Zulily recently published an open letter to Mrs. Claus, thanking her for her years of service bringing Christmas magic. They are encouraging society to give more attention to the too often forgotten queen of the North Pole. As much as I’ve always loved the holidays, I’ve never really considered (before now) that Mrs. Claus has remained largely hidden, or at the edges, of Santa’s story, without a chance to tell her own.
What are her hopes? Her fears? Her first name?!
Zulily’s open letter tells Mrs. Claus, “We suspect that during the holiday season you don’t get many letters—at least, not nearly as many as Mr. Claus. And they’re certainly not “thank you” letters. Your absence from holiday stories and songs hasn’t gone unnoticed. You too deserve letters and lyrics and anthems celebrating your giving spirit.”
The letter continues, comparing the way in which Mrs. Claus works in the background with how modern-day moms spend the Christmas season taking care of the many tasks that need to be done, without much credit.
The myths, stories, and legends of Christmas are pressed into many children from a young age. What are we teaching our children with these icons we give them? I love the story of Rudolph, for example, the reindeer who was physically different and didn’t fit in with his peers, but strong and capable, coming to Santa’s rescue. But, where are the stories of the strong women of Christmas? Mrs. Claus might be our only hope.
While jolly Saint Nicholas was first seen in American popular culture towards the end of the 18th century, Mrs. Claus wasn’t introduced until 1849, through a Christmas story by James Reese called “A Christmas Legend.” In the tale, weary travelers who are thought to be Santa and Mrs. Claus and given shelter in the home of a family who has fallen on hard times. The next morning, amid many gifts for the family, the weary travelers are revealed as the family’s elder daughter and her husband, not Santa and Mrs. Claus. So, the first time Mrs. Claus is introduced, she isn’t even herself.
Mrs. Claus has her own identity, finally, in the 1970 film Santa Claus is Comin’ To Town. The future Mrs. Claus, Miss Jessica, not only has her own name, but an occupation outside of the North Pole as a school teacher. More than a century after Mrs. Claus first appearance in pop culture she finally had a life outside of Santa. Unfortunately, Miss Jessica’s version of Mrs. Claus did not persist, and society continued to see the figure as the nameless homemaker.
Mrs. Santa Claus got a second chance at a feminist ideology in a 1996 television musical – Mrs. Santa Claus. The wonderful Angela Lansbury played a Mrs. Santa Claus who was tired of living in her husband’s shadow. Mrs. Claus ended up leading a suffragist parade, seeking to win women the right to vote. She also took on child labor issues, fighting for children’s rights at a toy factory. Mrs. Claus did finally return to the North Pole and her husband, but not after showing Santa, herself, and the world what she was made of.
What’s next for Mrs. Claus? I imagine there will be another chance for her show her empowered side. I think a modern-day Mrs. Claus would be a businesswoman, rocking a red suit. I think Mrs. Claus would be out in the world with a zippy red car as her sleigh, granting wishes and giving gifts all year long, not just on Christmas. She finally gets credit, not just as a famous symbol of Christmas, but as a personal inspiration to so many whose lives she touches.
Read the full open letter by online retailer Zulily here:
