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| Santa is a fat lard with a cherry nose, and he does NOT need any cookies. Oh, and he isn't real. | |||
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| ] who, with ], helped to create the modern image of Santa Claus.]] | |||
| ] wishes of young children.]] | |||
| '''Santa Claus''', also known as ''']''',<ref></ref> ''']''', ''']''', ''']''', or simply "'''Santa'''", is a fictional figure who, in many ]s, brings ]s to the homes of the good children during the late evening and overnight hours of ] ], December 24<ref>. Associated Press, December 22, 2006.</ref> or on his ], December 6 (]).<ref>{{citeweb| url = http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=76|title = Saint Nicholas:::Around the World|accessdate = 12-11-07}}</ref> The legend may have part of its basis in ] tales concerning the historical figure of gift giver ]. A nearly identical story is attributed by Greek and Byzantine folklore to ]. Basil's feast day on January 1 is considered the time of exchanging gifts in Greece. | |||
| While Saint Nicholas was originally portrayed wearing bishop's robes, today Santa Claus is generally depicted as a plump, jolly, white-bearded man wearing a red coat with white collar and cuffs, white-cuffed red trousers, and black leather belt and boots. This image became popular in the ] and ] in the 19th century due to the significant influence of caricaturist and political cartoonist ].<ref>, Jim Auchmutey, '']'', December 10, 2007.</ref><ref></ref><ref></ref> This image has been maintained and reinforced through ]. In the United Kingdom and Europe, he is often depicted in a manner identical to the American Santa Claus, but he is commonly called '']''. | |||
| A well-known folk legend associated with Santa Claus says that he lives in the far north, in a land of perpetual snow. The American version of Santa Claus says that he lives at his house on the ], while Father Christmas is often said to reside in the mountains of ] in ], ]. Santa Claus lives with his wife ], a countless number of ], and eight or nine ]. Another legend, popularized in the song ], says that he makes a list of children throughout the world, categorizing them according to their behavior ("naughty" or "nice") and that he delivers presents, including ]s, ], and other gifts to all of the good boys and girls in the world, and sometimes ] to the naughty children, on the single night of Christmas Eve. He accomplishes this feat with the aid of the elves who make the toys in the ] and the reindeer who pull his sleigh.<ref>B. K. Swartz, Jr.; ; Retrieved on 2007-12-22</ref><ref>Jeff Westover; ; Retrieved on 2007-12-22</ref> | |||
| ==Origins== | |||
| ===Early Christian origins=== | |||
| ], near ], ].]]] is the primary inspiration for the Christian figure of Santa Claus. He was a 4th-century Greek Christian ] of ] (now Demre) in ], a province of the ] ], now in ]. Nicholas was famous for his generous gifts to the poor, in particular presenting the three impoverished daughters of a pious Christian with ] so that they would not have to become ]s.<ref name=msnbc>{{cite news |author= |coauthors= |title=Santa Claus: The real man behind the myth |url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34525202/ns/technology_and_science-science/ |quote= |work=] |date=December 22, 2009 |accessdate=2009-12-27 }}</ref> He was very religious from an early age and devoted his life entirely to Christianity. In ] (more precisely ], ], ] and ]) he is still portrayed as a bearded bishop in canonical robes. In 1087, the ] city of ], wanting to enter the profitable pilgrimage industry of the times, mounted an expedition to locate the tomb of the ] Saint and procure his remains. The reliquary of St. Nicholas was ] by Italian sailors and the spoils, including his ], taken to Bari<ref> Catholic Encyclopedia</ref><ref> Encyclopedia Britannica</ref> where they are kept to this day. A ] was constructed the same year to store the loot and the area became a ] site for the devout, thus justifying the economic cost of the expedition. ] historians say that his remains were moved on again from Italy to ] in ], where his grave can still be seen.<ref></ref> Saint Nicholas was later claimed as a ] of many diverse groups, from ], sailor, and children to ]s.<ref name=msnbc/><ref></ref> He is also the patron saint of both ] and ].<ref></ref> | |||
| ===Influence of Germanic paganism and folklore=== | |||
| ] by ].]] | |||
| Numerous parallels have been drawn between Santa Claus and the figure of ], a major god amongst the ] prior to their ]. Since many of these elements are unrelated to Christianity, there are theories regarding the ] origins of various customs of the holiday stemming from areas where the Germanic peoples were Christianized and retained elements of their indigenous traditions, surviving in various forms into modern depictions of Santa Claus.<ref>McKnight, George Harley. ''St. Nicholas - His Legend and His Role in the Christmas Celebration'' (1917) Available on-line: </ref> | |||
| Odin was sometimes recorded, at the native Germanic holiday of ], as leading a great hunting party through the sky.<ref name=AMERIODIN>'']'' (1920) (page 307) Available online: .</ref> Two books from ], the ], compiled in the 13th century from earlier sources, and the ], written in the 13th century by ], describe Odin as riding an eight-legged horse named ] that could leap great distances, giving rise to comparisons to ].<ref name=COLLISLEIP>'']'' (1986) (Page 414)</ref> Further, Odin was referred to by ] in ], some of which describe his appearance or functions. These include ''Síðgrani'',<ref name="Síðgrani">Found in '']'' (6)</ref> ''Síðskeggr'',<ref name="Síðskeggr">Found in '']'', '']'' (48), '']'', '']'' (6)</ref> ''Langbarðr'',<ref name="Langbarðr">Found in ''Nafnaþulur'' and ''Óðins nöfn'' (7)</ref> (all meaning "long beard") and ''Jólnir''<ref name="Jólnir">Found in ''Óðins nöfn'' (7)</ref> ("Yule figure"). | |||
| According to Phyllis Siefker, children would place their boots, filled with ]s, ], or ], near the chimney for Odin's flying horse, Sleipnir, to eat. Odin would then reward those children for their kindness by replacing Sleipnir's food with gifts or candy. This practice, she claims, survived in Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands after the adoption of Christianity and became associated with Saint Nicholas as a result of the process of ] and can be still seen in the modern practice of the hanging of stockings at the chimney in some homes.<ref name=SIEFSLEIP>Siefker, Phyllis. ''Santa Claus, Last of the Wild Men: The Origins and Evolution of Saint Nicholas, Spanning 50,000 Years '' (chap. 9, esp. 171-173) (2006) ISBN 0786429585</ref> | |||
| This practice in turn came to the ] through the Dutch colony of ] prior to the British seizure in the 17th century, and evolved into the hanging of socks or ] at the fireplace.{{Citation needed|date=March 2010}} | |||
| One story tells of a poor man and his three daughters. With no money to get his daughters married, he was worried what would happen to them after his death. Saint Nicholas knowing the anguish of the father, stopped by the man's house after the family had gone to bed. He had three ] coins with him, one for each girl. Seeing the daughters stockings hung over the fireplace for drying, he put one gold bag in each stocking and left. The girls waking up the next morning, they each found a bag of gold coins in their stocking. This led to the custom of children hanging ] or putting out shoes, eagerly awaiting gifts from Saint Nicholas.<ref name=AFP>, retrieved 2009-12-10</ref> | |||
| In Hungary, many regions of Austria and former Austro-Hungarian Italy (], city of ]) children are given sweets and gifts on Saint Nicholas's Day (San Niccolò in Italian), in accordance with the Catholic calendar, December 6.{{Citation needed|date=March 2010}} | |||
| Numerous other influences from the pre-Christian Germanic winter celebrations have continued into modern Christmas celebrations such as the ], ], ], and the ].{{Citation needed|date=March 2010}} | |||
| ===Pre-Christian Alpine traditions=== | |||
| {{Main|Pre-Christian Alpine traditions}} | |||
| Originating from ] and influenced by later Christianization, the ] is represented as a ]. Traditionally, some young men dress up as the Krampus in the first two weeks of December and particularly on the evening of December 5 and roam the streets frightening children (and adults) with rusty chains and bells. | |||
| ===Dutch folklore=== | |||
| {{See|Sinterklaas|Saint Nicholas}} | |||
| ] in 2007.]] | |||
| In The ] and ], Saint Nicolas, ("Sinterklaas", often called "De Goede Sint" — "The Friendly Saint") is aided by helpers commonly known as ] ("Black Peter") in Dutch or "Père Fouettard" in French. Note that "Santa Claus" is ] related to the Dutch "Sinterklaas". So much so that for a Dutch person the origin of the name "Santa Claus" is obvious, its just "sinterklaas" pronounced in English.<ref></ref> | |||
| His feast on the 6th of December came to be celebrated in many countries with the giving of gifts. At the ] in 16th-17th century Europe, many Protestants changed the gift bringer to the Christ Child or '']'', and the date of giving gifts changed from December the 6th to Christmas Eve.<ref>Forbes, Bruce David, ''Christmas: a candid history'', University of California Press, 2007, ISBN 0520251040, pp. 68-79.</ref> | |||
| The folklore of Saint Nicolas has many parallels with Germanic mythology, in particular with the god ]. These include the beard, hat and spear (nowadays a staff) and the cloth bag held by the servants to capture naughty children. Both Saint Nicolas and Odin ride white horses that can fly through the air; the white eight-legged steed of Odin is named ] (although Sleipnir is more commonly depicted as gray). The letters made of candy given by the Zwarte Pieten to the children evokes the fact that Odin ‘invented’ the ] letters. The poems made during the celebration and the songs the children sing relate to Odin as the god of the arts of poetry. | |||
| There are various explanations of the origins of the helpers. The oldest explanation is that the helpers symbolize the two ravens ] and ] who informed Odin on what was going on. In later stories the helper depicts the defeated ]. The devil is defeated by either Odin or his helper ], the black father of the night. Nörwi is usually depicted with the same staff of birch (Dutch: "roe") as Zwarte Piet. | |||
| Another, more modern story is that Saint Nicolas liberated an ]n slave boy called 'Piter' (from ]) from a ] market, and the boy was so grateful he decided to stay with Saint Nicolas as a helper. With the influx of immigrants to the Netherlands starting in the late 1950s, this story is felt by some to be racist<ref>: Expatica.com; Retrieved on 2007-12-07</ref>. Today, Zwarte Piet have become modern servants, who have black faces because they climb through chimneys, causing their skin to become blackened by ]. They hold chimney cleaning tools (cloth bag and staff of birch).<ref>; Retrieved on 2007-12-07</ref> | |||
| Until the ], Saint Nicolas was only helped by one servant. When the Canadians liberated the Netherlands in 1945, they reinstated the celebrations of Sinterklaas for the children. Unaware of the traditions, the Canadians thought that if one Zwarte Piet was fun, several Zwarte Pieten is even more fun. Ever since Saint Nicolas is helped by a group of Zwarte Pieten.{{Citation needed|date=December 2007}} | |||
| Presents given during this feast are often accompanied by poems, some basic, some quite elaborate pieces of art that mock events in the past year relating to the recipient. The gifts themselves may be just an excuse for the wrapping, which can also be quite elaborate. The more serious gifts may be reserved for the next morning. Since the giving of presents is Sinterklaas's job, presents are traditionally not given at Christmas in the Netherlands, although the latter is gaining popularity. | |||
| The Zwarte Pieten have roughly the same role for the Dutch Saint Nicolas that the elves have to America's Santa Claus. According to tradition, the saint has a Piet for every function: there are navigation Pieten to navigate the steamboat from Spain to Holland, or acrobatic Pieten for climbing up the roofs to stuff presents through the chimney, or to climb through themselves. Throughout the years many stories have been added, mostly made up by parents to keep children's belief in Saint Nicolas intact and to discourage misbehaviour. In most cases the Pieten are quite lousy at their job, such as the navigation Piet (Dutch "wegwijspiet") pointing in the wrong direction. This is often used to provide some simple comedy in the annual parade of Saint Nicolas coming to the Netherlands, and can also be used to laud the progress of children at school by having the Piet give the wrong answer to, for example, a simple mathematical question like 2+2, so that the child in question is (or can be) persuaded to give the right answer. | |||
| In the Netherlands and in Belgium the character of Santa Claus, as known in the United States (with his white beard, red and white outfit, etc.), is entirely distinct from Sinterklaas, known instead as ''de Kerstman'' in Dutch (trans. ''the Christmasman'') or ''Père Noël'' (''Father Christmas'') in French. Although Sinterklaas is the predominant gift-giver in the Netherlands in December (36% of the population only give presents on Sinterklaas day), Christmas is used by another fifth of the Dutch population to give presents (21% give presents on Christmas only). Some 26% of the Dutch population give presents on both days.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nibud.nl/pers/?page=content&subject=persberichten&main=pe_persberichten&pag=pe_persberichten&id=100&year=2003 |title=Nibud Pers, persberichten |publisher=NIBUD |date=2003 |accessdate=}} {{Nl icon}} Netherlands budget institute table showing money spent by households categorised into those that give gifts only on Sint (36%), only on Christmas day (21%), on both days (26%)</ref> In Belgium, presents are given to children only, but to almost all of them, on Sinterklaas day. On Christmas Day, everybody receives presents, but often without Santa Claus' help. | |||
| ===Modern origins=== | |||
| ] made for the ] festive classic '']'' (1843).]]Pre-modern representations of the gift-giver from church history and folklore, notably '']'' and '']'', merged with the British character '']'' to create the character known to Britons and Americans as ''Santa Claus''. Father Christmas dates back at least as far as the 17th century in Britain, and pictures of him survive from that era, portraying him as a jolly well-nourished bearded man dressed in a long, green, fur-lined robe. He typified the spirit of good cheer at Christmas, and was reflected as the "Ghost of Christmas Present", in ] Festive classic '']'', a great genial man in a green coat lined with fur who takes Scrooge through the bustling streets of ] on the current Christmas morning, sprinkling the essence of Christmas onto the happy populace. | |||
| ] depiction of Father Christmas riding on a ].]] In other countries, the figure of Saint Nicholas was also blended with local folklore. As an example of the still surviving ] imagery, in ] the original bringer of gifts at Christmas time was the ], a somewhat startling figure with horns. | |||
| In the 1840s however, an elf in Nordic folklore called "]" or "Nisse" started to deliver the Christmas presents in ]. The Tomte was portrayed as a short, bearded man dressed in gray clothes and a red hat. This new version of the age-old folkloric creature was obviously inspired by the Santa Claus traditions that were now spreading to Scandinavia. By the end of the 19th century this tradition had also spread to ] and ], replacing the Yule Goat. The same thing happened in ], but there the more human figure retained the Yule Goat name. But even though the tradition of the Yule Goat as a bringer of presents is now all but extinct, a straw goat is still a common Christmas decoration in all of Scandinavia. | |||
| ===American variations=== | |||
| In the British colonies of ] and later the ], British and Dutch versions of the gift-giver merged further. For example, in ]'s ''History of New York'', (1809), Sinterklaas was Americanized into "Santa Claus" (a name first used in the American press in 1773)<ref>"Last Monday, the anniversary of St. Nicholas, otherwise called Santa Claus, was celebrated at Protestant Hall, at Mr. Waldron’s; where a great number of sons of the ancient saint celebrated the day with great joy and festivity." ''Rivington’s Gazette'' (New York City), December 23, 1773.</ref> but lost his bishop’s apparel, and was at first pictured as a thick-bellied Dutch sailor with a pipe in a green winter coat. Irving’s book was a ] of the Dutch culture of ], and much of this portrait is his joking invention. | |||
| In 1821, the book ''A New-year's present, to the little ones from five to twelve'' is published in New York. It contains ''Old Santeclaus'', an anonymous poem describing an old man on a reindeer sleigh, bringing presents to children<ref name="Toronto">https://tspace.library.utoronto.ca/html/1807/4350/poem1485.html , mentioning Don Foster, ''Author Unknown: On the Trial of Anonymous (New York'': Henry Holt, 2000 : 221-75) for the attribution of ''Old Santeclaus'' to ]</ref>. Some modern ideas of Santa Claus seemingly became ] after the publication of the ] "]" (better known today as "The Night Before Christmas") in the ], ''Sentinel'' on December 23, 1823 anonymously; the poem was later attributed to ].<ref name=msnbc/> Many of his modern attributes are established in this poem, such as riding in a ] that lands on the roof, entering through the chimney, and having a bag full of toys. St. Nick is described as being "chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf" with "a little round belly", that "shook when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly", in spite of which the "miniature sleigh" and "tiny reindeer" still indicate that he is physically diminutive. The reindeer were also named: "Now! Dasher, now! Dancer, now! Prancer, and Vixen, On! Comet, on! Cupid, on! Dunder and Blixem" (Dunder and Blixem was later changed to Donner and Blitzen).<ref> on the reindeer name changes.</ref> | |||
| As years pass, Santa Claus evolves in popular culture into a large, heavyset person. One of the first artists to define Santa Claus's modern image was ], an American ] of the 19th century. In 1863, a picture of Santa illustrated by Nast appeared in '']''. | |||
| ] immortalized Santa Claus with an illustration for the January 3, 1863 issue of '']''.]] | |||
| The story that Santa Claus lives at the North Pole may also have been a Nast creation. His Christmas image in the ''Harper’s'' issue dated December 29, 1866 was a collage of engravings titled ''Santa Claus and His Works'', which included the caption "Santa Claussville, N.P."<ref>Thomas Nast, , 1866. The phrase "Santa Claussville, N.P." is on the curved border to the right of center, above the large word "Claus".</ref> A color collection of Nast's pictures, published in 1869, had a poem also titled "Santa Claus and His Works" by George P. Webster, who wrote that Santa Claus’s home was "near the North Pole, in the ice and snow".<ref>Jeremy Seal, ''Nicholas: The Epic Journey From Saint to Santa Claus'', Bloomsbury, 2005, p. 199–200. ISBN 978-1582344195.</ref> The legend had become well known by the 1870s. A boy from ] writing to the children's magazine ''The Nursery'' in late 1874 said, "If we didn't live so very far from the North Pole, I should ask Santa Claus to bring me a donkey."<ref>Ralph Armstrong, age 6, "", ''The Nursery'', 1875, vol. 18, p. 42–43.</ref> | |||
| ]'s '']'', a 1902 ], further popularized Santa Claus. Much of Santa Claus’s mythos was not set in stone at the time, leaving Baum to give his "Neclaus" (Necile’s Little One) a wide variety of immortal support, a home in the Laughing Valley of Hohaho, and ''ten'' reindeer—who could not fly, but leapt in enormous, flight-like bounds. Claus's ] was earned, much like his title ("Santa"), decided by a vote of those naturally immortal. This work also established Claus’s motives: a happy childhood among immortals. When Ak, Master Woodsman of the World, exposes him to the misery and poverty of children in the outside world, Santa strives to find a way to bring joy into the lives of all children, and eventually invents toys as a principal means. | |||
| Images of Santa Claus were further popularized through ]’s depiction of him for ]’s Christmas advertising in the 1930s.<ref name=msnbc/> The popularity of the image spawned ]s that Santa Claus was invented by The Coca-Cola Company or that Santa wears red and white because they are the colors used to promote the Coca-Cola brand.<ref> Snopes.com (accessed January 7, 2008).</ref> Historically, Coca-Cola was not the first ] company to utilize the modern image of Santa Claus in its advertising – ] used Santa to sell ] in 1915 and then in advertisements for its ] in 1923.{{Citation needed|date=December 2009}} Further, the Coca-Cola advertising campaign had the effect of popularising the depiction of Santa as wearing red and white, in contrast to the variety of colours he wore prior to that campaign; red and white was originally given by Nast.<ref>The White Rock Collectors Association, "," whiterocking.org, 2001 (accessed January 19, 2007). | |||
| </ref><ref>White Rock Beverages, "," BevNET.com, December 18, 2006 (accessed January 19, 2007). | |||
| </ref> | |||
| ] for ] on the ] of street in ], in 1902. He is wearing a mask with a beard attached.]] | |||
| The image of Santa Claus as a benevolent character became reinforced with its association with charity and ], particularly by organizations such as the ]. Volunteers dressed as Santa Claus typically became part of ] drives to aid needy families at Christmas time. | |||
| The idea of a wife for Santa Claus may have been the creation of American authors, beginning in the mid-1800s. In 1889, the poet ] popularized ] in the poem "Goody Santa Claus on a Sleigh Ride". The 1956 popular song by ], "Mrs. Santa Claus", and the 1963 children's book ''How Mrs. Santa Claus Saved Christmas'', by ], helped standardize and establish the character and role in the popular imagination. | |||
| In some images from the early 20th century, Santa was depicted as personally making his toys by hand in a small workshop like a craftsman. Eventually, the idea emerged that he had numerous elves responsible for making the toys, but the toys were still handmade by each individual elf working in the traditional manner. | |||
| The concept of Santa Claus continues to inspire writers and artists, as in author ]’s 1948 ] '']'', which draws from historical legends to tell the story of Santa and the origins of Christmas. Other modern additions to the "mythology" of Santa include ], the ninth and lead reindeer immortalized in a ] song, written by a ] copywriter. | |||
| ==Chimney tradition== | |||
| ]''.]] | |||
| The tradition of Santa Claus entering dwellings through the chimney may reach back to the tale of Saint Nicholas tossing coins through a window, and, in a later version of the tale, tossing coins down a chimney when he finds the window locked. In Dutch artist ]'s painting, '']'', adults and toddlers are glancing up a chimney with amazement on their faces while other children play with their toys. The hearth was held sacred in primitive belief as a source of beneficence, and popular belief had elves and fairies bringing gifts to the house through this portal. Santa's entrance into homes on Christmas Eve via the chimney was made part of American tradition through Moore's ''A Visit from Saint Nicholas'' where the author described him as an elf.<ref>Walsh, Joseph J.. ''Were They Wise Men Or Kings?: The Book of Christmas Questions''. Westminster John Knox Press, 2001. ISBN 0664223125.</ref> | |||
| ==In popular culture== | |||
| {{See also|SantaCon}} | |||
| By the end of the 20th century, the reality of mass mechanized production became more fully accepted by the Western public. That shift was reflected in the modern depiction of Santa's residence—now often humorously portrayed as a fully mechanized production and distribution facility, equipped with the latest manufacturing technology, and overseen by the elves with Santa and Mrs. Claus as executives and/or managers.<ref>Nissenbaum, chap. 2; Belk, 87-100</ref> An excerpt from a 2004 article, from a supply chain managers' trade magazine, aptly illustrates this depiction:{{quote|Santa's main ] is a sight to behold. At {{convert|4000000|sqft|m2}}, it's one of the world's largest facilities. A real-time ] is of course required to run such a complex. The facility makes extensive use of task interleaving, literally combining dozens of DC activities (putaway, replenishing, order picking, sleigh loading, cycle counting) in a dynamic queue...the DC elves have been on engineered standards and incentives for three years, leading to a 12% gain in ]...The WMS and transportation system are fully integrated, allowing (the elves) to make optimal decisions that balance transportation and order picking and other DC costs. Unbeknownst to many, Santa actually has to use many sleighs and fake Santa drivers to get the job done Christmas Eve, and the ] optimally builds thousands of consolidated sacks that maximize cube utilization and minimize total air miles.<ref> SupplyChainDigest News, 2004-12-16, archived</ref>}} | |||
| ] | |||
| Many ]s, ]s and other media depict this as a sort of humorous business, with Santa's elves acting as a sometimes mischievously disgruntled workforce, cracking jokes and pulling pranks on their boss. For instance, an early '']'' story has Santa telling the story of how his elves went on ], only to be fired by ] and replaced by unemployed ] personnel.{{Citation needed|date=December 2007}} | |||
| ], the joint Canadian-American military organization responsible for air defense, regularly reports tracking Santa Claus every year.<ref>http://www.noradsanta.org/en/faq.html</ref> | |||
| In ], a mountain peak was named after Santa Claus, after a Swedish company had suggested the location be a more efficient starting place for present-delivering journeys all over the world, than Lapland. In the Kyrgyz capital, ], a Santa Claus Festival was held on December 30, 2007, with government officials attending. 2008 was officially declared the Year of Santa Claus in the country. The events are seen as moves to boost tourism in Kyrgyzstan,<ref>. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Dec 30, 2007</ref> which is predominately Muslim. | |||
| The ] for the largest gathering of Santa Clauses is held by Derry City, Northern Ireland. On September 9, 2007. A total of 12,965 people dressed up as Santa or Santa's helper brought down the previous record of 3,921, which was set during the Santa Dash event in Liverpool City Centre in 2005.<ref>guinness world records http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/records/amazing_feats/mass_participation/largest_gathering_Santa_Claus.aspx</ref> A gathering of Santas in 2009 in Bucharest, Hungary attempted top the world record, but failed with only 3939 Santas. | |||
| <ref>http://www.webphoto.ro/imagini/christmas/guiness-world-record-santa-claus-costumes.html</ref> | |||
| ==Comparisons== | |||
| Santa Claus has often been compared to other fictional characters, such as the ], and the ], as they all visit young children's homes on certain nights, leaving gifts for all of the 'good' boys and girls. | |||
| ==Rituals== | |||
| ] | |||
| Rituals surrounding Santa Claus are performed throughout the world by children hoping to receive gifts from the mythical character. Some rituals (such as visiting a department store Santa) occur in the weeks and days before Christmas while others, such as preparing snacks for Santa, are specific to Christmas Eve. Some rituals, such as setting out stockings to be filled with gifts, are age-old traditions while others, such as NORAD's tracking of Santa's sleigh through the night skies on Christmas Eve, are modern inventions. | |||
| ===Parades, department stores, and shopping malls=== | |||
| Santa Claus appears in the weeks before Christmas in ]s or ]s, or at parties. The practice of this has been credited to ], as he started doing this in 1890 in his ] department store.<ref name="Enterprise">{{cite web|url=http://www.enterprisenews.com/homepage/x1013044544/James-Edgar-s-Santa-Claus-the-spirit-of-Christmas|title=James Edgar’s Santa Claus — the spirit of Christmas|last=Allegrini|first=Elaine|date=November 15, 2008|publisher=]|accessdate=29 November 2009|location=]}}</ref> He is played by an ], usually helped by other actors (often mall employees) dressed as elves or other creatures of ] associated with Santa. Santa's function is either to promote the store's image by distributing small gifts to children, or to provide a seasonal experience to children by listening to their wishlist while having them sit on his knee (a practice now under review by some organisations in Britain,<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2557741.stm | work=BBC News | title=New Santa clauses introduced | date=December 9, 2002 | accessdate=May 23, 2010}}</ref> and Switzerland<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/11/15/wsanta15.xml&sSheet=/portal/2005/11/15/ixportal.html | work=The Daily Telegraph | location=London | accessdate=May 23, 2010}}</ref>). Sometimes a photograph of the child and Santa are taken. Having a Santa set up to take pictures with children is a ritual that dates back at least to 1918.<ref></ref> | |||
| ], ]. Having arrived at the ] department store, Santa is readying his ladder to climb up onto the building.]] | |||
| The area set up for this purpose is festively decorated, usually with a large ], and is called variously "Santa's ]", "Santa's Workshop" or a similar term. In the ], the most notable of these is the Santa at the flagship ] store in New York City - he arrives at the store by sleigh in the ] on the last float, and his court takes over a large portion of one floor in the store. The Macy's Santa Claus is often said to be the real Santa. ] ] is known for the ] ] he kept while working as an elf in the Macy's display, which he later published. | |||
| Quite often the Santa, if and when he is detected to be fake, says that he is not the real Santa and is helping him at this time of year. Most young children seem to understand this, as the real Santa would be extremely busy around Christmas. At family parties, Santa is sometimes impersonated by the male head of the household or other adult male family member. | |||
| ===Letter writing=== | |||
| {{Redirect|Letters to Santa|the Muppet television film|A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa}} | |||
| Writing letters to Santa Claus has been a Christmas tradition for children for many years. These letters normally contain a ] of toys and assertions of good behavior. Some ] have found that boys and girls write different types of letters. Girls generally write longer but more polite lists and express the nature of Christmas more in their letters than in letters written by boys. Girls also request gifts for other people on a more frequent basis . | |||
| Many ]s allow children to send letters to Santa Claus pleading their good behavior and requesting gifts; these letters may be answered by postal workers or other volunteers. ] has a special ] for letters to Santa Claus, and since 1982 over 13,000 Canadian postal workers have volunteered to write responses. His address is: Santa Claus, ], H0H 0H0 (see also: ]). (This postal code, in which zeroes are used for the letter "O" is consistent with the alternating letter-number format of all Canadian postal codes.) Sometimes children's charities answer letters in poor communities, or from children's hospitals, and give them presents they would not otherwise receive. | |||
| In Britain it is tradition to burn the Christmas letters on the fire so that they would be magically transported by the wind to the North Pole. However, this tradition is dying out in modern times with few people having true open fires in their homes. Recently however, national postal service ] revived the tradition by giving "Santa Claus" a special address: Santa/Father Christmas, Santa’s Grotto, Reindeerland, SAN TA1. For 2009, an alternative has been used: Father Christmas, North Pole, SAN TA1. | |||
| In Mexico and other Latin American countries, besides using the mail, sometimes children wrap their letters to a small helium balloon, releasing them into the air so Santa magically receives them. | |||
| Through the years Santa Claus of ] has received over eight million letters. He gets over 600,000 letters every year from over 150 countries. Children from Great Britain, Poland and Japan are the busiest writers. The Finnish Santa Claus lives in ] but Santa's Official Post Office is situated in ] at the ]. His address is: Santa Claus, ], FIN-96930 Arctic Circle, Finland. | |||
| Children can also receive a letter from Santa through agencies such as Santa ThePenPal. Parents can order a personalized "Santa letter" to be sent to their child, often with a North Pole postmark. The "Santa Letter" market generally relies on the ] as a medium for ordering such letters rather than ]. | |||
| In the United States, letters to Santa are routed to ], where they are answered by volunteers. | |||
| '''''Is There a Santa Claus?''''' was the title of an ] appearing in the September 21, 1897 edition of the '']''. The editorial, which included the famous reply ], has become an indelible part of popular Christmas lore in the United States and Canada. | |||
| ===Websites and e-mail=== | |||
| ]'s ''Weather Bureau Topics'' with "Santa Claus" streaking across a weather ] screen, 1958.]] | |||
| Some people have created websites designed to allow children and other interested parties to ] on Christmas Eve via ]. | |||
| {{multiple image | |||
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| | header = ] Program | |||
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| | image1 = NORAD Why We Track Santa W.jpg | |||
| | width1 = 150 | |||
| | alt1 = | |||
| | caption1 = 1955 ] ad with the misprinted telephone number that led to the ] Program | |||
| | image2 = NORAD_Jet_Fighters_Santa_2008_W.jpg | |||
| | width2 = 200 | |||
| | alt2 = | |||
| | caption2 = ] Jet Fighters and Santa Claus Escort | |||
| }} | |||
| In 1955, a ] store in ], ], gave children a number to call a "Santa ]". The number was mistyped and children called the ] (CONAD) on Christmas Eve instead. The Director of Operations, Col. Harry Shoup, received the first call for Santa and responded by telling children that there were signs on the radar that Santa was indeed heading south from North Pole. In 1958, Canada and the United States jointly created the ] (NORAD) and together tracked Santa Claus for children of North America that year and ever since.<ref name="North American Aerospace Defense Command - NORAD Tracks Santa">{{cite web | |||
| | url=http://www.norad.mil/about/Santa.html | |||
| | title=North American Aerospace Defense Command - NORAD Tracks Santa | |||
| | accessdate=2009-12-26 | |||
| | publisher=NORAD | |||
| | language=en | |||
| }}</ref> This tracking can now be done by children and the young at heart via the ] and NORAD's website. | |||
| The ] website from 1998 thru 2005 showed that as Santa approached ] in Canada, a flight of ] ] (]s {{As of|2005|lc=on}}) had a rendezvous with Santa to escort him with an honor guard and ensure that he had no difficulty with ]s (ADIZ) as he flew through Canada. <ref name="NORAD ready for Santa trek, Dec 20, 2004 by Matt Hines">{{cite web | |||
| | url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-5498283-7.html | |||
| | title=NORAD ready for Santa trek, Dec 20, 2004 by Matt Hines | |||
| | accessdate=2009-12-31 | |||
| | publisher=CNET | |||
| }}</ref> The ] still designates escort pilots for the annual ] journey of Santa Claus, even for those years when a Santa Cam video is not shown of their escorts duties.<ref name="Canadian NORAD Region Names Santa Claus Escort Pilots, December 22, 2006 by NORAD">{{cite web | |||
| | url=http://www.airforce.forces.gc.ca/v2/nr-sp/index-eng.asp?id=2130 | |||
| | title=Canadian NORAD Region Names Santa Claus Escort Pilots, December 22, 2006 by NORAD | |||
| | accessdate=2009-12-31 | |||
| | publisher=Canada's Air Force | |||
| | language=en | |||
| }}</ref><ref name="Canadian NORAD Region Names Santa's Escort Pilots, December 12, 2007 by NORAD">{{cite web | |||
| | url=http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/news-nouvelles/view-news-afficher-nouvelles-eng.asp?id=2527 | |||
| | title=Canadian NORAD Region Names Santa's Escort Pilots, December 12, 2007 by NORAD | |||
| | accessdate=2009-12-31 | |||
| | publisher=National Defence and the Canadian Forces | |||
| | language=en | |||
| }}</ref><ref name="NORAD tracking Santa goes back 53 years, December 22, 2007 by NORAD">{{cite web | |||
| | url=http://www.airforce.forces.gc.ca/v2/nr-sp/index-eng.asp?id=5162 | |||
| | title=NORAD tracking Santa goes back 53 years, December 22, 2007 by Holly Bridges | |||
| | accessdate=2009-12-31 | |||
| | publisher=Canada's Air Force | |||
| | language=en | |||
| }}</ref><ref name="Canadian NORAD Region Names Santa's Escort Pilots, December 11, 2008 by NORAD">{{cite web | |||
| | url=http://news.gc.ca/web/article-eng.do?crtr.sj1D=&mthd=advSrch&crtr.mnthndVl=1&nid=427509&crtr.dpt1D=&crtr.tp1D=&crtr.lc1D=&crtr.yrStrtVl=2008&crtr.kw=norad%2B&crtr.dyStrtVl=26&crtr.aud1D=&crtr.mnthStrtVl=2&crtr.yrndVl=2010&crtr.dyndVl=30 | |||
| | title=Canadian NORAD Region Names Santa's Escort Pilots, December 11, 2008 by NORAD | |||
| | accessdate=2009-12-31 | |||
| | publisher=Government of Canada - Canada News Centre | |||
| | language=en | |||
| }}</ref><ref name="Canadian NORAD Region Names Santa's Escort Pilots, December 16, 2009 by NORAD">{{cite web | |||
| | url=http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/news-nouvelles/view-news-afficher-nouvelles-eng.asp?id=3223 | |||
| | title=Canadian NORAD Region Names Santa's Escort Pilots, December 16, 2009 by NORAD | |||
| | accessdate=2009-12-31 | |||
| | publisher=National Defence and the Canadian Forces | |||
| | language=en | |||
| }}</ref> | |||
| Many local ] in the United States and Canada likewise track Santa Claus in their own ] through the stations' ]. | |||
| Many other websites are available year-round that are devoted to Santa Claus and keeping tabs on his activities in his workshop. Many of these websites also include ] addresses, a modern version of the postal service letter writing, in which children can send Santa Claus e-mail. The only criticism about this is that it is a bot sending the e-mail. Many children criticized this, as Santa would not answer their questions.{{Citation needed|date=December 2009}} | |||
| Two organizations, that were past ] partners and corporate ], that handle ] to and from Santa Claus are ] (Canada's Post Office) <ref name="Canada Post delivers Santa e-mails for NORAD, December 16, 2008 by SLt David Lavallee">{{cite web | |||
| | url=http://www.airforce.forces.gc.ca/v2/nr-sp/index-eng.asp?id=7510 | |||
| | title=Canada Post delivers Santa e-mails for NORAD, December 16, 2008 by SLt David Lavallee | |||
| | accessdate=2009-12-31 | |||
| | publisher=Canada's Air Force | |||
| | language=en | |||
| }}</ref> and Official Santa Mail <ref name="NORAD Tracks Santa site could hit billion mark, December 14, 2005 by Kristina Davis">{{cite web | |||
| | url=http://www.dnd.ca/site/Commun/ml-fe/article-eng.asp?id=2167 | |||
| | title=NORAD Tracks Santa site could hit billion mark, December 14, 2005 by Kristina Davis | |||
| | accessdate=2009-12-31 | |||
| | publisher=The Maple Leaf | |||
| | language=en | |||
| }}</ref> | |||
| ===Christmas Eve rituals=== | |||
| In the ] and ], children traditionally leave Santa a glass of ] and a plate of ]s; in ] and ], he is sometimes given ] and ] instead. In ], children leave rice porridge. In ] it is popular to give him ] or milk, along with cookies or mince pies. | |||
| In Hungary, St. Nicolaus (Mikulás) comes on the night of December 5 and the children get their gifts the next morning. They get sweets in a bag if they were good, and a golden colored birch switch if not. On Christmas Eve "Little Jesus" comes and gives gifts for everyone. | |||
| In Slovenia, Saint Nicholas (Miklavž) also brings small gifts for good children on the eve of December 6. Božiček (Christmas Man) brings gifts on the eve of December 25, and Dedek Mraz (Grandfather Frost) brings gifts in the evening of December 31 to be opened on New Years Day. | |||
| British, Australian, Irish, Canadian and American children also leave a ] for Santa's reindeer, and were traditionally told that if they are not good all year round, that they will receive a lump of ] in their stockings, although this practice is now considered archaic. Children following the Dutch custom for ''sinterklaas'' will "put out their shoe" — that is, leave hay and a carrot for his horse in a shoe before going to bed—sometimes weeks before the ''sinterklaas avond''. The next morning they will find the hay and carrot replaced by a gift; often, this is a ] ]. Naughty children were once told that they would be left a ''roe'' (a bundle of sticks) instead of sweets, but this practice has been discontinued. | |||
| Other Christmas Eve Santa Claus rituals in the United States include reading ]'s '']'' or other tale about Santa Claus, watching a Santa or Christmas-related animated program on television (such as the aforementioned ''Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town'' and similar specials, such as '']'', '']'' and '']'', among many others), and the singing of Santa Claus songs such as '']'', '']'', and '']''. Last minute rituals for children before going to bed include aligning stockings at the mantelpiece or other place where Santa cannot fail to see them, peeking up the chimney (in homes with a fireplace), glancing out a window and scanning the heavens for Santa's sleigh, and (in homes without a fireplace), unlocking an exterior door so Santa can easily enter the house. Tags on gifts for children are sometimes signed by their parents, "From Santa Claus" before the gifts are laid beneath the tree. | |||
| ==Criticism== | |||
| {{See also|Christmas controversy}} | |||
| ===Christian opposition=== | |||
| Despite Santa Claus's mixed Christian roots, he has become a ] representation of Christmas. As such, a small number of primarily ] ] Christian churches dislike the secular focus on Santa Claus and the materialist focus that gift giving brings to the holiday. Such a condemnation of Christmas is not a twentieth century phenomenon, but originated among some Protestant groups of the 16th century and was prevalent among the ] of 17th century England and colonial America who banned the holiday as either ] or ]. Christmas was made legal with the ] but the Puritan opposition to the holiday persisted in New England for almost two centuries.<ref> | |||
| </ref> | |||
| ]'s ''The Examination and Tryal of Father Christmas'' (1686), published shortly after ] was reinstated as a holy day in ]. <small>''Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington, D.C.''</small>]] | |||
| Following the ] of the monarchy and with Puritans out of power in England,<ref></ref> the ban on Christmas was satirized in works such as ]'s ''The Examination and Tryal of Old ]; Together with his Clearing by the Jury'' (1686) . | |||
| Rev. Paul Nedergaard, a clergyman in ], ], attracted controversy in 1958 when he declared Santa to be a "pagan ]" after Santa's image was used on fund-raising materials for a Danish welfare organization ]. One prominent religious group that refuses to celebrate Santa Claus, or Christmas itself, for similar reasons is the ].<ref></ref> A number of denominations of Christians have varying concerns about Santa Claus, which range from acceptance to denouncement.<ref>, Terry Watkins, ].</ref><ref>, Sylvia Cochran, Families Online Magazine.</ref> | |||
| Some Christians prefer the holiday focus on the actual birth of ], recognizing that Christmas stemmed from pagan festivals such as the ] ] and Germanic ] that were subsumed within ancient Christianity. An even smaller subset of nominally ] Christians actually prefer the secularized version of the holiday for the same reasons, believing that to relegate Christ's birth to Christmas is wrong.<ref>, G.I. Williamson, A Puritan's Mind.</ref> Some Christian parents {{Who|date=January 2010}} are simply uncomfortable about lying to their children about the existence of Santa. In addition to this, some Christian parents choose not to promote Santa Claus to their children, because they feel that for children to make associations between a fictional character and Christmas may lead them to believe Jesus to be fictional too. This is particularly true of younger children who may be unable to differentiate between the fictitious character and those Christians believe existed historically.{{Citation needed|date=June 2010}} | |||
| ===Symbol of commercialism=== | |||
| In his book ''Nicholas: The Epic Journey from Saint to Santa Claus'', writer Jeremy Seal describes how the commercialization of the Santa Claus legend began in the 1800s. "In the 1820s he began to acquire the recognizable trappings: reindeer, ], bells," said Seal in an interview.<ref name=Seal>, interview with Jeremy Seal at the St. Nicholas Center.</ref> "They are simply the actual bearings in the world from which he emerged. At that time, sleighs were how you got about ]." | |||
| Writing in ''Mothering'', writer Carol Jean-Swanson makes similar points, noting that the original figure of St. Nicholas gave only to those who were needy and that today Santa Claus seems to be more about ]: | |||
| {{cquote|Our jolly old Saint Nicholas reflects our culture to a T, for he is fanciful, exuberant, bountiful, over-weight, and highly commercial. He also mirrors some of our highest ideals: childhood purity and innocence, selfless giving, unfaltering love, justice, and mercy. (What child has ever received a coal for Christmas?) The problem is that, in the process, he has become burdened with some of society's greatest challenges: materialism, corporate greed, and domination by the media. Here, Santa carries more in his baggage than toys alone!<ref name=Mother>, Carol-Jean Swanson, ''Mothering'', Fall 1992.</ref>}} | |||
| In the ], a group of advertising professionals started a website against Santa Claus, a relatively recent phenomenon in that country.<ref name=Czech>, Hilda Hoy, '']'', December 13, 2006.</ref> "Czech Christmases are intimate and magical. All that Santa stuff seems to me like cheap show business," said David König of the Creative Copywriters Club, pointing out that it is primarily an American and British tradition. "I'm not against Santa himself. I'm against Santa in my country only." In the Czech tradition, presents are delivered by ], which translates as ]. | |||
| In the ], Santa, or ]; was historically depicted wearing a green cloak. More recently, that has been changed to the more commonly known red suit.<ref>; ]; 2007-11-26; Retrieved on 2007-12-22</ref> One school in the seaside town of ] banned the use of a red suit for erroneously believing it was only indicative of the Coca-Cola advertising campaign. School spokesman Sarah James said: "The red-suited Santa was created as a marketing tool by Coca-Cola, it is a symbol of commercialism."<ref>, Olinka Koster, The Daily Mail (UK), November 22, 2007.</ref> In reality, the red-suited Santa was created by ]{{Citation needed|date=March 2009}}. | |||
| ===Pedagogical debate about lying to children=== | |||
| {{cquote|The adults they count on to provide reliable information about the world introduce them to Santa. Then his existence is affirmed by friends, books, TV and movies. It is also validated by hard evidence: the half-eaten cookies and empty milk glasses by the tree on Christmas morning. In other words, children do a great job of scientifically evaluating Santa. And adults do a great job of duping them.<ref name=Woolley>, Jaqueline Woolley, '']'', December 23, 2006.</ref>}} | |||
| Woolley posits that it is perhaps "kinship with the adult world" that causes children not to be angry that they were lied to for so long.<ref name=Woolley/> The criticism about this deception is not that it is a simple lie, but a complicated series of very large lies.<ref name=Cline>, Austin Cline, About.com</ref> The objections to the lie are that it is unethical for parents to lie to children without good cause, and that it discourages healthy skepticism in children.<ref name=Cline/> With no greater good at the heart of the lie, it is charged that it is more about the parents than it is about the children. Writer Austin Cline posed the question: "Is it not possible that kids would find at least as much pleasure in knowing that parents are responsible for Christmas, not a supernatural stranger?"<ref name=Cline/> | |||
| Others, however, see no harm in the belief in Santa Claus. Psychologist Tamar Murachver said that because it is a cultural, not parental, lie, it does not undermine parental trust.<ref name="SantaTrust">Palmer, Rebbecca; ; Retrieved on 2007-12-22</ref> The New Zealand Skeptics also see no harm in parents telling their children that Santa is real. Spokesperson Vicki Hyde said, "It would be a hard-hearted parent indeed who frowned upon the innocent joys of our children's cultural heritage. We save our bah humbugs for the things that exploit the vulnerable."<ref name=SantaTrust/> | |||
| Dr. John Condry of Cornell University interviewed more than 500 children for a study of the issue and found that not a single child was angry at his or her parents for telling them Santa Claus was real. According to Dr. Condry, "The most common response to finding out the truth was that they felt older and more mature. They now knew something that the younger kids didn't."<ref>KUTNER, LAWRENCE; ; ]; 1991-11-21; Retrieved on 2007-12-22</ref> | |||
| ===Islamic opposition in Bosnia=== | |||
| Santa Claus has been banned by the director of pre-school education in predominantly ] ] on 21 December 2008 on the grounds that he plays no part in ] tradition.<ref name="grandfrost"></ref> | |||
| The controversial attack is the culmination of a long history of unsuccessful efforts by nationalists with Islamic leanings to ban him from the country.<ref name="grandfrost"/> The struggle first emerged in the aftermath of the ] when the wartime president, ], attempted to declare Santa Claus a communist-era 'fabrication'.<ref name="grandfrost"/> Although at the time Izetbegović's efforts were blocked after a public outcry, this time it was done by Arzija Mahmutović, director of the Children of Sarajevo group of public nurseries, apparently successfully.{{Citation needed|date=December 2009}} | |||
| ==Home== | |||
| ] on ] serving the children of ] as the 'Santa Claus Castle', where they can write letters]] | |||
| Santa Claus's home traditionally includes a residence and a workshop where he creates - often with the aid of elves or other supernatural beings - the gifts he delivers to good children at Christmas. Some stories and legends include a village, inhabited by his helpers, surrounding his home and shop. | |||
| In North American tradition (in the United States and Canada), Santa lives on the North Pole, which according to Canada Post lies within Canadian jurisdiction in postal code H0H 0H0, although postal codes starting with H are usually reserved for the island of Montreal in Québec. On December 23, 2008, ], Canada's minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, formally awarded Canadian citizenship status to Santa Claus. "''The Government of Canada wishes Santa the very best in his Christmas Eve duties and wants to let him know that, as a Canadian citizen, he has the automatic right to re-enter Canada once his trip around the world is complete,''" Kenney said in an official statement.<ref> Toronto Sun, December 12, 2008</ref> | |||
| There is also a city named ] in ] where a tourist attraction known as the "Santa Claus House" has been established. The ] uses the city's zip code of 99705 as their advertised postal code for Santa Claus. A ] in North Pole, AK has also claimed to have a "sleigh fly through".<ref>http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache:blhuWoo_yFwJ:www.northpolechamber.us/npguide.pdf+Wendy%27s&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a</ref> | |||
| Each ] claims Santa's residence to be within their territory. Norway claims he lives in ]. In Denmark, he is said to live in ] (near ]). In Sweden, the town of ] has a themepark named ]. The national postal terminal in ] in ] receives children's letters for Santa. ] in ] has long been known in Finland as Santa's home. A themepark called ] and an amusement park ] are located near ]. | |||
| ].]] | |||
| ==Christmas gift-bringers around the world== | |||
| {{See also|Christmas worldwide}} | |||
| {{Unreferenced section|date=December 2007}} | |||
| ===Europe and North America=== | |||
| "Santa Claus" is generally recognized and celebrated in North America and in some European countries. Elsewhere, the winter holiday gift-giver's attributes, including name, appearance, story, and date of arrival, vary greatly. | |||
| * ]: ] ("Grandfather Christmas");] ("Grandfather Winter") | |||
| * ]: ] ("Christ child") | |||
| * ]: Ձմեռ Պապիկ ({{lang|hy-Latn|''Dzmer Papik''}} "Grandfather Winter") | |||
| * ]: Şaxta baba ("Grandfather Frost") | |||
| * ]: Djeda Mraz (], "Grandfather Frost") | |||
| * ]: Дядо Коледа ("Grandfather Christmas"), Дядо Мраз ("Grandfather Frost") in the past | |||
| * ]: Santa Claus; ] ("Father Christmas") | |||
| * ]: Djed Mraz ("Grandfather Frost") or Djed Božičnjak ("Grandfather Christmas") | |||
| * ]: Svatý Mikuláš ("Saint Nicholas") - he brings gifts in evening of December 5, day before his holiday. He often gives sweets and fruits (for nice kids) and potatoes and coal (for naughty kids); | |||
| :Ježíšek ("child Jesus") - brings gifts in the evening of December (which differs from Santa Claus's gifting during the night between December 24th and 25th); kids are unpacking gifts in evening already. | |||
| * ]: ] | |||
| * ]: ] | |||
| * ]: Jólamaðurin | |||
| * ]: ] | |||
| * ]: ] ("Father Christmas," also a common figure in other ] areas) | |||
| * ]: Weihnachtsmann ("Christmas Man"); ] in southern Germany | |||
| * ]: Tovlis Papa, Tovlis Babua; ''{{lang-ka|თოვლის ბაბუა}} {{lang-ka|თოვლის პაპა}}'' | |||
| * ], ]: Άγιος Βασίλης ("Saint Basil") | |||
| * ]: Mikulás ("Nicholas"); Télapó ("]"); Jézuska or Kis Jézus ("child Jesus") | |||
| * ]: Jólasveinn ("Yule Man"). See also the 13 ] (''jólasveinarnir''). | |||
| * ]: Santa Claus, Santy or Daidí na Nollaig (Father Christmas) | |||
| * ]: ] ("Father Christmas"); La ] (similar to Santa Claus; she rides a ] rather than a sleigh, but is not considered a ]); Santa Lucia ("Saint Lucy," a blind old woman who on December 13 brings gifts to children in some regions, riding a donkey); Gesù bambino ("Child Jesus") | |||
| * ]: Ziemassvētku vecītis ("Christmas pop") | |||
| * ]: ] | |||
| * ]: Senis Šaltis ("Old Man Frost") or Kalėdų Senelis ("Christmas Grandfather") | |||
| * ]s & ]: Kerstman ("Christmas Man") | |||
| * ]: ] / ] | |||
| * ]: ] | |||
| * ]: Święty Mikołaj / ] ("Saint Nicholas"); ] in some regions | |||
| * ]: ] | |||
| * ], ]: Moș Crăciun ("Father Christmas"); Moș Niculae ("Father Nicholas"); Moș Gerilă ("Father Frost") | |||
| ]n ] at his residence in ].]] | |||
| * ]: Дед Мороз (], "Grandfather Frost") | |||
| * ]: Дедa Мрaз / Deda Mraz (], "Grandfather Frost"); Божић Бата / Božić Bata ("Christmas Brother") | |||
| * ]: Reyes Magos (]) is the autochthonous tradition, and representations of the Magi are done in the streets the 6th of January. Due to external influence, Santa Claus (Papá Noel) is becoming more common. Many families have adopted both traditions. | |||
| ** ]: Apart from the Reis Mags (Biblical Magi) tradition, in ] there is another local tradition, the ]. Usually this character gives small gifts, the more important gifts being given by the Reis Mags. As in the rest of Spain, the imported Pare Noel (Santa Claus) tradition is becoming more common. | |||
| * ]: ] | |||
| * ]: ] / ] / ] | |||
| * ]: ] ("Father Christmas") Although Turks are mainly Islamic, many homes carry the tradition of "Noel Baba" and a Christmas (or New Year) tree. | |||
| * ]: ] ("Father Christmas") | |||
| * ]: ]; Дід Мороз / ]. | |||
| * ]: Father Christmas, Santa Claus, Santa, Siôn Corn ("Chimney John" in ])<ref>http://www.classbrain.com/artholiday/publish/santas_names_around_world.shtml</ref> | |||
| * ]: Santa Claus; Kris Kringle; Papa Noel (mostly in South Louisiana), Saint Nicholas or Saint Nick | |||
| ===Latin America=== | |||
| Santa Claus in Latin America is generally referred to as ], but there are variations from country to country. | |||
| * ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ]: Papá Noel ("Father Christmas"), ] (Baby Jesus) | |||
| * ]: ] (Father Christmas); Os Três Reis Magos ("The Three Mage Kings") | |||
| * ]: ] (Christmas old man) | |||
| * ]: Santo Clós (Santa Claus); ] (lit. "child God" i.e. child Jesus); Los Reyes Magos ("The magic kings") | |||
| ===Asia=== | |||
| People around Asia, particularly countries that have adopted Western cultures, also celebrate Christmas and the gift-giver traditions passed down to them from the West. Some countries that observe and celebrate Christmas (especially as a public holiday) include ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and the ] communities within Central Asia and the ]. | |||
| * ]: Santa Claus | |||
| * ]: 聖誕老人 (]: ''shèngdànlǎorén'' lit. Christmas old man) | |||
| * ]: 聖誕老人 (]: ''sing3 daan3 lou5 jan4'' lit. Christmas old man) ''Santa Claus, Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas | |||
| * ]: Dada ("Christmas old man"), Thatha("Christmas old man" in telugu) | |||
| * ]: サンタさん、サンタクロース (]: ''santa-san'' (lit. Mr. Santa) ''santa kurōsu'') | |||
| * ]: 산타 클로스 ("santa kullosu"), 산타 같이 보기 ("santa grandfather") | |||
| * ]: өвлийн өвгөн ("Uvliin uvgun" lit. Winter old man) | |||
| * ]: Ông già Noel ("The Christmas old man") | |||
| ===Africa and the Middle East=== | |||
| Christians in ] and ] who celebrate Christmas generally ascribe to the gift-giver traditions passed down to them by Europeans in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Descendants of colonizers still residing in these regions likewise continue the practices of their ancestors.<ref>http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=56064</ref> | |||
| * ]: Sinterklaas; Father Christmas; Santa Claus; Vader Kersfees | |||
| * ]: Papa Noel (]: بابا نويل ''baba noel'') | |||
| * ]: Papa Noel (]: بابا نويل ''baba noel'') | |||
| ===Oceania=== | |||
| * ]: Father Christmas, Santa Claus | |||
| * ]: Father Christmas, Santa Claus | |||
| ==Gallery== | |||
| <gallery> | |||
| File:Santa Claus-SL.jpg|Santa Claus | |||
| File:Santa Clause is skiing in Adelboden.JPG|Santa Claus on skis in ] | |||
| File:North Pole Alaska Santa Claus.jpg|Santa Claus in ] | |||
| File:Perenoel1875-1.png|] Santa Claus drawing from 1875 | |||
| File:Santa Claus kobe.jpg|]ese Santa Claus | |||
| File:French Santa.jpg|Santa Claus in ] | |||
| File:Customsuit.jpg|Santa Claus | |||
| <!-- Deleted image removed: File:SC Funnies 1959a.JPG|Santa Claus depiction influenced by the ], (], 1959) --> | |||
| </gallery> | |||
| ==See also== | |||
| ===Related topics=== | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] - a northeastern US tradition of pilots delivering presents to families in remote lighthouses | |||
| * ] - a small ] town named after the legendary figure, and home to ] ] | |||
| * ], who helped to popularize the image of Santa Claus in a sleigh pulled by reindeers. | |||
| ===Variations of Christmas around the world=== | |||
| * ] | |||
| ===Related figures in Historical Folklore=== | |||
| * ] (Hungary) | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] and ] - Mythical characters. | |||
| * ] and ] | |||
| * ] - Scandinavian mythical character | |||
| * ] - Scandinavian Christmas symbol | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] or Saint Claus - Ukrainian folk tale equivalent to Santa Claus (Pronounced ''Svyatiy Klaoos'') | |||
| * ] (], Russian: Дед Мороз) plays a role similar to Santa Claus | |||
| ==References== | |||
| <!--See http://en.wikipedia.org/Wikipedia:Footnotes for an explanation of how to generate footnotes using the <ref(erences/)> tags--> | |||
| {{Reflist|2}} | |||
| ==External links== | |||
| {{Commons category}} | |||
| <!-- | |||
| Editors: Please ensure all links in this section meet the ] policy and remove those that do not. | |||
| --> | |||
| * The Original 1860s Illustrations | |||
| *, the artist whose Christmas cards inspired Haddon Sundblom when he designed Coca-Cola's Santa. | |||
| * | |||
| *, one of the Internet's oldest Santa-related website, founded in 1991 by former ] ] Jeff Guide | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| {{Christmas}} | |||
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Revision as of 22:16, 8 July 2010
Santa is a fat lard with a cherry nose, and he does NOT need any cookies. Oh, and he isn't real.