K.A.C. 2025 - T - 07 Days ... [2015]

 

     2015 - We're one week away from Christmas proper, which means we take a moment to welcome back our Fabulous Flying Threesome Hardrock, Coco and Joe - Santa's little helpers bringing toys and ear worms to latch into your brains. If you're new here, get caught up to date below, then hit play and succumb - we have!

     "On December 18, 1956, WGN-TV's "Garfield Goose and Friends" introduced Chicago area children to Santa Claus' three favorite elves, Hardrock, Coco and Joe. At two-feet-high, Hardrock drove Santa's sleigh while Coco navigated and Joe tagged along for fun. To create the animated short or "song cartoonette", Hill & Range Songs hired Centaur Productions. The company was established in the early 1950s by Wah Ming Chang, a sculptor in Walt Disney's Effects and Model Department who created the model of Pinocchio; and George Pal, a producer and Academy Award nominee. The shorts were produced in black-and-white using stop-motion animation, a cinematic process that brings figures or puppets to life by minutely reposing and photographing them frame-by-frame, resulting as fluid movement on screen." (Chicago's Museum of Broadcast Communications)

     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDM6Bbt9WDY 

     We can't have the boys stop by without also showcasing their pretty winter sprite friend Suzy Snowflake (from the same company) - for when you need something ELSE to hum along to over and over and ... The Museum had this to say about her: "On December 28, 1953, Chicago area kids were introduced to the whimsical story of Suzy Snowflake "tap, tap, tappin'" on every windowpane, seen on "Garfield Goose and Friends" then on WBBM-TV. Like "Hardrock, Coco and Joe", Suzy too was brought to life by the stop-motion animators of Centaur Productions. Norma Zimmer was Suzy's voice and the song was sung by The Norman Luboff Choir, a premier studio group who recorded with well-known artists, such as Frank Sinatra and Harry Belafonte." Here she comes now, a tap,tap, tappin' on the windowpane of your computer! 

     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaUBpsn4QjQ 

     

     Regarding just WHO is pulling Santa's sleigh gets more interesting when you realize TWO of them are Dutch name-changing FRAUDS! Wanna guess which two? Maybe, just MAYBE, is these two perps on the left. Exhibit A: 

    'Santa's original eight reindeer, introduced in the 1823 poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas," are

Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen, with Donner and Blitzen originating from Dutch words for "thunder" (Donder) and "lightning" (Blixem), later Anglicized and Germanized. Their names reflect speedy, energetic, or celestial qualities, fitting their role in pulling Santa's sleigh across the night sky. 

The Original Eight Reindeer & Their Meanings:

   

1. Dasher: Suggests speed and swiftness.
2. Dancer: Evokes graceful, quick movement.
3. Prancer: Implies a lively, prancing gait.
4. Vixen: A feminine name meaning "female fox," suggesting cleverness or spirit.
5. Comet: A celestial body, linking to speed and starry skies.
6. Cupid: The Roman god of love, bringing affection.
7. Donner: From Dutch "Donder" (Thunder), for power and loudness.
8. Blitzen: From Dutch "Blixem" (Lightning), for speed and brightness, later adapted to German "Blitzen" (Lightning).' (Google)

      Seems too tame a way to end this entry, so let's go to South Africa and have a meet and greet with THEIR way to make kids be good ... no, not Krampus - meet Danny! The truth is a tad less terrifying: 

     'The legend of

Danny, a boy allegedly killed by his grandmother for eating Santa's cookies, is a popular holiday-themed "creepypasta" (internet horror story) that is often incorrectly cited as a traditional South African myth.  

Legend Details

• The Narrative: Danny was a mischievous child with an insatiable love for sweets. On Christmas Eve, he ate all the cookies intended for Santa Claus. His grandmother, discovering the empty plate, reportedly killed him in a fit of rage on the kitchen floor.
• The Ghost: Danny is said to rise every Christmas as a vengeful spirit with glowing eyes and hands permanently sticky from the stolen sweets. He allegedly haunts homes where children are greedy or have eaten Santa’s treats prematurely. 

Cultural Origin and Authenticity

While frequently appearing on lists of "weird global traditions," the story has little to no grounding in authentic South African folklore.

• Internet Myth: The tale lacks historical documentation and is primarily circulated through social media and "spooky trivia" websites.
• Local Feedback: South Africans themselves frequently report never having heard of the legend until its appearance online.' (Google)   

      More tomorrow!