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Santa’s Grotto

Introduction
The Turkish St Nicholas had a reputation for secret gift-giving, such as putting coins in shoes left out for him. US Dutch immigrants called him Santa Claus - from Sinterklaas. In 1822 a US poem The Night Before Christmas gave an image of fur coat, red cheeks, white beard and reindeer that US cartoonist Thomas Nast drew in 1866. It became widely accepted. The piece has Grotto signs on both buttresses.

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 Torquay Gothic tower dated 1903. Issued in 2001 the Grotto theme is an ingenious use for it.

Hazle Ceramics
Santa’s Grotto &
Christmas Church
Limited Painting of 30
on Torquay

20th Anniversary
By Doreen Bright

UK/Europe £74.50
Rest of World £64.78

 His kindly look and her rapt gaze are what we may remember in this photo by Jacob Windham.

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 Dickens’ Ghost of Christmas Present, aka Santa, wore green in 1843. By 1891 this Victorian card shows a red coat and all the toys.

 HM Queen Victoria made the Christmas tree popular from Osborne House, 1848.

 St Nicholas saw some poor sisters’ stockings drying by the fire. He filled them with gold so they could marry ... and started this tradition!