Merrie Christmas: Couple Dancing Under Mistletoe by Norman Rockwell

December 8, 1928 Issue of The Saturday Evening Post

Merrie Christmas: Couple Dancing Under Mistletoe, this Norman Rockwell painting, appeared on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post published December 8, 1928.

An alternate title for this painting is Christmas Dance.

The original oil on canvas, 34 x 26 inches or 46 x 35.5 cm, is currently housed in a private collection.

This painting was Rockwell's 111th of 322 overall pictures published on the cover of The Post. Rockwell's career with the Post spanned 47 years, from his first cover illustration, Boy With Baby Carriage in 1916 to his last, Portrait of John F. Kennedy, in 1963.

This was also the ninth Rockwell cover painting in 1928. The Post featured a Rockwell illustration on its cover a total of nine times just in 1928 alone.

This painting also appears in three Rockwell commentary books. It appears:

• on page 35 of Norman Rockwell: A Sixty Year Retrospective by Thomas Buechner,
• as illustration 163 of Norman Rockwell: Artist and Illustrator by Thomas Buechner and
• on page 112 of Norman Rockwell, A Definitive Catalogue by Laurie Norton Moffatt.

Merrie Christmas: Couple Dancing Under Mistletoe

In this well-known Norman Rockwell Christmas painting, we see a couple dressed in their Christmas finery and dancing underneath some mistletoe. When you are in love, nothing says Christmas like a sprig of mistletoe.

And that sprig usually leads to a Christmas kiss from your sweetheart.

And a Christmas kiss from your sweetheart is the best present ever given.

Of course, the caption, Merrie Christmas, also assures us that this is a Christmas illustration.

The man, looking older because of his thinning hair, still looks spry. He is lifting his feet very high while dancing his jig. With his red top coat and tails, gold buttons and ruffled shirt, he is quite the dandy. His Christmas finery is finished with tan vest, brown trousers, white socks and black dress shoes. His shoes look almost feminine compared to modern styles.

The lady dancing with the gentleman is also garbed in her own Christmas best. She wears her hair up and covered with a hair net secured to hear head with ribbon and bow. Her dress features lace around the shoulders and protruding from her sleeves.

With one hand, she holds the hem of her dress up. With her other hand, she holds the hand of her gentleman.

Their eyes are locked on each other. Both are smiling a loving smile.

Mistletoe, work your magic!