Santa Claus Around The World

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Santa Claus comes in many different forms (Credit: Douglas Rahden. CC-BY-SA-2..0/ Wikimedia Commons)

For most Americans, Santa Claus is a jolly, white-haired man in a red suit. However, that is just one depiction of the generous being that brings toys to well-behaved children on Christmas Eve. Other countries have their own versions of Santa Claus who, in some cases, do not even appear during Christmas! Here are a few of the many portrayals of Santa-like figures from around the world.

Ded Moroz, Russia

Ded Moroz, or Father Frost, also brings presents for well-behaved children in Russia. However, there are some stark differences between him and Santa Claus. Ded Moroz is taller, skinnier, and always carries a silver or crystal pikestaff with a twisted grip. The Russian Santa Claus and his granddaughter Snegurochka, or Snow Maiden, deliver presents in a troika — a sleigh hauled by three horses.

Unlike Santa, who hails from the North Pole, Ded Moroz lives in the picturesque town of Veliky Ustyug in Northern Russia. He purportedly spends the summers reading gift requests from kids. However, those expecting presents during Christmas are in for a disappointment. Ded Moroz only makes deliveries on New Year's Eve!

La Befana, Italy

Children in Italy don't get a visit from Santa Claus. Instead, they look forward to the arrival of La Befana, or the Christmas Witch, on the night of January 5. Similar to the jolly fellow in red, La Befana enters houses via the chimney and fills stockings with presents and candy for "nice" children and coal for the "naughty" ones.

According to local folklore, when the Three Wise Men were seeking baby Jesus, they met an old woman and asked if she'd like to come along with them. She declined the offer because she wanted to finish cleaning her house. Now, every year, the old lady scours the skies on her broomstick in the hopes of finding and showering baby Jesus with gifts. The friendly, soot-covered witch is also known to sweep every house she visits. To show their gratitude, many families leave a glass of wine and a plate of traditional treats out the night before La Befana's visit.

The Yule Lads, Iceland

Every Christmas, kids in Iceland look forward to a visit from one of 13 Yule Lads, who take turns sneaking into their rooms on the 13 nights leading up to Christmas Eve. The merry but mischievous gnome-like creatures leave behind small gifts for good kids and rotten potatoes for naughty ones. The presents depend on the personality of the Yule Lad on duty and differ daily. The most popular one is Kertasnýkir (Candle Stealer). While the gnome, who makes an appearance on Christmas Eve, is known to steal candles, he also leaves behind the most generous presents.

Samichlaus, Switzerland

Swiss children get a visit from two Santas every December 6. The good Santa, named Samichlaus, is accompanied by a donkey carrying a sack of treats like chocolates, peanuts, and mandarins to distribute to well-behaved kids. The "bad" Santa, called Schmutzli, lugs around a bag of twigs on his back. While they are purportedly for naughty kids, he rarely hands them out. Instead, he gently reminds kids to behave.

From DOGOnews and Santa Clauses Worldwide: Merry Christmas!

Resources: bonvoyagewithkids.com, Buinessinsider.com, worldatlas.com, Smithsonianmag.com

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136 Comments
  • adahmi
    adahmialmost 3 years
    In Germany, Saint Nick has an assistant called Krampus and he beats all of the naughty children. And you would leave a empty shoe outside of your bedroom door and Saint Nick will either leave your shoes full of sweets and candy or he'll leave it full of sticks. The sweets and candy means that you have been good and the sticks mean that Krampus is going to come and punish you for being a naughty child. Please correct me if I have parts of this wrong. I only learned this from German class and don't know all of the Christmas traditions are in Germany.
    • sokeefe_forever
      sokeefe_foreveralmost 3 years
      OooOoo it's so interesting to learn about other traditions! Thanks for sharing!
      • nugget_cult
        nugget_cultalmost 3 years
        Yea! We have our weird new years tradition, we light candles, meaning an hour closer to the new year. One candle would fully melt after the hour, having to light another one. We also baked cookies, and we ate two each hour, just to stay awake but I won't have any trouble, because I'm an insomniac, meaning I can't go to sleep, or stay asleep easily. I usually stay up until three, four, or five o'clock, even on school nights, and after I wake up, I feel completely refreshed,as if I went to bed, woke up at the usual 6:30 for school.
    • bsc
      bscalmost 3 years
      Merry Christmas to all! This article was very cool.
      • talkaboutbruno
        talkaboutbrunoalmost 3 years
        Jingle bells! Jingle bells! Jingle all the way! Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh, hey! Jingle bells! Jingle bells! Jingle all the way! Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh! Merry Christmas everyone!!!
      • potterluck13
        potterluck13almost 3 years
        The Swiss are cool!
      • wolfdog
        wolfdogalmost 3 years
        Christmas is beautiful and everywhere!
        • buddy_buddy
          buddy_buddyalmost 3 years
          I think that the 13Yule lads are cool
          • coi_leray
            coi_lerayalmost 3 years
            Santa Clause
            • beautiful_day
              beautiful_dayalmost 3 years
              It was really interesting how each different countries celebrate their own Christmas! Thank you so much for sharing this article with us, Dogo News!
              • xiamia
                xiamiaalmost 3 years
                That's very cool! It's always fascinating to me to learn about how different places celebrate different holidays in the world!
                • crazygoose1324
                  crazygoose1324almost 3 years
                  Has ANYONE ever gotten coal in their stocking???