In 2004 Hallmark introduced collectors to Father Christmas, a handcrafted and fabric Santa series inspired by classic images. Learn about how Keepsake Artist Joanne Eschrich, with the help of her mother, creates this popular series.

Father Christmas
Old-World Figure Brings Joyful Messages

While Christians agree that the purpose of Christmas is celebrating the birth of Jesus, the holiday’s secular traditions are recognized in a variety of ways around the world. In many countries, St. Nicholas, Kris Kringle, or Father Christmas—not Santa Claus—represents the season’s spirit of goodwill.

Keepsake artist Joanne Eschrich’s parents were born in the Azores Islands of Portugal. As Joanne grew up, expensive gifts weren’t the focus of her family’s holiday.

“Christmas was all about the nativity for us,” she says. “And beyond that, it was about the meaning of generosity and peace. We were told about St. Nicholas, who lived a long time ago and helped poor children.”

When asked to design an ornament series to honor that uplifting spirit of Christmas, Joanne turned to old-world traditions to create Father Christmas, a series introduced in 2004 with an ornament entitled Peace.

Father Christmas
3rd in the series.

Each ornament in the series brings and inspiring message written on a scroll that Father Christmas carries in a bag, along with symbols reflecting the message. In selling her idea for the series to Keepsake management, Joanne researched and drew concepts for ten ornaments, each with its own message, icons, and color scheme. The Father Christmas of Peace is adorned in white with a dove, a heart, and a staff topped with a laurel wreath. For Harmony (2005), Father Christmas carries musical instruments, and in Wonder (2006) he holds gifts and a snowflake staff and wears a blue coat decorated with stars.

Joanne sculpts her characters individually in wax, giving each a unique sense of vitality and appearance of movement. All prototypes were painted and assembled by hand.

And here’s another family connection for Joanne—the bags holding her Father Christmas’s messages were all created by her mother, Leona. A professional seamstress, Joanne’s mother not only sews the bags for each ornament prototype but also helps Joanne design the rich fabric coats that each Father Christmas wears. Joanne is clearly grateful for her mother’s help. “I still run my ideas by my mom,” she smiles.  “Of course, I have to work around her busy schedule.”

In terms of popularity, Joanne says Father Christmas has been the high point of her Keepsake career, which began in 1996. “I’ve signed more of these ornaments than anything else I’ve done so far,” she says.

For that she can give partial credit to her family heritage. But the attraction of such enduring ideas as Peace, Harmony, and Wonder also help make Father Christmas a welcome holiday messenger.

Reprint of: “Father Christmas, Old-World Figure Brings Joyful Messages” Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments, The Inside Stories From the Artists Who Create Them by John Peterson.