Santa Claus
Father Christmas, also known as Santa Claus (Dutch: ˌsɪntərˈklaːs, lit. 'Sinterklaas'), Old Easter, San Nicolás or simply Santa, is a legendary character from the Western Christianity known for handing out gifts to children on Christmas Eve (December 24) and Christmas (December 25) nights, these gifts containing toys, candies, coal, or nothing inside, depending on whether the child is on the "wish list." good or bad children.” According to legend, Santa Claus makes gifts with the help of his elves, with whom he works in his workshop, distributing gifts with the help of his reindeer that pull his sleigh through the air.
The character of Santa Claus is inspired by prominent folkloric traditions of characters such as Nicholas of Bari (as well as his legendary Hungarian version, Mikulás) from European folklore, the personification of Christmas according to English folklore from Santa Claus, and the Dutch figure of Sinterklaas.
Predecessor figures
Nicolas of Bari
Nicolas de Bari, better known as Saint Nicholas, was a bishop born in the city of Patara in the Lycia region of Asia Minor, according to traditional legend, Nicholas de Bari was the son of two Christian parents of Greek descent with a abundant wealth. After the death of his parents, Nicolás de Mira distributed his parents' wealth to people in poverty, one of the greatest acts of generosity that Nicolás performed was donating his wealth to a devotee who spent All of his wealth due to "Satan's conspiracy and envy", the man was unable to pay dowries for his three daughters, meaning the women remained single and, in the absence of employment, were forced to become prostitutes..
Nicolas, upon learning of the poverty of the devoted father and his three daughters, decided to help the family, but being too modest to help the family publicly (or at least to avoid humiliation towards the family by his economic situation), Nicolás went to the family's house during the night, throwing a bag full of gold coins into one of the windows of the house, after the family received the money, the father arranged the marriage of his first daughter, and after the marriage, during the night, Nicolás threw another bag with gold coins to the same window of the family house.
During the Middle Ages, on the evening of December 5, one day before the feast of Saint Nicholas on December 6, children were bestowed gifts in their honor. This date was the previous original day, but it was moved in the course of the Protestant Reformation and its opposition to the veneration of saints in various countries on December 24 and 25. The change of date for the act of giving gifts to children to be done during Christmas was propagated by the theologian Martin Luther as an alternative to the previous custom of giving gifts during the feast of Saint Nicholas, this to focus on the veneration of Christ and not on the veneration of saints. Luther originally suggested Christkind as the deliverer, but Saint Nicholas was retained as the deliverer due to his popularity.
Mikulas
Mikulás is a legendary character inspired by the traditional legends of Nicolás de Bari, both the character and the traditions that include this character, such as the feast of Saint Nicholas on December 5 (December 19 according to the Julian calendar). They are well known and celebrated in countries such as Austria, Croatia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, Luxembourg, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Ukraine.
Mikulás, apart from adapting characteristics and legends of the bishop, Nicolás de Bari, also adapts characteristics of gods from Norse mythology. After the spread of Christianity throughout the Western world, it adopted the celebrations and festivities that were considered pagan, among which stood out the custom of the Nordic peoples of giving gifts during the winter solstice, the custom was related to the god Odin, that, during the winter solstice, Odin flew during the night in a chariot full of gifts. Christianity linked the festivity and custom to the feast of Saint Nicholas.
English folklore
In English folklore there is a character considered to be the personification of Christmas, this one called Father Christmas, a name that translates as “Father Christmas”. The impersonation was originally part of an old English tradition that was unrelated to the modern Santa Claus. The first mention of Father Christmas is made in the Christmas carol, “Sir Christèmas”, a carol by an anonymous author, the carol was first written in the Ritson Manuscript, believed to have been created before 1510. The anonymously authored poem was attributed to Richard Smart, rector of Plymtree, Devon between 1435 and 1477.
In most of England, the word "Yule" was replaced by "Christmas" in the 11th century, but in some parts of England the word "Yule" was retained as the normal dialect term. Some impersonations illustrating a medieval fondness for spectacle and symbolism, were extended during the Tudor and Stuart periods with characters with names such as 'Captain Christmas', 'Prince Christmas', or the 'Lord of Christmas', characters who presided at banquets and entertaining events at large houses and universities. In the 17th century, the rise of Puritanism in England led the papacy to come under criticism of pre-Anglican Reformation Christmas traditions, because, in the mid-1800s, In the 1640s the Puritans took control of the English government, making efforts to abolish and ban Christmas and its traditional customs, for 15 years, around 1644, before and during the English interregnum from 1649 to 1660, the celebration of the Christmas in England was banned.
“Father Christmas” reappeared in a 1652 pamphlet, shortly after the start of the English Civil War, published anonymously by the Parliamentarian satirical poet, John Taylor, entitled “The Vindication of Christmas", the poem depicts an elderly, bearded man in a broad-brimmed hat and robe. During the English Restoration in 1660, most traditional Christmas celebrations were revived, some with changes compared to their versions before the ban on Christmas, but due to the absence of the holiday for a long time, the holiday ceased to be something important to English folklore, and with it, it was less documented. During the Victorian era in the 19th century, various Christmas customs enjoyed a significant revival, including “Father Christmas” which was known as an emblem of 'good cheer', as well as its Physical appearance during that time was more variable and it was no longer as common for him to be portrayed as an elderly, bearded figure as he was portrayed by 17th-century writers.
Western European Folklore
In the folklore of several Western European countries, especially in countries such as Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland, during the festivities of Saint Nicholas, instead of imitating Nicolás de Bari, Sinterklaas is personified >, also called Sint-Nicolaas, a legendary character belonging to cultures such as Dutch, Belgian and Swiss. Sinterklaas is represented as an old, majestic and serious person with white hair, wearing a chasuble or cape over an alb, sometimes with a stole over it, as well as wearing a miter and holding a staff.
During the Middle Ages, several German and northern French monasteries joined in the celebration of the feast of Saint Nicholas, giving respect and adoration through plays; during one of these plays of Saint Nicholas, the saint "appeared" before the children, rewarding the diligent students and admonishing the lazy students. The celebration of the feast of Saint Nicholas began to take on greater relevance over the centuries. XIII and XVI together with other celebrations such as the obispillo festival. Sinterklaas along with several other characters and personifications inspired by saints, suffered several criticisms during the Protestant Reformation, where several of these characters were banned along with their respective festivities because they venerated Catholic saints, around In the 1600s, the first city to ban and abolish the feast of Saint Nicholas was Delft, condemning it as a Catholic superstition. After Delft's ban on the festival, other cities joined the ban, banning and abolishing the sale of sweets, shoes, and toys related to the holiday and Sinterklaas. According to the theologian Martin Luther, who opposed the holiday, he felt that festivities related to the giving of gifts were more appropriate at Christmas.
Santa Claus and Christmas presents
In some countries this character is called Papa Navidad, translated into their language (Father Christmas, Père Noël, Babbo Natale). In Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries, the French word Noël has been Spanishized as Noel.
The custom of giving gifts to children has multiple precedents and regional variations. In ancient times, parties were held in Rome - in mid-December - in honor of Saturn (Cronos for the Greeks), at the end of which children received gifts from all the adults.
In a later time, when the myth of Saint Nicholas had not yet been embodied, there were also other traditions, such as that of Italian children receiving gifts from a "fairy" called Befana. In Catalonia and some areas of Aragon it is a "magical" stem, called Tió or Tió de Nadal or sometimes Cagatió, although the latter is rather the name of those who do not They are natives of the region, not knowing the Catalan tradition and culture well and having as a reference the song with which they make themselves "defecate" (expel) the Tió (Caga Tió, Tió de Nadal, don't caguis harangues, they are salty, shit torrons, they are more bons!!!). This song, and others, are sung while the Tió is hit with a stick to make him "defecate", not before having been feeding him during the previous days with different foods, such as fruit peels, cookies, nougat, leftover food etc. So, on the afternoon of the 25th, after the traditional Christmas meal, is when he is made to "defecate" in the manner previously stated. Hitting him expels gifts and sweets. While in some Basque towns (Mondragón, Segura,...) and Navarre (Murazabal) the tradition of carrying out collections and collecting Christmas bonuses on the eve or on the day of Saint Nicholas is still widespread, it is widely spread that Christmas gifts are the titmouse Olentzero distributes, and in the valleys of Biscay and surroundings also iratxoak (elves) with green ermine caps. In certain areas of central Galicia, the legend of the Apalpador is heard, who would arrive on Christmas day to feel the bellies of children, leaving chestnuts for the thinnest children (so that they would gain weight) and coal for the best-fed ones (so that they would heat home). Over time and with the known prodigies of Saint Nicholas, he was replacing some of these pagan characters.
The transformation: from Saint Nicholas to Santa Claus and Father Christmas
The transition from the image of Saint Nicholas to that of Santa Claus is believed to have occurred around the year 1624. When Dutch immigrants founded the city of New Amsterdam, later renamed New York, they obviously brought their customs and myths with them, including Sinterklaas, the festival of their patron (whose festival is celebrated in the Netherlands between December 5 and 6).
In 1809, writer Washington Irving penned the satire “New York History,” in which he twisted the Dutch saint, Sinterklaas, into the crude English pronunciation Santa Claus. Later, the poet Clement Clarke Moore published a poem in 1823 where he gave body to the current myth of Santa Claus, based on the character of Irving. In that poem mention is made of a version of the character who, although fat, is agile as an elf, and who gives toys to children on Christmas Eve and who is transported in a sleigh pulled by eight reindeer (it does not yet include Rudolph -Rodolfo-).
Later, around 1863, he acquired the current physiognomy of a fat, good-natured bearded man with which he is best known. This was thanks to the German cartoonist Thomas Nast, who designed this character for his Christmas strips in Harper's Weekly . There he acquired his clothing and it is believed that his creator was based on the clothing of the bishops of old times to create this "San Nicolás", which at that time had nothing to do with San Nicolás de Mira.
In the middle of the 19th century, the American Santa Claus moved to England and from there to France, where he merged with Bonhomme Noël, the origin of Santa Claus, who had a physical resemblance to Santa Claus, but dressed in white with gold trim. Likewise, at the end of the XIX century, based on an American advertisement by the Lomen Company, the tradition that Santa Claus it would come from the North Pole, and Christmas reindeer would become completely popular as a means of transportation for Santa Claus.
At the beginning of the 20th century, in 1902, in the children's book The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus , by L. Frank Baum, originates the story of how Claus earned immortality, as well as his title of saint.
Similarly, already in the XX century, the Coca-Cola company commissioned the painter Haddon Sundblom to remodel the figure of Santa Claus to make it more human and believable. This version dates from 1931. At this point, however, it should be clarified that the belief that the red and white color of Santa Claus has its origin in the advertisements that the Coca-Cola brand began to make to the public is just an urban legend. from 1931, although it is true that they contributed to the popularization of these colors and the myth itself. There are many almost reliable illustrations and descriptions prior to the announcement, such as that of Thomas Nast (1869) or St. Nicholas Magazine (1926), among others. This without also considering the ancient religious representations of the bishop San Nicolás de Mira or San Nicolás de Bari, in which the red and white color of religious clothing is common, although it is true that from the mid-1800s to the early 1900s there were no a specific assignment to the color of Santa Claus, green being one of the most used. Therefore, it is considered that the massive Coca-Cola campaign was one of the main reasons why Santa Claus ended up dressed in red and white, but these advertisers were not the first to represent him in these colors.
As for the abode of Santa Claus, as the legend originated in the Northern Hemisphere, at the beginning of the XX century the idea spread that he would live at the North Pole. However, it must be remembered that there are other nearby places postulated as his home, which are: Swedish Lapland, Finnish Lapland and Greenland, since the North Pole is in the middle of the Arctic Ocean.
Current Legend
Thus, the current myth tells that Santa Claus would live in the vicinity of the North Pole along with Mrs. Claus and a large number of Christmas elves, who help him in the manufacture of toys and other gifts that children ask for. through letters.
In order to transport the gifts, Santa Claus would keep them in a magical sack and distribute them at 00:00 on December 25, in a magical flying sleigh, pulled by "Christmas reindeer", led by Rodolfo (Rudolph), a reindeer that lights the way with its bright and powerful red nose, being the last to be added to the story.
Santa Claus could enter the children's homes through the chimney or another hole in the houses, if they do not have one.
To find out which children deserve gifts, Santa Claus would have a telescope capable of seeing all the children in the world, as well as the help of other magical beings who would monitor the behavior of the children. Thus, if a child has behaved badly, it is said that the one who would come to visit him would be the soot (name used to refer to the companion of Saint Nicholas, Knecht Ruprecht) and not Santa Claus; and as a punishment, he would give the children only coal.
Controversy with the tradition of Santa Claus
The figure of Santa Claus as it is currently presented is surrounded by some controversy.[which one?] Its role as a commercial product at the service of consumption is pointed out, being an intrusive American figure and threatening local traditions.
Some of the countries where there have been groups that have promoted mobilizations against Santa Claus to favor indigenous Christian traditions are Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic.
Bettina Schade is one of the promoters of the initiative to defend the figure of Saint Nicholas against the invading Santa Claus in Germany. Bettina explained that "the Christian origin of Christmas, the birth of Jesus, has been placed in the background. It is becoming more and more a holiday reduced to a simple trade and purchase of gifts".
In Austria, Walter Kriwetz led a campaign to save the Christchild from Santa Claus. 'It's not against Santa. He will be good for the British and the Americans, but he is not good for us," he argued.
In the Czech Republic there is also a campaign to defend the tradition of the Child Jesus in front of Santa Claus.
Other related characters
There are other figures that on Christmas Eve and Christmas are related to the activity of Santa Claus:
In Spain
- In the Basque Country and Navarre is the Olentzero, a bonachón charcoal that descends from the mountains with a bag full of gifts.
- In Catalonia there is the Tió de Nadal, which is one of the most curious Christmas figures. In essence it is a great trunk that is placed in the house, feeding him from December 8th. Once Christmas came, he was set on fire and now only beaten, to force him to defecar Little gifts and chops.
- In Galicia the figure of the Apalpador is recently recovered.
In America
- In Hispanic America it is common in several countries the Little God, Child Jesus or Child God, depending on the religion of people or families (Catholic, most of the time in these cases), which visits the houses in Christmas Eve and leaves gifts to the little ones under the Christmas tree or at the foot of the bed.
Name of Santa Claus in various countries
- He speaks Hispanic (the tradition of Christmas gifts in these countries is mostly represented by the "Niño Jesus" or the "Wizard Kings")
- Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay: Santa Claus.
- Bolivia, Colombia and Ecuador: Santa Claus and sometimes Santa Claus.
- Chile: Viejito Pascuero (also used occasionally as "Viejo Pascuero").
- Costa Rica: Colacho (most popular), Santa Claus (pronounced as /Sánta Clós/) and Santa.
- Cuba, Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic: Santa Claus, pronounced as /Sánti Cló/ o /Sánta Clós/. Often you are told simply Santa.
- El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua: Santa Claus.
- Spain: Santa Claus and begins to be used, due to the influence of American films, Santa Claus.
- Catalonia: also Pare Noel (in Catalan).
- Galicia: also Pai Nadal (in Galician).
- Honduras: San Nicolás or Santa Claus (Clos).
- Mexico: Santa, Santa Claus (pronounced /Sánta Clós/) and Santa Claus.
- Panama: Santa Claus.
- Peru: Santa or Santa Claus (Clos).
- Venezuela: San Nicolás or Santa Claus.
- Albania: Babagjyshi Vitit të Ri.
- Germany: Nikolaus or Weihnachtsmann (literally, 'Christmas man'). Nikolaus represents the Christian tradition in front of Santa Claus, which is seen as a commercial version.
- Brazil: Papai Noel.
- Denmark: Julemanden (literally, 'Christmas man', as in German). Sometimes also Julenissen (literally, 'Christmas').
- United States: Santa Claus.
- Slovenia: Božiček.
- Estonia: Jõuluvana.
- Finland: Joulupukki.
- France: Papa Noël, Père Noël.
- United Kingdom:
- Wales: Siôn Corn.
- England: Father Christmas.
- Hungary: Télapó.
- Iran: Baba Noel.
- Iceland: Jólasveinn.
- Ireland: Daidí na Nollag.
- Italy: Babbo Natale.
- Latvia: Salatētis.
- Lithuania: Kalėdisi senelis.
- Norway: Julenissen (literally, 'Christmas', as in Danish).
- Netherlands: Kerstman ('Christmas man', as in German). Sinterklaas and Kerstman are two independent characters with different celebration dates (December 6 and Christmas Eves), the first being the most traditional and second a fashion imported from the United States.
- Poland: Święty Mikołaj.
- Portugal: Pai Natal.
- Romania: Moş Crăciun.
- Russia: Санта-Клас (Santa Claus). We must not confuse it with the popular and traditional "Ded Moroz" (literally, 'cold grandfather' or 'the grandfather of the cold'), which is always accompanied by his granddaughter Снегурочка (Snegúrochka).
- Sweden: Jultomten (literally 'Christmas', as in Norwegian).