brand, it is easy to say that this character is pretty well known. While the Polar Bear is mostly used by Coca-Cola during the holiday season, he is their mascot year-round. Not the most traditional Christmas character, it is true, but an iconic character undoubtedly associated with the holiday.
#7 - Mrs. Claus
Can there really be a Top 10 Christmas list without Mrs. Claus? She makes sure Santa is ready for his Christmas Eve journey, she keeps the elves happy and fed, she makes the world's best Christmas cookies and hot chocolate, not to mention that she has put up with the strange work schedule of her husband for...a really long time. She is the mover and shaker behind the Christmas scenes and deserves her own recognition. She has been represented numerous ways throughout her career and has shown up with her husband at so many shopping malls and town squares over the years, that she has probably met all the children in the world by now. No, indeed, you cannot exclude her from the Top 10, it simply cannot be done.
#6 - The Nutcracker
The Nutcracker was associated with Christmas before he was the title character of Tchaikovsky's 1892 ballet. In fact, the ballet was based of Alexandre Dumas' (author of The Three Musketeers, The Count of Monte Cristo, and many more) adaptation of a Prussian novella called "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" which was written in 1816 by E.T.A. Hoffman. The wooden soldier version of the Nutcracker is an 1800s invention out of modern day Germany. It didn't take long for the design to take off and within the century, it was iconic around Europe and America. Nuts had long been a part of Christmas festivities and traditions, so to have a nutcracker around only made sense. Why not make them an attractive item that could also be used for decor? When Tchaikovsky's nutcracker came to life on the Russian stage, he had been a part of Christmas celebrations for quite some time. Going and seeing the ballet is a Christmas tradition for thousands. The Nutcracker is performed every Christmas season by countless ballet companies across the globe and is considered one of the most performed ballets of all time.
Numbers 5-1 will be coming next week, so be sure and check back and see what the definitive list is, as my husband and I are obviously the Christmas character authority...and without seeing the whole list, how could you tell us how we did? What do you think so far?
The holidays can be hard. If you or someone you know is struggling this holiday season, or any time throughout the year, please reach out to one of the resources in the link below. The world is a better place with you in it.
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