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By Pipka
It's finally Christmas Eve and Santa has a very important job. It is time to deliver the bears made especially for all the boys and girls who collect and love Teddy bears. These are no ordinary bears: Santa's most talented bear artist has given each bear its own unique personality to match its new owner. As Santa carefully tucks the bears into his sack, he knows each one will make someone very happy indeed. It's going to be a Beary Merry Christmas.
The authentic narrative of the teddy bear traces its origins to the American wilderness. In November 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt set out on a hunting expedition in Mississippi with the primary objective of capturing a black bear. According to the story, after several days of searching the underbrush without success, some of his fellow hunters managed to capture an injured bear and secured it to a willow tree. They presented this as an opportunity for Roosevelt to achieve his goal. However, the president was appalled and declined, asserting that it would be inappropriate—indeed, unsporting—for a man of integrity to kill such a defenseless animal. He instructed that the ailing bear be put to rest, and this unusual act of compassion quickly garnered media attention.
Editorial cartoonist Clifford K. Berryman illustrated the incident in various drawings for the Washington Post—one depicting a slender Roosevelt refusing to harm a bear, and another featuring a more robust Roosevelt alongside a smaller bear with an innocent, childlike expression. This charming cub, as portrayed in the cartoons, caught the attention of Morris Michtom, a candy store owner in Brooklyn, who recognized a potential business opportunity. He requested his wife, Rose, to create a stuffed version of the bear, and the initial prototype sold soon after being displayed in their store window. As demand surged beyond their capacity to produce by hand, the couple transitioned to factory production in 1903. Michtom named these plush companions “Teddy’s bears” in honor of the president, and by late 1906, the term evolved into “teddy bear.”
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