Gift Bearers Around the World
The Gift-Bearers of Christmas
| AGHIOS VASSILIS | Greece He is none other than St. Basil. His feast day, December 31st, is the nation’s primary Christmas celebration. It is observed by the blessing and sprinkling of water |
| BABUSHKA | Russia |
| She looks like a witch carrying an old broom, but looks aren’t everything. Too busy to accompany the Magi to Bethlehem, she forever searches for the Christ Child, leaving gifts for sleeping children behind. | |
| Also: BUFANA (Italy); BAFAN/BEFANA (Italy, Palestine); EPIPHANA (Italy) | |
| CHRIST CHILD | The Baby Jesus can sometimes deliver His own gifts to the children. This was the favorite gift-giver of Martin Luther. |
| Also: CHRISTKIND (Austria, Belgium); CHRISTKINDLE (Germany) EL NINO JESUS (Columbia, Costa Rica); LE PETIT JESUS (France); MENINO JESUS DE NATAL (Portugal); BABBO NATAL (Italy); JEZISEK (Czech Republic): JOULUVANA (Estonia); JEZUSSEK (Slovenia) | |
| FATHER CHRISTMAS | England, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland A merry old soul, he wears a crown of Christmas greens and carries bowl of wassail. In Switzerland, his wife, Lucy, accompanies him. |
| Also: DAD NOEL; BONHOMME NOEL (France); PAPIA NOEL (Brazil, Peru, Spain); PA NORSK (Norway); PERE NOEL (Belgium, France); PIA NATAL (Portugal); KALEDU SENIS (Lithuania) | |
| GWAIZOR | Poland, Sweden |
| The “Star Man” is a religious figure, sometimes the parish priest in disguise, who is accompanied by his many helpers - “Star Boys”. | |
| HOTEIOSHO | Japan |
| This gift-giver is a Buddhist/Christian hybrid. He look like a cross between a summo wrestler and Santa Claus, but has one distinct advantage - Hoteiosho has eyes is the back of his head. He carries a hotel laundry bag, from which he gets his name. | |
| JULETOMTE | Sweden |
| This is the mischievous Christmas gnome. He lives in barns and attics and is invisible to all but the family cat. (When you see your cat running pointlessly in circles, it means “Fluffy” has seen the Tomte.) The gnome can be distracted from his propensity for practical jokes by his favorite food - rice pudding. The rice pudding, when left out for the Tomte, will always disappear mysteriously, especially if you have a cat. The Tomte’s animal companion is a straw goat. Nice, but sometimes just too playful. His jokes can get on one’s nerves after awhile. | |
| Also: JULENISSEN (Norway, Denmark, Scandinavia); JULGUBBEN (Finland, Swedish- speaking) | |
| KOLADA | Russia |
| (Grandfather Frost) This secularized St. Nicholas
dresses in blue and white and is accompanied by his granddaughter
Sneguochka or “Snow Maiden”. Also: DED MOROZBOZIC BATA (Serbio-Croatia); DEDA MRAZ (Yugoslavia); DEDEK MRAZ (Slovenia); DAIDO COLEDA (Bulgaria) |
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| OLENTZERO | Spain |
| As an infant, Olentzero was found in the forest by the fairies. A good fairy gave him to a kind but childless couple to be raised. As an adult, Olentzero crafted wooden toys and secretly deliver them to orphaned children. He made this his mission forever. | |
| PERE FOUETTARD | France ‘ The Bogeyman’ He is a murderous butcher and downright evil. His life-long penance is to follow St. Nicholas as his servant. Be afraid. Be very afraid. Also: HOUSECKLER (Luxembourg) |
| pusa European | He is a modification of Hoteiosho, the Buddhist priest who serves as Santa Claus in Japan. |
| SAINT LUCY | Sweden, Sicily |
| Lucy, whose name is similar to the Latin word for “light”, was an early Christian martyr in Sicily. She is called “Queen of Light”. She is greatly honored in Sweden on her feast day, December 13. The oldest girl in the family dresses as the “Lucy Bride” in a white robe and a candle crown as she and her younger siblings serve their parents breakfast in bed. Her feast day is also called “Little Yule”. The Pulitzer Prize winners are announced on this day. | |
| SAINT NICHOLAS | Belgium, Germany Fourth century bishop of Myra in Asia Minor, he became renown for his charity and kindness. He is patron of children. His relics were stolen from Myra and are now in Barre, Italy. |
| Also: SVATY MIKULAS (Slovakia); SWIETY MIKOLA (Poland); NIKLO (Austria); SAMICHLAU; MIKULAS (Hungary); HAGAS NICHOLAS (Greece); MIKLAZ (Slovenia); RUKLAUS (Germany); SINTERKLAAS (Germany, Holland, Netherlands); JULMAN/JULMANDEN (Denmark) | |
| SANTA CLAUS | United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand,
Scotland This one needs no introduction. Also: SANTA KUROSHU (Japan); SANTA NO OJISAN (Japan); SANTY (Ireland); SUNNERCLA (Germany); SHANKHTA BABAH (Azerbaijan); KARASCONY APO (Hungary); KANAKOLA (Hawaii); SHENGDAN LAOREN (China); KRISS KINGLE (Germany); JOULUPUKKI (Finland); KERSTMAN (Belgium, Netherlands); BULLERKLASSS (Germany and Sweden); BERKLAS (Germany) SING DANLO IAN (Hong Kong); JOLA SVEINN (Iceland); GAGHANT BABA (Armenia) |
| SION CORN | Wales “ Chimney John” - his name says it all. |
