The Manawatu Freemason

  Coca-Cola played an important role in standardizing the modern, jolly, red-and-white-suited version of Santa Claus Every Christmas, millions of people see the same image: a cheerful, bearded Santa Claus in a bright red suit.  While the character of Saint Nicholas is centuries old, the modern image of Santa was heavily popularized through Coca-Cola's advertising campaigns in the twentieth century. That creates an interesting Masonic footnote to a holiday tradition most people never think about. The man who invented Coca-Cola, Dr. John Stith Pemberton, was a Freemason.  He was a member of Columbian Lodge No. 7 in Columbus, Georgia.  Before creating the world's most famous soft drink, Pemberton worked as a pharmacist and chemist, eventually developing the beverage that would become Coca-Cola in 1886. Just before Pemberton's death, Asa Candler acquired the formula and built Coca-Cola into a global brand.  Decades later, Coca-Cola commissioned artist Haddon Sundblo...

  President George Washington laying the cornerstone of the United States Capitol   during a Masonic ceremony on September 18, 1793 The ideals celebrated on Independence Day closely align with Masonic principles The Fourth of July, or American Independence Day, is a date of profound historical importance. It marks the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776—a defining moment that established the birth of the United States. For Freemasons around the world, this day also holds special significance, as many of the ideals celebrated on Independence Day closely align with Masonic principles. The influence of Freemasonry on the founding of the United States is not just symbolic—it is woven into the very fabric of the nation’s origin story. The Declaration of Independence was more than a political document; it was a bold philosophical statement inspired by Enlightenment ideals. Core beliefs such as liberty, equality, and the right to self-governance echoed strongly withi...