• Visit Date: December 16 2024
• Post Office: A Pop-Up Post Office in Noblessner, Tallinn
• Postage Cost: free (prepaid by Coca Cola)
• Postcard availability: Two options
• Delivery Speed: Less then 24 hours to Pärnu (Fourth largest city in Estonia)

The Coca-Cola Santa: A History of Christmas Imagery

Before the arrival of Christianity, Estonia celebrated the winter solstice, a time associated with the rebirth of the sun and the triumph of light over darkness. It was a period when nature rested, and people marked the beginning of a new cycle. December 25th is the first day that is longer than the one before it. With the spread of Christianity, Christmas gradually replaced the old solstice celebrations. However, the figure of Santa Claus wasn’t initially very popular in Estonia. His prominence in the early 20th century was influenced by the legacy of St. Nicholas and German and Russian Christmas traditions, namely the Weihnachtsmann and Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost). These figures, all related in some way to St. Nicholas, had long been associated with gift-giving in their respective cultures. However those figures‘ images were quite different from the way Santa is portrayed today. Sometimes he was depicted as stout, other times as thin, and his coat was commonly white, green, blue, or brown.

In 1931, Coca-Cola commissioned illustrator Haddon Sundblom to create an image of Santa Claus for their advertisements. Sundblom created a Santa who was cheerful, plump, dressed in red with a white fur-trimmed hat and coat. He had a warm smile and an overall friendly demeanor. This image of Santa Claus rapidly gained popularity and has practically become the modern standard. Coca-Cola used Sundblom’s Santa in its advertisements over the following decades, firmly embedding this image in people’s memories and perceptions.

Sources: European folklore Wiki, Haddon Sundblom and Coca Cola, Coca Cola Ad 2024

A Night at the Pop-Up Post Office: Sending Christmas Cheer

But coming to the present day – for most Estonians, Santa Claus (Jõuluvana) now lives in Rovaniemi, Finland, and wears a red coat and a white beard, just like the image created by Haddon Sundblom in 1931. Just two days ago, Coca-Cola brought its iconic Christmas truck to Estonia, promising to send out holiday greetings on their own special Christmas postcards.

For me, Christmas remains a celebration of light overcoming darkness, a time for family gatherings, and a moment for reflection. I don’t particularly connect it with Coca-Cola during this time, but if I were to draw Santa Claus, he’d definitely have a red coat. However, when I heard that for one unique evening, a pop-up post office was opening its doors for four hours in a district of Tallinn (Noblessner), complete with Estonian-designed postcards, I knew I had to go.

The weather was rather unpleasant, not at all like the beautiful scenes from Coca-Cola’s AI-generated, viral advertising videos this year. It was windy, wet, and icy. We didn’t linger too long admiring the Coca-Cola truck, but instead headed into the PROTO Invention Factory’s foyer, which was hosting the one-night-only post office.

Visitors could select from two different postcards, designed in partnership with Coca-Cola and young Estonian artists, Mette-Marta Jürisson and Karmen Kallas. I absolutely adored the design of the postcards.

Several large tables filled the space, already bustling with postcard enthusiasts of all ages. Each table featured examples illustrating how to properly address a postcard and where to place the message. Helpers in festive red Christmas outfits directed me to one of the tables, where a sample postcard was displayed.

These helpers were bustling around, offering assistance, handing out pens, and giving advice. It was clear that for many, this was their first time sending a postcard. And when the writing was finished, another helper was waiting at the Omniva (Estonian postal service) mailbox, ready to assist with sticking on the correct stamp – either 1.30 EUR for domestic mail or 2.60 EUR for international. We placed our filled-out postcards in the mailbox and wished them a good journey.

The very next day, a friend in Pärnu told me that the postcard I have sent in the late evening had already arrived. The speed of that delivery was surprising, even for domestic mail in Estonia—a small Christmas miracle, perhaps.

For now, Merry Christmas! See you in the next post!

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