An Interview with Santa Claus

by Margaret Mead

Stories about Saint Nicholas gathered from sources all over the world are complemented by line drawings and reproductions of old prints tracing the history of Santa Claus

48 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Margaret Mead was an American cultural anthropologist who was frequently a featured writer and speaker in the mass media throughout the '60s and '70s as a popularizer of the insights of anthropology into modern American and western life but also a respected, if controversial, academic anthropologist.

Her reports as to the purportedly healthy attitude towards sex in South Pacific and Southeast Asian traditional cultures amply informed the '60s "sexual revolution" and it was only at the end of her life and career that her propositions were – albeit controversially – challenged by a maverick fellow anthropologist and literate members of societies she had long before studied and reported on. Mead was a champion of broadened sexual mores within a context of traditional western religious life.

Excerpted from Wikipedia.

Reviews

[Mandy E · Rating 4 out of 5]

"—giving is itself a kind of thank offering." I loved that Mead and Metraux conceive of "The Santa Claus" as belonging to a clan of givers-to-children. It was great to be reminded of the female members of that clan who are less well known in the US. That an anthropological analysis of the role of Santa Claus in our culture is given in the form of an imaginary interview is sweet, and I realize that the purpose of this form is to give Christmas a kind of substantial, secular meaning for children, but I found myself wishing it were longer and more in depth. I think these two scientists could have produced a fascinating and well-considered document on the subject.