09/04/2026
The Secret Of The Red Coat
Once upon a time, humans knew him as Father Christmas, and he was often pictured in green.
So what happened?
Why did the old green coat become the great red coat we know today?
And why did he gift me with one to wear too?
Oh, I know what you're thinking.
The soda company.
They would certainly like you to believe that.
But no.
The secret of the red coat is much older than advertisements.
Red is a power color.
Among the old peoples, red was the color of strength, protection, fire, blood, and life. It was a color that announced, I am not prey.
And there is something else humans have forgotten.
Joy needs defending.
Those of us who spend our time protecting children, keeping the old traditions alive, and carrying joy into the darkest part of the year sometimes find ourselves noticed by things that would rather see that joy extinguished.
Dark things.
Hungry things.
Things that thrive where hope has been forgotten.
That is why Nicky's coat is red.
And that is why mine is too.
You see, people sometimes wonder why Krampus would wear the same color as Santa.
They assume it must be some sort of rivalry.
Quite the opposite.
We have different jobs, but we protect many of the same things.
When you seek to spread joy, sometimes you must be strong enough to defend it.
When you seek to defend joy, you sometimes need a little protection yourself.
The red coat is not merely festive.
It is a warning.
A promise.
A shield.
So the next time you see Santa in that great red coat, remember:
He isn't wearing red because someone decided it looked good on a Christmas card.
And certainly not because a soda company invented it.
He wears it because joy is worth protecting.
And if you happen to see a certain horned fellow wearing red beside him...
Well.
You may rest assured that the old protections are still working.
β Krampus