THE DEPARTMENT STORE

Grace Brothers Department Store
became possibly the most famous store in the world for a while thanks to
the BBC-Television Series, Are You Being Served?

Are You being Served Theme Music

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OTHER DEPARTMENT STORES – 3

DETOUR TO MEET

SINTERKLAAS & FATHER CHRISTMAS

Father Christmas

When I was young, all large Department Stores expanded their Toy Department at Christmas time. Oftentimes at this time of year, a Grotto or some sort of Fairyland was constructed in the Department, which became populated with Elves and the like. The centre piece of these Wonderlands was, of course, Father Christmas. Being English, I prefer the term Father Christmas rather than Santa Claus, but I am not totally against it being used, as long as it is in the U.S.A.

Father Christmas & His Helpers (Elves)

I recommend that the reader takes a moment and reads the very interesting article found by clicking here.

Today, shoppers often see Father Christmas enthroned on a golden seat in an area adjacent to a Food Court in larger Shopping Malls. Naturally such an attraction brings hordes of people with their children to wait in a line for their turn to tell him what they want for Christmas and get their photographs taken with him. I am sure that after the audience, food and drink are bought and the shopkeepers are very happy with the increase in traffic brought in by the great man.

Father Christmas Seated on a Golden Throne in his Grotto

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Of course, not all children are happy when they meet Father Christmas for the first time. I must confess that when I first saw him, I was not especially pleased and hid! Seeing someone dressed in a bright red outfit and with a long white beard can be somewhat overwhelming at times, no?

Charlie meeting Father Christmas for the first time

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I lived in The Netherlands for a time, and while there, I discovered Sinterklaas (St. Nicholas; 270-343 A.D.). I enjoyed observing the festivities associated with the season and although I enjoyed it, it was not until I went to Bruxelles that the true meaning of Sinterklaas and his colleagues began to actually mean something to me.

Sinterklaas

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I remember going to Bruxelles sometime in the 1970s with my parents. It was early in December and the city was filled with coloured lights and decoration for Sinterklaas who is celebrated here, as in The Netherlands, each 5th December with the giving of gifts. the singing of songs and the eating of tasty morsels.

Christmas Market in the Grand Place before the Hotel de Ville/Stadhuis in Bruxelles

The city was very festive and the air was filled with wonder perfumes wafting from the delicacies being sold on the stalls in the street markets. We enjoyed sampling various wares as we made our way through the streets.

Christmas Baubles

After a while we decided to visit one of the large Department Stores in the City Centre. After wandering through various departments, we found ourselves in an open area where we discovered Sinterklaas sitting on a throne. He was waiting for parents to bring him their children to talk to and to have their photographs taken with him. It was evidently a quiet time, as there were no customers and Sinterklaas and his helpers, known as Zwarte Pieten*, were standing around and chatting amongst themselves.

Sinterklaas & Zwarte Pieten

Click here to watch
Sinterklaas and his helpers, Zwarte Pieten, arrive in The Netherlands (and elsewhere) from Spain by boat. He then rides through the streets on a white horse and is met by the dignitaries of the town. Later he delivers gifts to the children. Although the video is in Dutch, the ‘gist’ is easily understood.

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I have learned that there have demonstrations in The Netherlands against the representation of Zwarte Piet and some have called for change in his portrayal. The United Nations High Commission for Human Rights has written to the Dutch government expressing concerns over the tradition and accusing the authorities of failing to react to complaints of racial discrimination.

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SINTERKLAASLIEDJES – SAINT NICHOLAS CHILDREN SONGS

Zie Ginds Komt de Stoomboot

Hij Komt, Hij Komt

Sinterklaas Kapoentje

In the days leading up to 6^th December, St. Nicholas Day, children throughout Europe put their shoes or a special St. Nicholas boot in front of the fireplace or the front door at night to find them filled with small presents the next morning. A larger amount of gifts is usually brought on the eve of St. Nicholas Day, 5^th December.

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Suddenly an amusing idea came into my head! Why shouldn’t my mother visit Sinterklaus? As a child, my mother never once received a Christmas present nor had her birthday remembered with a cake or a card. She had never whispered to Father Christmas what she would like for Christmas and only knew disappointment each year of her childhood. So why shouldn’t she meet him now? I asked a Zwarte Piet if it would be agreeable for my mother to meet Sinterklaus and he said that it would be fine and that he and the Zwarte Pieten would be happy to greet her.

My mother had not enjoyed a real childhood. He father had been killed during the First World War, and when her mother remarried, she had to earn money to support the new family since her stepfather was far too busy drinking with his friends to go to work. She eventually left school at the age of eleven and scrubbed and cleaned, as she said, just about every house along Hackney Road. To prove this, my mother had no kneecaps. Kneeling for most of her childhood had worn away the cartilage, which should have ossified into bone and formed her kneecaps. Doctors were fascinated when they discovered this oddity upon examination!

And so, both my mother and father and me walked up the few steps before the throne to talk to Sinterklaus! It proved to be a jolly visit with lots of kisses being shared between my mother and Sinterklaus and the Zwarte Pieten along with much laughter and, finally, the photograph. My father and I were treated to handshakes and shared the laughter. All in all, it was a great visit and one to remember. Dank U Wel Sinterklaus! Dank U Wel Zwarte Pieten ook! We were all sad when it was time to say Heel Erg Bedankt an Toch Ziens!

Sadly, I have searched and searched my house for THE photograph of my mother with Sinterklaus, but I have not been able to find it. My mother had kept the photograph until she came to live with me when I am sure that she gave it to me. It has to be here, somewhere in my house, but where? I shall continue to look for it!

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I remember the last Christmas season before my mother died: one Saturday afternoon, we went to University Mall, a shopping mall in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Father Christmas, or should I say, Santa Claus, was holding court in the centre, close to the Food Court. Once again, I thought it would be amusing for my mother to be photographed with The Jolly Gentleman. I was pleased to find that the assorted elves and Mr. Claus were in agreement and entered into the spirit of the visit. We all had a jolly time, I am glad to say.

Visiting Santa Claus at Christmas 1999

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FATHER CHRISTMAS DOWN UNDER

A few years ago, while visiting Australia, I was asked to play Father Christmas for a group of older citizens at a Retirement Centre. I think that I was offered the job thanks to the length and colour of my beard.

As is my way, I take everything seriously and went to a Shopping Mall in the centre of Sydney in order to do some research into how best to play my role. In the centre of the Mall, a rather fine Christmas Grotto had been constructed complete with a huge sleigh and lots of silvery blue objects. Seated in the sleigh was Father Christmas dressed in a very fine red outfit and long white beard, which hid his age. I

I stood and observed the man playing Father Christmas for a while, as I wanted to pick up some tips on how best to play him. Most of the children that entered the sleigh and sat beside him were happy to be there and told him, in loud voices, their hopes for a Merry Christmas. Only one child screamed, kicked and yelled and had to be removed. Father Christmas did not seem to be perturbed in the least at this rejection!

After a while, it was announced that Father Christmas had to visit his Workshop and would be back in a short while. He climbed down from the sleigh and made his way out of the centre court. As he was about to disappear, I pulled him to one side and told him that I would soon be joining the ranks of Santas and asked him for a few tips.

Santa was very kind and answered all my questions. He was very helpful and offered some sound advice on how best to imitate him! He told me that being Father Christmas was an easy job since everyone, no matter what their age, likes Santa and wants to believe that you really are the jolly gentleman! He said that the secret of being a good Santa was in the playing along with the audience and allowing them to believe! Finally, he said that it was important to smile a lot and say plenty of Ho Ho Ho’s and all would go well!

Santa the Teacher with his Pupil

I was greatly impressed with Santa’s wisdom! Ho, Ho, Ho!!!

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On the day of my performance, I dressed myself in the outfit given to me, picked up my sac, threw it over my shoulder and entered the dining room where I faced my audience consisting of about fifty elderly folks plus assorted family members and staff.

Everyone was smiling and eager to enjoy the show that I was expected to put on for their enjoyment. I took the advice of the friendly Santa and went around the room taking time to talk to each elderly folk and asking lots of questions in a loud voice so that the whole room might hear. I was greeted with smiles and laughter. I was certain to ask each person if he or she had been a good boy or girl during the year. Everyone played into my act and answered that they had! I next asked if they were sure! And resounding yeses were loudly given to me! Santa the Teacher had been right! Everyone did want to believe!

Once finished, I was hailed as a success, and received a round of applause as I left the room saying that I would be back next year! I think that I enjoyed the playing the role even more than the elders.

I have to confess that I did commit one faux-pas as I went around the room handing out presents to those that had been good throughout the year.

Santa with and without beard and shoes …….. and without padding!

During my tour around the room, I came across an especially grumpy elderly looking woman who was sitting with a very young boy. Try as I might, she was not going to smile at anything I said! Unfortunately, I made the mistake of assuming that this grumpy creature was the boy’s grandmother. She was not happy at my error and boomed at me that she was his mother! I smiled and said that I was sorry, but I fear that she remained displeased with me and sulked for the remainder of the festivities. To be honest, this old woman looked old enough to be my grandmother! Ho Ho Ho!!!

Coronation Street’s Ena Sharples, played by Violet Carson (1898-1983), was once considered the grumpiest of old women – such women were commonly referred to as a Battleaxe

For my portrayal of Father Christmas, I was awarded luncheon (alas, without alcohol), but unfortunately no Academy Award! In place of this oversight (!), I was given A Packet of Felt-Tip pens containing one red, one blue and one green – a present that was graciously accepted and greatly treasured!