From Frosty to the Grinch: Our Favorite Holiday Figures

Winter is here! Though you may be reading this after the holiday season, I would like to bring some of that cheer back into the dreary winter months by nominating our best holiday figure! To narrow down the selection, this article will be sticking to more of the classic, modern holiday figures and leaving out the less known, eerie figures like Krampus from Germany or Mari Lwyd from Wales. So without further ado, here is our best holiday figure!

To start off with a bang-Santa Claus. Everyone knows him as the big, jolly man in all red with a white beard. Santa is not only a strong contender because of his astonishing popularity, but also because of the grip this legend has had on people for centuries. To keep it short, the legend of Santa starts with St. Nicholas in the 4th century in Turkey who gave secret gifts to kids. Santa has been a huge deal for about 1,625 years and we still love and cherish this holiday figure! Moving on, let’s talk about Frosty the Snowman. Frosty was created in a song by Walter Rollins and Steve Nelson in 1950, but later gained more popularity through the animated short released in 1969. This song truly is a classic; I don’t think I’ve gone through a December without hearing it at least once! Our last contender is the Grinch. Created by Dr. Seuss in 1957, this story has had many adaptations. We’ve all heard the story: the green guy gets mad and steals presents from a village of all too cheery whos, but did you know the character was first created in a poem? The Grinch first appeared in a poem called “The Hooboub and the Grinch” created by Dr. Seuss, but then was re-released as a book in 1957.  

Though I went in wanting to crown an underdog as the best holiday figure, I cannot deny that there really is only one true answer. Santa Claus is the best holiday figure. I mean, from books to movies to songs to weird holiday decorations that you can’t get rid of because they’ve been in your family for way too long, this man really does slip his way into every crack of the holiday season. People really cannot get enough of Jolly Old Saint Nick!

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!