Santa Claus as a bearded, gray-haired man, bringing gifts at Christmas, has been spread around the world relatively recently. We owe this to popular American culture. However, in many places around the world, the local tradition is still preserved today. Who brings gifts to children in different parts of the world?
According to medieval tradition, Saint Nicholas was the bishop of Mira, which is located in today's Turkey. At the turn of the 3rd and 4th centuries, when Nicholas was active, it was part of the Roman Empire. According to legend, he was a very pious man who renounced the pleasures of this world. At the same time, he was very sensitive to the needs of others. He is credited with saving the wrongly accused imperial soldiers, saving the daughters of a poor neighbor from being sold to a brothel, and even silencing a sea storm. His cult spread from Byzantium in the 11th century, where the first hagiographies were written. However, he has become a popular saint all over the world. So much so that in the Protestant calendar, despite the liquidation of the cult of saints, December 6 was kept as Nicholas Day.
During the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Church ceased to worship certain saints whose historicity could not be proven. The memory of Nicholas on December 6 was left for the choice of local churches.
Saint Nicholas was venerated as a saint helping the faithful in need. Some legends particularly drew attention to the fact that he anonymously bestowed on those in need. On this basis, in some countries, small gifts began to be given to children on the day of his memory - December 6. This practice was quite successful, especially in the Netherlands. It was here called Mikołaj Sinter Klaas. The New York City Santa Claus, immortalized in Washington Irving's 1809 book, The History of New York, has Dutch roots. This time the saint gained a fairy-tale dimension. According to the writer, he was flying on a pegasus. It was not until the mid-nineteenth century that the idea of harnessing Santa's sleigh with reindeer appeared. He also gained many features of the Scandinavian Julnis, who, according to tradition, give children Christmas gifts, and the English personification of holidays, a being called Father Christmas, widespread already in the 15th century. In the 1930s, Coca-Cola created the image of the powerful, gray-haired Santa Claus living in Lapland. This is how the image of Santa Claus, which is best known to this day, was born. Ads for a well-known drink and numerous American Christmas films popularize it around the world. Even so, in many countries, older traditions are cultivated.
In Scandinavia, gifts for children are brought by tomte (Sweden) or nisse (Norway). These figures from Nordic folklore should be treated more like our dwarfs than like the powerfully built Santa Claus from American movies. The competition for Nicholas here is Saint Lucy, whose day - December 13, is celebrated very solemnly in Sweden. She also has gifts for the children.
In England and parts of France, gifts were brought by the holiday spirit - Father Christmas (Pere Noel). This character was shaped in Victorian England. Although it has been known at least since the 15th century, it was not until the 19th century that it began to be said that it brings gifts to children. The old version of the Spirit of Christmas can be found in Charles Dickens' novel A Christmas Carol, the new one in The Lion, the Witch, and the Old Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis.
The Danish equivalent of Saint Nicholas is Julemand. However, this character spread only after World War II. Previously, Nisse brought gifts, as in Norway.
In Niemcza, the Czech Republic, and Silesia, the Baby Jesus himself can also bring gifts.
In southern Europe, a tradition is maintained in which gifts are brought only by the Three Kings, or rather the Magi-Kings (Reyes Magos). Children have to wait for them until January 6.
Italian kids also get gifts on January 6 but are brought by a fairy named Befana. Legend has it that she was late to meet the baby Jesus and that is why she now leaves gifts to all the children. Befana has all the features of a classic witch - she is an old lady with a curved nose and flies on a broomstick. Her name is probably derived from the twisted Greek word "epiphany" (revelation). It is possible that the custom of depicting a female figure giving out gifts for Christmas dates back to the traditions of ancient Rome. Some people connect her with the Roman goddess of the new year - Strenua. In some German Länder, the equivalent of Befana is Frau Berta, probably also adopted from the Roman tradition.
Latin American countries adopted Christmas customs along with the colonial culture and Catholic faith from the Old Continent. Mostly from Spain and Portugal. Saint Nicholas (also known as Viejito Pascuero or Papa Noel), the Baby Jesus, or the Magi-Kings bring gifts here.
Orthodoxy greatly honors Bishop Nicholas as a saint. Contrary to Catholic countries, its historicity has not been questioned here. However, he is not a typical gift-giving saint. In Russia, a popular character distributing gifts is Grandfather Frost. In Poland, it is associated with the culture of the USSR, but the custom of giving gifts by this equivalent of Saint Nicholas spread as early as the 19th century. Earlier, Grandfather Frost was called a rather dark figure, referring to Slavic deities. He was the personification of frost that kills living things in its path. However, in the 19th century, his image was slightly "warmed", following the example of the Dutch Sinter Klaas. He was also given a Snow White to help him - considered to be his daughter or granddaughter.
Many countries of the former Soviet Union and the former Russian Empire took over Grandfather Frost as the one who brings gifts. Its version can be found in places as far apart as Azerbaijan and North Macedonia.
In the tradition of the Greek Orthodox Church, Saint Basil brings gifts to children. He does it not on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning, but on the first day of the New Year.
In Poland, Saint Nicholas is the most popular. In some of the more traditional houses, the emphasis is that the prototype was a bishop. Many children, however, believe in Santa, popularized by American films.
Nevertheless, some older traditions have also survived. It is possible to give gifts to the Child Jesus, the Santa Claus - a figure derived from the tradition of carollers, walking around the villages in disguise. In parts of Poland and the Czech Republic, an Angel can also be Mikołaj's assistant.
As you can see, the tradition of bringing gifts during the holiday season is very diverse. American culture infiltrates us through films, commercials, and Christmas promotions in supermarkets. Despite this, many countries value the local tradition and try to maintain it.
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