Gift Bringers from Around the World
Santa Claus / Father Christmas in different Countries Although Santa Claus/Father Christmas is the best known Christmas gift bringer, there are many different present givers in different countries around the world. Santa's also called different things in different countries! Here are some of them: from WhyChristmas.com • • • • • •
• • • •
Afghanistan: Baba Chaghaloo Albania: Babadimri Armenia: Gaghant Baba / Kaghand Papa (Father Christmas or Father New Year) Austria: Christkind (a little angel like person) Azerbaijan: Şaxta baba (Grandfather Frost) Belgium: Sinterklaas/St. Niklaas (Flemish) or Saint Nicholas (Walloon) & Père Noël (Father Christmas) Bosnia and Herzegovina: Djeda Mraz (Grandfather Frost) Brazil: Papai Noel (Father Christmas) & Bom Velhinho (Good Old Man) Bulgaria: Дядо Коледа (Grandfather Christmas) Chile: Viejito Pascuero (Christmas old man)
• China: Sheng dan lao ren (Traditional: 聖 誕⽼老老⼈人, Simplified: 圣诞⽼老老⼈人; means Old Christmas Man) • Costa Rica: Niño dios (Child God, meaning Jesus) & Colacho (another name for St. Nicholas) • Croatia: Djed Božičnjak (Grandfather Christmas) • Czech Republic: Svatý Mikuláš (St. Nicholas) and Ježíšek (the Christ child) • Denmark: Julemanden (Christmas Man) • Ecuador: Papa Noel • Egypt: Baba Noël • Estonia: Jõuluvana (Yule Elder) • Ethiopia: Amharic: Yágena Abãt (Christmas Father) • Finland: Santa Claus (well he does live in Lapland in Finland!) or Joulupukki • France: Père Noël (Father Christmas) • Georgia: !"#$%& '(')(, !"#$%& *(*( / Tovlis Babua, Tovlis Papa (Snow Grandfather)
• Germany: Weihnachtsmann (Christmas Man) & Christkind (a little angel like person) • Greece: Aghios Vassilis / Άγιος Βασίλης (Saint Basil) • Haiti: Tonton Nwèl • Holland/Netherlands: Sinterklaas (St. Nicholas) & Kerstman (Christmas Man) • Hungary: Mikulás (Nicholas) & Télapó (Old Man Winter) • Iceland: Jólasveinn (Yule Man) & Jólasveinarnir (The Yule Lads) • India: Hindi: Christmas Baba, Urdu: Baba Christmas (Father Christmas), Telugu: Thatha (Christmas old man), Tamil: Christmas Thaathaa, Marathi: Natal Bua (Christmas Elder Man) • Indonesia: Sinterklas • Iraq: Baba Noel / Vader Kersfees • Ireland: San Nioclás' (Saint Nicholas) & Daidí na Nollag (Father Christmas) • Italy: Babbo Natale (Santa Claus) or La Befana (an old woman) • Japan: サンタさん、サンタクロー ス santa-san (Mr Santa) & Hoteiosho (A Japanese god of good fortune - not really related to Christmas) • Latvia: Ziemassvētku vecītis (Christmas old man) • Lithuania: Senis Šaltis (Old Man Frost) & Kalėdų Senelis (Christmas Grandfather) • Lebanon: Baba Noël • Macedonia: Дедо Мраз / Dedo Mraz • Malta: San Niklaw (St. Nicholas) • Mexico: El Niñito Dios (baby Jesus), Los Reyes Magos (The Three Wise Men) & Santo Clós (Santa Claus) • Norway: Julenissen (Santa Claus) or 'Nisse' (Small Gnomes) • Pakistan: Christmas Baba • Peru: Papá Noel • Philippines: Santa Klaus • Poland: Swiety Mikolaj (St. Nicholas)
• Portugal: Pai Natal (Father Christmas) • Romania: Moş Crăciun (Old Man Christmas), Moş Nicolae (Old Man Nicholas), Moş Gerilă (Old Man Frost) • Russia: Дед Мороз / Ded Morez (Grandfather Frost) or Babouschka (an old woman - although this more 'western' than actually Russian!) • Serbia: Дедa Мрaз / Deda Mraz (Grandfather Frost), Божић Бата / Božić Bata (Christmas Brother) • Slovenia: Sveti Miklavž or Sveti Nikolaj (Saint Nicholas) / Božiček or Dedek Mraz (Grandfather Winter); Božiček on December 24 and Dedek Mraz on December 31! • South Africa: Sinterklaas / Kersvader • South Korea: 산타 클로스 (santa kullosu), 산타 할아버지 (Santa Grandfather) • Spain: Los tres Reyes Mages (The Three Magic King / Magi) & Papá Noel (Father Christmas); in Catalonia he's known as Tió de Nadal • Sri Lanka: Naththal Seeya • Sweden: Jultomten (Santa) & Nissar / Tomte (Christmas Gnomes/Elves) • Switzerland: Samichlaus (St. Nicholas) • Syria: Baba Noël • Turkey: Noel Babal (Father Christmas) • Ukraine: Svyatyy Mykolay (St. Nicholas) & Дід Мороз / Did Moroz • United Kingdom: Father Christmas (interchangeable with Santa Claus), Wales: Siôn Corn (Chimney John) • USA: Santa Claus, Hawaii: Kanakaloka • Uzbekistan: Qor bobo (Grandfather Snow - more related to New Year's Eve than Christmas) • Venezuela: San Nicolás (St. Nicholas) & Niño Jesús (Baby Jesus) • Vietnam: Ông già Noel (Christmas old man)
-51-
