Container

The celebration of Christmas in America is as much about creating a sense of nostalgic delight as it is the commemoration of a religious event. First established as a national holiday late in the 19th century, Christmas in America took on a sense of Old World tradition with the use of European ornaments and decorations. Candy containers - such as this St. Nicholas, made around 1900 in Germany - were especially popular. Dressed in a full-length velvet coat, the figure hides candy in an opening at the bottom of his hollow body. Candy containers were among the first Christmas decorations adopted in American homes. The hidden surprise contributed to a sense of playfulness and familial warmth, while the stern old figure of St. Nicholas - not the "jolly old elf" who later replaced him in America - lent the occasion an Old World charm.