Père Noel French Santa Claus. What Santa Claus looks like in different countries (15 photos)
In Russia - Father Frost, in France - Père Noel, in Japan - Segatsu-san...
IN different countries Santa Clauses are different: one is kind, and the other can scold. Everyone has their own personal way of getting into your home, and they look different. What are they like, relatives of Santa Claus?
See all photos in the gallery
"Santa Christian" from Burundi. Among African Catholics, Santa Claus lives on Mount Kilimanjaro, because... This is the only mountain in Africa that constantly has snow on its top.
This is what Santa Claus looks like in Hawaii.
Sintaklaas, or Sinterklaas - Nicholas the Wonderworker, in the Netherlands and Belgium. Children and adults also celebrate St. Nicholas Day on December 5, although national holiday it doesn't count.
Belarusian Santa Claus
Per Noel. Winter folklore New Year's character straight from France. According to tradition, Père Noel, arriving at the house on a donkey wearing wooden shoes and carrying a basket of gifts, enters the house through the chimney, placing gifts in shoes left in front of the fireplace.
(This one, like ours, also decided to see summer.)
Daidi na Nollaig is the Irish counterpart of Father Christmas. Ireland is a religious country and really values its good old traditions. That is why New Year in Ireland will be imbued with mysticism and unusualness. (There is apparently also an element of mysticism in the fact that tourists are dressed for summer.)
In Cyprus, Santa Claus is called Vasily.
(Correction: Agios Vasilis - Saint Basil)
Actually, Grandfather Frost himself.
Santa Claus is the most famous partner of Father Frost. Grey hair, neat beard and mustache. Red jacket, pants and cap. Dark leather belt hugs a thick belly. Essentially this is a life-loving elf. Most often he has glasses on his nose, and a smoking pipe in his mouth (in last years tries not to “press” on this element of the image).
There are two Santa Clauses in Sweden: the stooped grandfather with a knobby nose, Yultomten, and the dwarf, Julnissaar. Both of them go from house to house on New Year’s Eve and leave gifts on the windowsills.
Many peoples of Russia have a similar character: among the Karelians his name is Pakkaine (Frost), and he is young.
Ehee Dyl or Chiskhan - Yakut Grandfather Freezing.
This New Year's character apparently "settled in" better than others New Year's colleagues. Judge for yourself: Kykhyn Khotun knows it winter time; three daughters Saaschaana, Sayyina and Kuhyney distribute spring, summer and autumn responsibilities among themselves. What Ehee Dyl himself does is not entirely clear.
In China, Santa Claus's name is simple and uncomplicated: Dong Che Lao Ren or Shan Dan Laozhen. Despite the exotic name, the Chinese grandfather’s habits are not at all different from the famous Santa Claus.
Jollopukki lives in Finland. He has Maria. Yollopukki wears a long sheepskin coat and announces his appearance with a bell. In the photo Jollopukki is on the right with his Hungarian colleague.
Happy New Year!
Therefore, today we would like to introduce you to a wonderful character, without whom this day is difficult to imagine. Our hero is Santa Claus. We will also tell you about its many brothers from all over the world.
Grandfather Frost (Russia)
Santa Claus from around the world is a relative of our beloved grandfather. Morozko, Studenets, Treskun - all this is one Slavic character of Slavic mythology, the lord of winter and frost. Our ancestors imagined him as a short old man with a long white beard. His breath began to cause a strong cold. Icicles appeared from his tears. The words he spoke turned into frost. Snow clouds are his hair. In winter, Santa Claus walks around forests, fields, and streets. He taps his ice staff, and the severe frosts freeze rivers, streams, and puddles with ice. If he hits the corner of the hut, the log will certainly burst. Morozko does not really like those who complain about the cold and shiver from the cold. And it gives a bright blush to cheerful and cheerful people. Grandfather from November to March. At this time, even the sun is shy in front of it. In our country, Santa Claus appeared in 1910, at Christmas, but for some reason did not gain popularity. This character became beloved and famous in the 1930s, thanks to Soviet filmmakers: he came to children on New Year’s Eve and gave them generous gifts. And to this day the kids believe that New Year's Eve Santa Claus comes to every home. In different countries of the world, traditions are observed sacredly.
Santa Nikolaus (Germany)
The German Father Frost is always inseparable from his faithful servant, Ruprecht. True, he gives gifts (as well as rods for naughty people) not on Christmas, but on the night of December 6th. Ruprecht appeared because in the medieval educational institutions In Germany, children were given New Year's gifts by a priest. The peasants, in turn, wanted to see an ordinary farm laborer in his place. That's how this one came about fairy tale image, and the priest turned into the good Santa Nicholas.
Weihnachtsmann (Germany)
On the night before Christmas, Weinachtsman comes to the German children. Santa Clauses from different countries are kind and child-loving heroes who want to arrange a holiday for all the children. So the German character is an exact copy of “our” Santa Claus. He comes to the kids on a donkey. When going to bed, boys and girls in Germany put a plate on the table in which the good old man will put tasty treats, and in their shoes they leave hay for his donkey. In Germany, as in many European countries, Christmas is a family holiday. Everyone must gather at the festive table and give each other gifts. This ceremony is called Besherung. This is another reason to doubt the Christian origin of the Russian Father Frost. Most likely, Orthodox and pagan traditions were mixed in his image.
Père Noel (France)
In that fun party the most welcome guest in every home is Santa Claus. Customs in different countries of the world require an original meeting of this hero. With his appearance, joy and fun come to the house. The French grandfather's name is Pere Noel. His name can be literally translated as Father Christmas. Pere Noel is also not alone in congratulating the little ones. His constant companion Shaland is a bearded old man in a fur hat, wrapped in a warm traveling cloak. Père Noel congratulates and gives gifts to well-mannered and obedient children, and Shaland brings rods to the naughty and lazy ones. The New Year holiday in France is celebrated not with family. Most often this happens in the company of friends in a restaurant, and often even just on the street, surrounded by hundreds of sparkling garlands and bright fireworks, sparkling champagne, fun and music.
Father Christmas (UK)
Santa Claus from around the world congratulates people, observing national customs. In England, where traditions are valued above all else, the main thing in the New Year's celebration is the queen's speech. She says it after the festive dinner. And before the feast, the family goes to church. Children turn to Father Christmas and ask him for gifts. To do this, you need to write a detailed letter to the magical grandfather with all your wishes and throw it into the fireplace. The wish list from the chimney will be delivered straight to its destination with smoke.
In England, St. Stephen's Day is celebrated on the second day of the Christmas holidays. This is the time when boxes are opened to collect donations. They are distributed to all people in need.
Santa Claus (USA)
In countries around the world, Santa Claus is the symbol of this bright holiday. Americans borrowed most of their traditions from Europeans. The New World, as we know, appeared thanks to the efforts of people who arrived from the Old World. In the USA, they always decorate the Christmas tree and serve turkey. On this holiday, Americans drink egg-nog - a wine-egg drink with cream.
Father Christmas in America is called Santa Claus. It was first mentioned in the press in 1773. The basis of the image was Myra. It was first described in literature by William Gilly in the poem Santeclaus (1821). A year later, a poetic account of this fabulous old man appeared. Its author was Clement Clark Moore. The well-known appearance of Santa Claus today is the result of the work of Handon Sundblom, an artist from the United States, who in 1931 completed a series of original drawings for the Coca-Cola New Year's advertisement. There is an opinion that the same Santa we know is the brainchild of the mentioned popular brand.
Joulupukki (Finland)
There is an opinion that Santa Clauses of different countries come from Finland, and they themselves originated on this land. The gnome Joulupukki came to visit the Finnish children. This funny name can be translated into Russian as “Christmas goat.” The villagers who carried gifts home on Christmas night wore fur coats made from goat skins. If your children asked you for the addresses of Santa Clauses from different countries, you can tell them that Joulupukki lives inside the Korvatunturi hill, in the mysterious Kaikuluolat caves. He has sensitive, large ears, so he knows well which of the children behaved well and which were mischievous. He also knows who wants to receive what gifts.
On Christmas night, while the children are sleeping, he comes to them and leaves generous gifts, which he hides in a cap. The disobedient ones are less lucky - he brings them the rod. It must be said that Santa Clauses from different countries come not only to give gifts to children, but also to punish them. At least this was the case until the middle of the 20th century. Since then, Christmas grandfathers have become much kinder.
Jul Tomten (Sweden)
You can often hear the question: “How many Santa Clauses are there on Earth?” Probably as many as there are countries. Children in Sweden are waiting for Christmas gifts from a gnome who is a bit like our brownie. He hides in the basement of every home on Christmas Day. His name is Yul Tomten. He usually lives in a protected forest with picturesque valleys and lakes. They help him funny snowman Dusty, the prince and princess, mischievous mice, the King and the Snow Queen, witches and numerous elves.
Babbo Natape and the fairy Befana (Italy)
Santa Claus sounds differently in the languages of the world. The Italian grandfather's name is Babbo Natape. He leaves his fast sleigh on the roof and sneaks into each house through the chimney. The owners prepare milk and sweets for him in advance “to strengthen him.”
In Italy, children are also waiting for the fairy Befana. She organized a holiday in this country: good children They brought sweets and toys. But the bad ones got only extinguished embers. In Italy there is a belief that Befana is brought by stars. She enters houses through the chimney and places surprises in stockings, which are hung in advance from the exhaust hoods of the fireplaces.
There is another version - the fairy arrives in an “earthly” way - on a cute donkey loaded with a bale of gifts. Befana opens the doors with a golden key and fills the shoes with sweets and souvenirs.
Oji-san (Japan)
The Santa Clauses of the world (you see the photo in our article) are very different. In Japan, the familiar old man is “replaced” by the god Hoteyosho. If the “brothers” of Santa Claus from other countries are quite humanoid, then Japan is very different in this sense. God Hoteyosho is an amazing character with eyes in the back of his head.
Sho Hin (China)
If you are going to spend the Christmas holidays in China, you will probably notice the luxurious “Trees of Light” - an interesting analogue of our Christmas tree. Brightly decorated in oriental style with lanterns, garlands, and flowers, they delight not only local residents, but also guests of the country. Chinese peasants use these same decorations to decorate their houses. Little Chinese hang stockings on the walls of their homes, where Sho Hin puts his gifts.
Mikulas and Jerzyshek (Czech Republic, Slovakia)
Czech Grandfather Mikulas comes to every home on the night of December 6th. This is the night before St. Nicholas Day. Outwardly, he looks like the twin of our Santa Claus. He has the same long fur coat, staff, and hat. Only now he brings gifts in a shoulder box and is accompanied not by the charming Snow Maiden, but by a beautiful angel in white clothes and a shaggy little imp. Mikulas brings oranges, apples and various sweets to good and obedient children. The “Christmas boot” of a slacker or hooligan ends up with a piece of coal or a potato. For many, it remains a mystery how Grandfather Mikulash gets along with Hedgehog.
This is probably the most modest and inconspicuous New Year's character in the whole world. He throws gifts to the children. Hedgehog is very careful that no one sees him. That is why the appearance of this good fellow remains a mystery. But if the Christmas bell rings on the tree, Czech and Slovak children rush to look at their gifts. "Who brought this?" - ask the most stupid kids. "Hedgehog!" - the parents answer with a smile.
Noel Baba (Türkiye)
Many people believe that Santa Clauses from different countries are created in the image of St. Nicholas. Noel Baba is a kind and generous miracle worker and fighter against evil, the patron saint of lost and kidnapped children. According to existing legend, one day Nicholas of Myra walked through the village past a poor house. Out of hopelessness, the father of the family was going to send his daughters to “study” the most ancient profession on Earth. Nikolai did not like this, and at night he threw three wallets filled with gold coins into the chimney of the house. They got into the girls' shoes. The father bought a dowry for his daughters and married them all off.
Uvlin Uvgun
In Mongolia, the whole family celebrates the New Year. The father of the family is helped by Shina Zhila and Zazan Okhin. Uvlin Uvgun himself is the embodiment of a magnificent cattle breeder. Therefore, it is quite natural that he appears at the holiday in appropriate clothes.
Santa Claus's address for letters
Every child in the world dreams of getting the coveted New Year's gift, which he had been dreaming about all year... To do this, you need to draw up detailed description your wishes and send them to your magical grandfather. But where can I get Santa Claus's address for letters? We'll tell you. Write your letters to the address: 162340 Veliky Ustyug, house of Father Frost.
There is another residence located in the Moscow Kuzminsky forest.
We hope that the coming New Year will be happy for you, and Santa Claus will give everyone the desired gifts.
Oh, sympathize, good people! We are already on the third day of Christmas, continuous feasts - Christmas goose, mulled wine, cookies. In a word, not a holiday, but a calorie bomb. A house full of relatives. And also gifts under the Christmas tree. If you like the gifts, if you don’t like them, be happy. In our country, Santa Claus comes not on New Year’s, but on Christmas. By the way, where does it come from? Where does the German Santa Claus live? This is what Christiane Hoffmann tried to find out:
“Dear good Santa Claus, I really want a toy car and a Barbie and Ken doll, and also a horse for Barbie with a bell. I behaved almost well this year. My name is Mark, I’m 10 years old, thank you.”
Every year more than 20,000 letters with similar contents arrive at the post office in Himmelpforten near Hamburg. It’s amazing what place people live in! After all, “Himmelpforten” literally translates as “Heaven’s Gate.” It is clear that the residents of the village with this name have a special relationship with the powers of heaven. True, they themselves lived for centuries and did not notice anything special. For now... but Hermann Bardenhaken will tell you more about this:
“It all started around ’61 or ’62. One girl from our village wrote a letter to Santa Claus and threw it in the mailbox. Well, someone took it at the post office and jokingly replied. And the girl was delighted and began to show everyone a letter from Santa Claus himself.”
This touching story was immediately picked up by the local newspaper, and then rumor spread throughout Germany that Santa Claus lived in the town of Himmelpforten. Since then, Hermann Bardenhaken - he was then the head of the local post office - has been working part-time as the personal secretary of Santa Claus. So he knows exactly how orders and wishes have changed over the past 40 years:
“Today it’s more and more technology - computers, TVs, the Internet and all sorts of stuff that I don’t understand anything about. One has to ask what this means. And also, especially in recent years, many children do not ask for specific gifts, they want peace. It’s clear that we’re all a little scared.”
Herman Bardenhaken is 77 years old today and has been retired for a long time. But I still got used to the computer, otherwise you won’t be able to answer all the letters. He has something like this on his computer. Like, we received your letter, if you behave well, then your wishes will be fulfilled. True, we cannot give any guarantees. Well, Santa Claus’s personal secretary gives special answers to special letters. He even received an Order of Merit from the federal government for his pro bono work. True, now it is becoming more and more difficult for him to cope with all the mail. There are also difficulties with the Internet. The fact is that in addition to ordinary letters, about 35,000 electronic messages arrive in Himmelpforten every year. But young people from the village are already doing this. They even opened their own website on the Internet called “Weihnachtsmanndorf.de”, that is, “Village of Father Frost”. There you can find recipes for various cookies and jams for Christmas, tips on how to decorate a Christmas tree, and how to make a gift yourself. You can also chat in a “chat” with one of Santa Claus’ secretaries or even with him himself. The funny thing is that not only children, but also quite adult uncles and aunts visit this site.
Now, of course, the question is: Santa Claus promises everyone that if you behave well, all your wishes will come true. And who should fulfill this promise? Who should give gifts? But this is where the German Father Frost or, if you prefer, Santa Claus is no different from the Russian, Ukrainian, Estonian or American. Just have German Grandfather Frost has a specific address: the village of “Himmelpforten”, that is, “Heaven’s Gate”.
Public television in Germany turns half a century old
And besides Christmas, on December 25 we celebrated a small anniversary: the 50th anniversary of public television broadcasting. Back then it was called “visual radio” or “radio for viewers.” Here it must be said that television appeared in Germany even before the war. But it was a cable channel that mainly broadcast variety shows and Nazi propaganda. We only saw it in Berlin. After the war, a wise decision was made in Germany: the state must be deprived of its own media once and for all. The temptation for those in power to use the media in their own interests is too great. This is how public-legal radio, independent of the government, appeared. And on December 25, 1952, the first channel of public television went on air. Kai Küstner tells about the history of the channel:
Today, more than 30 million television sets are registered in Germany, which can receive more than 30 channels of public and private television channels. However, in the age of satellite television there are no restrictions. Turks in Germany, in addition to German channels, watch Turkish ones, Poles watch Polish ones, Russians watch Russian ones. But it all began on December 25, 1952 very modestly: with two hours of broadcasting. And the audience was modest: at that time there were only 1,500 black-and-white televisions in German homes. True, the authorities of the then GDR came to their aid and released the first television program four days earlier. This was not regular broadcasting, but a so-called pilot project. But the main thing then was to stake out an advantage Soviet power. The new media was called “radio for the eyes.” And West German television already on December 26, 1952 presented its main project - “Daytime Review”, that is, an extended news release. This news program is still very popular. The debut, however, went almost unnoticed. Fritz Pleitgen, director of the ARD television and radio company, talks about this.
“The magazine Hörzu, popular in those days, published program schedules. So, he assigned radio programs a spread in the form of 14 long columns. Television got a pitiful nook two fingers thick - the “Magic Mirror” section.
Regular television broadcasting has become great event for both Germany and the GDR. Although it took more years before television could finally take hold. In June 1953, six months after the start of regular television broadcasts, less than 10 thousand people owned televisions. Residents of the Federal Republic of Germany learned about the workers' uprising in East Berlin on June 17, 1953, mainly only from the radio and newspapers. Fritz Pleitgen admits:
“If there was a medium that played an important political role in those dramatic days and hours, it was radio, both in Western and Eastern Germany.”
But soon television took over. In individual federal states, one after another, their own television companies emerged. In 1954 they merged into the ARD television and radio company. And in the 60s, a second channel of social and legal television appeared - TsDF. In 1967, the era of color television began in Germany. And in 1984, the first private channel went on air. Since then, commercial television companies have been growing like mushrooms, but disappearing just as quickly. And television has firmly taken its place as number one among all media. For example, the entire “Velvet Revolution” in the GDR, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the unification of the country - all this happened in real time on TV screens not only in Germany, but throughout the world. Moreover, sometimes television not only reflected reality, but also influenced it. Take November 9, 1989, the very day the Berlin Wall came down. This is what the GDR television message sounded like that day:
“The foreign press was informed about today’s meeting in the evening by a member of the Politburo of the SED Central Committee, Comrade Günther Schabowski. He also announced the decision of the Council of Ministers of the GDR on new rules for border movement.”
What did Günther Schabowski actually say? In the general confusion of those days, he announced at an international press conference that residents of the GDR without special permits and visas could cross the border into West Germany. Whether this was an already approved decision of the Central Committee or just one of the proposals discussed, no one can still say for sure. But when asked by a journalist about when the new rules for crossing the border are in effect, the confused party functionary replied that if he understood everything correctly, then immediately. The stunned correspondent jumped out of the room and rushed to the nearest telephone. And this is where the ARD TV channel worked faster than anyone else. During halftime of a football match, he came out with an emergency broadcast and announced sensational news. Professor Rüdiger Steinmetz of the University of Leipzig emphasizes:
“That day ARD informed viewers better than all other channels. Commercial companies practically slept through this event and got involved later than others.”
Residents of East Berlin reacted instantly, because the majority had long preferred Western television to their own. In powerful columns, some by car, some on foot, they moved towards the checkpoints at the Berlin Wall. The GDR border guards, who had not received any special orders, tried in vain to get through to some authorities. In the end, they simply could not contain the avalanche. Residents of the GDR flocked to the West. At 22:42, the host of the main news program on the ARD channel, Hans-Joachim Friedrichs, announced:
“Today, November 9, a historical event took place before our eyes. The Berlin Wall has opened."
This is how television intervened in the course of history. Today, commercial channels are trying with all their might to supplant social and legal ones. But the first German television program “ARD” was and remains a leader among serious information programs.
By the way, our radio station “Deutsche Welle” today is also part of the public-legal television and radio company ARD. But our time is up, and the Christmas holidays have come to an end. So, finally, one more version of the most famous Christmas song “Silent Night” and let’s all get ready for the New Year together.
What is another name for Santa Claus?
You now know that in almost all countries New Year is celebrated at different times and in different ways. Therefore, we can assume that everyone’s Santa Clauses are also different. The way it is. This cheerful old man is a real traveler: he is in a hurry to visit every child on earth. So where and what is it called?
Father Frost(Treskun, Morozko, Studenets and Karachun) - lives in Belarus and Russia. At first glance, it seems that the old man is quite stern. The wizard is dressed in a floor-length fur coat and a tall hat. In his hands he has an ice staff and a bag of gifts.
Father Frost- the only fairy-tale grandfather in the world who has a wife - Winter. And the mythical character is called Grandfather because he has a granddaughter - the Snow Maiden.
Santa Claus— pleases children of America and Australia with gifts. American Santa Claus is dressed in a short red jacket, red pants and high black boots. On his head he has a long cap with a pompom at the end. The old man travels through the air on reindeer and enters the house through the chimney. Australian Santa is almost the same, only instead of pants he has swimming trunks, and instead of reindeer he has a scooter (it’s just very hot in Australia).
Corbobo- Uzbek Grandfather Frost, traveling through Uzbek villages with his faithful companion Korgyz (Snegurochka) on a donkey. He is dressed in a striped robe.
Joulupukki- lives in Finland. This name for this Santa Claus was not given by chance. He used to wear goat skin and deliver gifts on a goat. This is where his name came from, translated from Finnish “joulu” - Christmas, “pukki” - goat.
Pere Noel (Grandfather January)— Santa Claus from France. He wears a wide-brimmed hat and always carries a magic staff with him.
St Nicholas- a sacred symbol of the New Year in Belgium and Poland. It is believed that this is the very first Santa Claus, as there is an ancient legend: he once left a shoe with golden apples in gratitude to the family that sheltered him from bad weather. Saint Nicholas moves on a horse, and he is always followed by his faithful servant Black Peter, who carries a bag of gifts for obedient children and a rod for naughty children. Saint Nicholas is dressed in a miter and bishop's mantle.
Babbo Natale- Italian Santa Claus. In addition to him, the good sorceress Befana comes to the obedient children and gives gifts, and the ill-mannered children only get a coal from her.
Uvlin Uvgun- rules winter in Mongolia. His eternal companions are Zazan Okhin (Snow Maiden) and Shina Zhila (New Year boy). Uvlin Uvgun is dressed in the clothes of a cattle breeder, apparently because the New Year in Mongolia coincides with the day of cattle breeding.
Nisse- not quite the real Santa Claus, because he is a dwarf, and in Norway, where he performs the duties of Father Frost, he is called the little brownie.
At first glance, these Santa Clauses are completely different. But there is still one similarity that unites them. Wizards must visit all the boys and girls on New Year's Eve to congratulate them on the New Year and give them long-awaited gifts. But old people do it differently. Our Santa Claus puts a gift under the tree. The English and Irish find gifts in a sock, and the Mexicans find gifts in a shoe. Pere Noel in France throws gifts into the chimney, and Father Frost in Spain throws gifts onto the balcony. The Swedish Santa Claus puts gifts near the fireplace, and the German one - on the windowsill.
New Year has become the most beloved and happy holiday for all humanity. New Year is a fairy tale holiday. And not a single fairy tale is complete without miracles. And on New Year’s Day we expect not only gifts, but also the arrival of the almighty old man Santa Claus in the house. We believe that he will definitely fulfill our wishes and return lost hopes. Santa Claus is subject to time and distance. He has time everywhere and can do anything. And it doesn’t matter that our Santa Claus is called differently in other countries, and he doesn’t look as majestic there as he does in his homeland. In each country it is a little different, but that’s not the main thing, right?
On the eve of the New Year, I wanted to visit many countries and find out how our Grandfather Frost, Santa Clauses and other overseas winter characters are different and similar. I wonder how all the Santa Clauses congratulate the children? Of course, I couldn’t travel around the whole world, because I’m not a magician. But we managed to visit some places.
I learned that all Santa Clauses bring gifts, but everyone does it in their own way. Our Santa Claus puts gifts under the festively decorated Christmas trees. And English and Irish grandfathers put gifts in their socks. Probably the gifts are small. Or are the socks too big? In France and Holland, gifts reach children through chimneys, and in Spain, grandfathers leave them on balconies. The Swedish grandfather gets closer to the stove and leaves it near it. New Year's greetings, warms itself up and sets off.
 ... the Dutch Father Christmas is called Sinterklaas. He appears in the company of two chimney sweeps. The grandfather himself is so imposing that he does not try to climb into the chimneys on his own; instead, his assistants, the chimney sweeps, bring gifts to the children at night. |
New Year in the NetherlandsThe Dutch celebrate the New Year (it is called Old-New Year) to the explosions of firecrackers, firecrackers, and the howl of car horns. At midnight on December 31st, fireworks light up the sky over Amsterdam. Traditionally, the New Year is celebrated with family. Waffles and cookies are served with the feast. Each region of the country has a special recipe for these sweets. The most popular type is shortbread cookies with almonds and candied fruits called Advent Wreath. The traditional Dutch New Year's drink is slam, consisting of hot milk with the addition of tea, saffron, cinnamon, nutmeg |
, carnations. At 12 o'clock at night in the Netherlands they open champagne and snack on cookies. At night, the Dutch put Christmas trees in huge bonfires and burn them.New Year in Austria Krampus scares not only evil spirits. He carries a rod with him, with which he punishes children if they have not obeyed their parents throughout the past year. Now the monster has become completely brutal and has begun handing out coals to those who do not pay their loans on time. Could Krampus be bribed by bankers and become a holiday collector? |
 In honor of this Saint Sylvester, the Austrians prepare punch. Austrians celebrate the New Year with fireworks. There is a belief that evil spirits disappear only when fireworks soar upward. At midnight, trumpets sound from the church towers, heralding the arrival of the New Year. The main dish on Austrian tables is suckling pig. The Austrians are sure that those who ate a pig on New Year's Eve will have a good year all year. Tables are traditionally decorated with small marzipan piglets. Four-leaf clovers, which are displayed next to the treat, also bring good luck. |
 ... New Year in Austria is called Sylvester in honor of St. Sylvester. The role of Santa Claus is played by two characters: Saint Nicholas and Krampus. Krampus is a kind of devil who disperses evil spirits with loud cries. |
... Weinachtsman is Santa Claus in Germany. His prototype is also Saint Nicholas. German Santa Claus likes to appear on a donkey.New Year in Germany |
New Year in DenmarkIn Denmark, Ylemanden is the main Santa Claus, the so-called big grandfather. He has elves as his assistants. And the youngest grandfather works there as the gnome Julenisse. He walks only in wooden shoes, short pants, and wears a cap on his head. Yulenisse lives in a forest hut. All year he prepares gifts with his own hands. Before Christmas, Yulenisse moves closer to people with her gifts. From the cold and curious human glances, he hides in a barn. On New Year's Day, the Danes wear funny hats and decorate tables with cookies. Exactly at 12 o'clock on festive table they serve sweets rice porridge with a surprise in the form of a nut. Unmarried Danish women firmly believe that if they find a nut in their New Year's porridge, they will definitely get married. Danish children are usually given plush or wooden Christmas trees with a troll peeking out from under them. |
 ... the Danish grandfather Julemanden is akin to all northern Santa Clauses. He arrives on reindeer from Greenland. Julemanden's clothing resembles a mixture of the wardrobe of Santa Claus and Father Frost. |
 ... Yul Tomten (Yolotomten) lives in Sweden, in a protected forest. Dusty the snowman, mischievous mice, a prince and princess, witches, the King and The Snow Queen, elves. The elves work non-stop in their small mine and mine gold for Christmas tree decorations and gifts. |
New Year in SwedenOn New Year's Eve, after noisy feasts, the Swedes organize festive festivities. Their tradition is to break dishes at the doors of their friends and burn a large straw goat. Before the New Year, Swedish children choose a festive queen - Lucia. She gives out gifts and brings treats for pets. |
New Year in FranceCurrently, Père-Noël has also acquired a Santa Claus costume, so he has somewhat lost his individuality. Like all Klaus, he began to climb pipes and place gifts on his toes with his own hands. In France New Year's celebration is called St. Sylvester's Day. Celebrations take place among friends. On the French table, depending on the region, there should be goose or turkey with chestnuts. Goose liver pate is a must. The French are sure that if the most luxurious treats are on the table on New Year's Eve, the whole year will be successful. January 1st is Boxing Day for the French. |
 ... the French Christmas daddy Père-Noël also descended from St. Nicholas. Although he used to dress modestly, he never skimped on gifts for his children. |
 ... in Italy Babbo Natale (Christmas Father) comes to Christmas, but by New Year he is so tired that resourceful Italians decided to entrust the delivery of gifts to a pretty and tireless woman named Befana. |
New Year in ItalyOld lady Befana is extremely mobile. To be in time for all the kids, she bought a broom. Befana stops her flying machine for a second above the chimneys, drops gifts into them and rushes on. True, granny can be extremely strict with naughty children: they only get ash. On New Year's table Italians always have a symbol that represents wealth - pork with lentils. Italians also eat dried grapes. The Italians have a superstition: whoever eats more grapes on New Year's Eve will become richer in the coming year. |
At the stroke of midnight, Italians throw old things at windows. It is believed that this way you can deal with the sorrows that have accumulated over the year. It is customary in Italy to dress up only in new clothes on January 1st.New Year in England Father Christmas currently wears a bright red robe, no different from other Santa Clauses. In Victorian and Tudor times he wore only a bright green suit and a green cloak trimmed with white fur. The British will definitely see you off old year and meet the New one. Traditionally, they leave the back doors open so that the old year can leave the house unhindered. At exactly 12 o'clock at night the bell sounds. The British close the back door and open the front door, where the New Year enters. |
 The traditional drink among the British is punch, and pudding is always served for dessert. New Year's celebrations for the British mark the end of the Christmas holidays. |
 ... the Irish grandfather resembles a fairy-tale astrologer. His name is Father Christmas or Daid-na-nolag. True, only the old Irish remember this. And here Santa Claus began to displace the traditional grandfather. |
New Year in IrelandThe Irish celebrate the New Year with their families. On the eve of the celebrations, the Irish traditionally treat friends and neighbors with baked goods. It is customary in Ireland to leave the doors of houses open so that anyone passing by can come in and join in the celebration. Plentiful treats of meat delicacies, poultry, and pastries are displayed on the tables. There must be a seed cake on the New Year's table - a cupcake or cookies with caraway seeds. Throughout the New Year's holidays, three puddings are served on the table. |
Our Father Frost and Santa ClausStill, our Santa Claus is very different from his European colleagues. Our grandfather's robe may be different colors: blue, red, white, gold, even green. The main thing is that our grandfather will never forget to change his nightcap. On his head is a boyar hat trimmed with white fur. Our grandfather's sheepskin coat is always embroidered with patterns with precious stones, he wears mittens, boots, and a sash. The traditional Santa Claus costume is red, with a cap with a white pompom on his head. He is wearing boots and white gloves on his hands. They belted Santa Claus with a leather belt. In fact, Santa Claus looks more like a slightly grown-up gnome; he does not look like a real master of blizzards and northern winds. He is flimsy compared to our grandfather. | |
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