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In the United
States and Canada,
his name is Santa Claus.
He flies through the sky in a sleigh pulled
by eight reindeer. |
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In England his
name is Father Christmas.
He looks much like Santa Claus, but he has
a longer coat and a longer beard. |
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In Wales (a
principality in the United Kingdom),
Santa is called Sion Corn
- this translates as "Chimney
John" relating to the story that
Santa comes down the chimney of each house
to bring his gifts to the children within. |
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In France, he's
known as Pere Noel.
He is also called Pere
Noel in Canada.
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In Brazil and
Peru, he's called
Papai Noel. |
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In Germany, children get presents from Christkind,
the Christ Child on the 24th of December.
Also, in Germany Knecht Ruprecht and his helpers
come on the 6th of December. Krampus brings
coal or a wooden stick to the children that
have not been good, Knecht Ruprecht brings
mostly cookies, nuts and a small toy to the
good children. Belsnickel - German version
of Santa who carries a switch to beat the
bad children. In Germany,
Father Christmas can also be called der Weihnachtsmann. |
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In Poland, Santa
is "Gwiazdor"
("star man")
-- for the North Star. He visits children
on Christmas Eve, bringing presents. The Christmas
Eve meal begins once the first star is seen.
"Swiety Mikolaj"
(Saint Nicholas)
was a cardinal in the Catholic Church, he
visits children on December 6th and he brings
presents, mostly sweets, which he leaves in
children clean (it is
very important) shoes. |
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In Costa Rica,
Colombia, and parts
of Mexico, the gift
bringer is El Nino Jesus,
"the infant Jesus". |
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In Puerto Rico,
children receive gifts from the Three
Kings on January 6th. Each child puts
grass under their bed for the camels and in
the morning the grass is replaced with gifts. |
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Jultomten or Tomten
Sweden. Jultomten
visits in the evening before Christmas day,
pulling a big bag of julklappar (Christmas
presents) in the deep snow. |
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På norsk
(in Norwegian)
"Julenissen" arrives on the
evening of the 24th. |
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In the Netherlands,
he is called Kerstman.
He flies through the sky with his reindeers
and puts gifts under the Christmas tree on
the 25th of December. De Kerstman lives in
Finland. His counterpart
"Sinterklaas" is another
saint, who is celebrated on the 5th of December.
Sinterklaas comes back every year from his
home in Spain by steamboat, together with
him are a whole group of "zwarte
pieten" who help him while he's
riding on the roofs - distributing gifts through
the chimney. |
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In Finland, he
is called Joulupukki
and his home is in Lapland in the north part
of Finland called Korvatunturl. Also in Finland,
the Swedish-speaking Finns (finlandssvenskar)
call him Julgubben. |
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In Spain the children
the night of January 5th put their shoes under
the Christmas tree and have presents from
the Three Kings (Los
Reyes Magos: Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar).
Santa Claus is called Papa
Noel and there are children who have
presents both days on December 25th (from
Papa Noel) and on January 6th (from
the Three Kings). |
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In Russia, he
is called Grandfather Frost
or Ded Moroz. Also,
there is Babooska the person who was searching
for Christ the night he was born. She spoke
to the Three Wise Men or Three Kings on their
way to find him, they offered their company
to her. But she replied I am too old, so the
Three Men went on without her and she set
search the following day but the "King"
had gone from his birth place and when Babooska
heard the news she decided to give her presents
for Christ to the childern in her country
Russia every year on the 13th of Dec to make
them happy. |
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He is also called Kriss
Kringle - origin unknown. |
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He is also called St.
Nick origin Turkey. |
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Karácsony Apó,
is Santa in Hungarian. |
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In Italy, he is
called Babbo Natale.
Also, they recieve their presents on January
6th from the gift bringer an old lady called
Befana. |
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Black Peter, St
Nick's helper which originates from
Morocco or Liberia. |
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In China, he is
called Shengdan Laoren. |
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In Denmark they
call him, Julemand. |
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In Hong Kong they
call him Sing dan lo ian
in Cantonese. |
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In Slovenia they
call him Bozicek. |
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In Latvia Santa
Claus is called Ziemmassve'tku
veci'tis. |
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In the country Uruguay
he is called Papá
Noel. |
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In Lithuania Santa
Claus is called Kaledu
Senis. |
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In Portugal Santa
Claus is known as Pai Natal.
He brings presents on Christmas Eve. However,
the portuguese tradition says the presents
in that night are brought by the Newborn Jesus
"Menino Jesus". |
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In Estonia he
is called Jouluvana.
|
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In Ireland he
is called Santa Claus
and children abbreviate this to just Santy. |
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Many children in the Hindu religion receive
gifts from their god Ganesha
during the Holiday Season. |
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In Austria, children
get presents from Christkindl,
the Christ Child on the 24th of December. |
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In Greece, Santa
Claus is called "Aghios
Vassilis" and he comes on the
night of 31st December leaving the presents
under the tree for the children to find them
on New Year's Day. |
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In Hawaii, Santa
Claus is known as Kanakaloka. |
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In Armenian, Santa
Clause is Gaghant Baba
and he brings presents to all the good girls
and boys. |
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The name for Santa in Yugoslavia
is Deda Mraz. |
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In Croatia, he
is called Bozicnjak. |
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In Bulgaria they
call him Diado Coleda.
|
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In El Salvador,
for some families Santa Claus brings gifts
on Christmas Eve to those children who are
well behaved. People get together with the
family, children go to bed and find a gift
on December 25th. |
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Urdu he is called
Baba Christmass. |
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In Romania, Santa
Claus is Mos Craciun
and he comes on the night of the 24th of December
bringing presents. Also, the night of the
5th of December is Mos Nicolae (St.
Nicholas) puts candies in the good
children boots or a stick in the bad ones.
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