A recent viewing of Miracle on Thirty-Fourth Street made me consider the fate of Mrs. Claus (or Kringel), the often forgotten partner of Santa. Her history stretches back to the nineteenth century, but she is almost always left out of real life festivities. How many times have you seen her at the mall?
The Mrs. Claus above is an exception, appearing in a Christmas festival in Cheyenne Wyoming in the 1970s. She an exception in another way as well. When Mrs. Claus appears in advertising images, she is either fat and jolly or scantily clad and sexy. The woman above is neither. I can’t quite tell if she is old, but I like her outfit. The fur trim on her coat is a nod to traditional Santa elements, while her go-go boots place her firmly in her era. That must have been a fun parade!
