Kat -- neither had I, until I'd read that Santa Claus, Last of the Wild Men, several years ago. Mostly, I just like the name "Belsnickle." ;-)

Q -- Thanks for those further links. Yes, red clothing has always been associated with "The Nickle" ('Santa' is not his first name -- one of my pet peeves). In part of that first quote, which I snipped for length, besides the red porcupine quills in his hat, Belsnickle is described as wearing red velvet knee britches, which you can see as he runs, and his long coat flies out behind him.

But our modern (and unwavering) image of Santa Claus was cemented in the popular imagination by that ad campaign for Coke.

And, in the interest of full disclosure, I should have cited the source of my inforamation about Pelsnichol as the inspiration for Nast's illustrations. It was an article that was first published in Forbes magazine, in 1997, and can be found online, here: A Visit from Coca-Cola. Granted, considering Forbes's target audience, it's likely that the importance of an advertising campaign was overplayed. Still, there's no denying Sundbloom's influence.