Selling Spirituality: Examples of a Mixture of Faith and Commercialization of Religious Symbols

This chapter discusses and analyses how globalization has played a crucial role within the religious tourism and pilgrimage management process. Pilgrims embark on sacred voyages to revered destinations, where they engage in shopping for sacred objects. Tourist actions have a profound impact in shaping the essence of a place, not only in religious tourism but also in the larger realm of human mobility. Further, the chapter offers insight into how spiritual symbols have become intertwined with the global market and the complexities this presents in the con- text of religious tourism. In the landscape of global commerce, Saint Nicholas, more commonly known as Santa Claus, stands as a quintessential example of a global fgure. Operating within a global economic sphere, his reach extends to diverse destinations around the world. A defning moment in his global image is encapsulated in the iconic 1931 Coca-Cola advertisement, portraying Santa Claus as a ruddy-faced, red-clad, white-bearded fgure travelling through the sky on a reindeer-drawn sleigh. This image of Santa Claus has permeated cultures and brought the veneration of this saint to new horizons.