We’re continuing our theme week on 5 People Who Shaped Christmas. Today we’re talking about Thomas Nast, who is best known for his political cartoons, but is also responsible for giving us our modern image of Santa Claus! Nast worked for the magazine Harper’s Weekly, and among other things created the elephant as the political symbol for the Republican Party. But he was also one of the first artists to depict Santa as we know him today. Nast gave Santa his red suit and created the image of Santa with a big belly, as depicted in the poem “A Visit from Saint Nicholas”. It was also Nast’s idea for Santa to live at the North Pole, and he popularized the idea of Santa’s elves and hanging stockings. Learn more in the audio below!