A day-by-day look at N.B.'s holiday history: Dec. 8

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It took from 1821 until 1931 for a definitive image of Santa to be established. He was a miniature old elf at first, and finally 110 years later, the rotund and red-suited Coca Cola drinker. In the interim, local, provincial and national known artists did varied images. Some were quite scary, such as this 1902 image that appeared in the Saint John Daily Sun, with Santa well provisioned with switches. At the time they were in keeping with the discipline of the era, and including them indicated they would be applied to naughty children.