Santa comes in a variety of packages
by Report Submitted · December 23rd, 2019


Depending on where one is from, Santa may not have white hair, a long beard, and wearing the red suit most American children are used to. Nor may Santa be male, or come on Christmas Eve. And "he" might not even be called "Santa."

The Joulupukki, from Finland, is originally a pagan tradition. The Joulupukki may also be a man turned into a goat-man on Christmas Eve, as seen in Elsa Beskow's "Peter and Lotta's Christmas". However, the figure is now being eventually conflated with Santa Claus. He usually wears warm red robes, uses a walking stick, and travels in a sleigh pulled by a number of reindeer, which cannot fly like Santa Claus's fleet.

Mikulas, from Hungary, arrives to celebrate his day, Dec. 6, and leaves before Christmas. Сhildren traditionally place a boot on their windowsill waiting for Mikulas to come by and fill it with treats. He often comes with two assistants: a good Angel who gives out presents to good children and a "Krampusz", a mean elf, in some version a Devil, who punishes bad children.

In Denmark, the story of Julenisse is traced back centuries when people believed in Nisser (elves, leprechauns, spirits or mystical entities rarely or never seen directly). His main goal is to bring good fortune to the family; to achieve this, he would have to be treated well especially around Jul (December). People traditionally feed him, and if Julenisse is satisfied with the meal he'll bring good fortune to the household in the coming year.

The children of Italy expect Befana, as an old woman, to deliver gifts to children on Epiphany Eve (the night of Jan. 5) in a similar way to St Nicholas or Santa Claus. A popular belief is that her name derives from the Feast of Epiphany. Some suggest that Befana is descended from the Roman goddess named Strenia. She visits all the children to fill their socks with candy and presents if they are good, or a lump of coal or dark candy if they are bad. She is also referred to as the Christmas Witch.

The Russian Ded Moroz is depicted as bringing presents to well-mannered children, often delivering them in person on New Year's Eve. He is often accompanied by Snegurochka, his granddaughter and helper, who wears long silver-blue robes and a furry cap or a snowflake-like crown. She is a unique attribute of Ded Moroz, since similar characters in other cultures do not have a female companion.

And the Dutch Sinterklaas is a legendary figure based on Saint Nicholas, patron saint of children. He wears a long red cape or chasuble over a traditional white bishop's alb and sometimes red stole and a long ceremonial shepherd's staff with a fancy curled top. Sinterklaas is assisted by Zwarte Piet ("Black Pete"), a helper dressed in Moorish attire and in blackface. He also carries a big, red book in which is written whether each child has been good or naughty in the past year.