From Wikipedia:
"List of Christmas gift-bringers by country"
Europe and North
America
Throughout Europe and
North America, Santa Claus
is generally known as such, but in some countries the gift-giver's name,
attributes, date of arrival, and even identity varies.
- Belgium: "Santa Claus", called Père Noël by French speakers and Kerstman ("Father
Christmas") by Dutch
speakers, is celebrated on Christmas Day; Sinterklaas for the Dutch speakers, Saint Nicholas for the French speakers is
celebrated on December 6 and his a distinct character with a more religious,
catholic touch.
- Bosnia: Djed Božićnjak or Božić
Bata for Christians, and Djed Mraz for Muslims and others. Djed
Mraz is bringing kids gifts on New Year's Eve.
- Bulgaria: Дядо Коледа (Dyado
Koleda, "Grandpa Christmas"), with the Russian-borrowed version of Дед Мороз
(Djed Moroz, "Grandpa Frost") being somewhat more widespread in Socialist times
from the end of World War
II until 1989 and still in favour nowadays. Town of Velikiy Ustjug in
Vologda region is proclaimed to be his permanent residence.
- Canada: Santa Claus (among English speakers); Le Père Noël ("Father
Christmas"), among French speakers
- Croatia: Djed
Božićnjak ("Grandpa Christmas"), or Djed Mraz (Grandpa Frost), Mali Isus
("Baby Jesus") for religious Christians, Sveti Nikola ("Saint Nichlaus") bringing gifts or
rod on December the 6th
- France: Le Père Noël ("Father Christmas"); Père Noël
is also the common figure in other French-speaking areas)
- Germany: Weihnachtsmann ("Christmas Man") or Christkind ("Christ Child") (in
southern Germany) bring the gifts on Christmas Eve; Nikolaus is celebrated on December 6.
- Greece: Άγιος Βασίλης ("Saint Basil")
- Hungary: In Hungary the Angels are bringing the
Christmas gifts, or the child Jesus ("Jézuska or Kis Jézus "); note that Mikulás
("Nicholas" as Santa Claus) has a separate feast day earlier (6th of Dec), puts
candy in kids' boots (which are to be polished and put in the window), but
Mikulás is never involved in Christmas.
- Italy: Babbo
Natale ("Father Christmas"), sometimes substituted by Gesù bambino ("Baby Jesus"),
in order to give to this gift-bringing character a more Catholic connotation. On
the Epiphany, Jan 6th, La Befana, a very
old lady who rides a broomstick brings candies and sweeties to children, and she
puts them into the socks the children have prepared for her (and traditionally
hung near the fireplace). In Trieste,
because of Slovenian and Croatian influences, Saint Nicholas is also celebrated on the 6th
December. In Udine, Bergamo, Brescia, Cremona, Lodi, Mantova, Piacenza, Parma,
Reggio Emilia, Verona and Western Trentino is Saint Lucy who brings gifts to children on the eve
of her feast day, December13th.
- Netherlands: "Santa Claus", called Kerstman ("Christmas
Man"), is recently celebrated by some people on Christmas Day; Sinterklaas is celebrated on
December 5.
- Romania: Moş Crăciun ("Old Man Christmas"); Moş Gerilă
("Old Man Frost", equivalent of Russian Ded Moroz) in Socialist times; Moş
Nicolae ("Old Man Nicholas", Saint Nicholas) is celebrated on December 6th and
puts sweets in children's boots
- Russia: Дед Мороз (Ded Moroz, "Grandpa Frost"). Чысхаан, (Chyskhaan)
"Lord of the Cold", Sakha
Republic (Yakutia). Yamal
Iri ("Grandpa of Yamal") Also Babushka
- Serbia: Deda Mraz (Деда Мраз - Grandpa Frost) - renamed
from Božić Bata (Божић Бата - Christmas Brother) during the communist times
after World War II and moved from Christmas to New Year to prevent any religious
connections
- Slovakia: Dedo Mraz (Grandpa Frost) or Santa Claus
among the secular population, Ježiško (baby Jesus) among the Catholic population.
- Slovenia: Bozicek
- Spain: Papá Noel (Father Noel); the Tió de Nadal in
Catalonia; Olentzero in the Basque
Country; Apalpador
at some areas of Galicia; Esteru in
Asturias and Cantabria. A more common and traditional Christmas present-giving
figure in Spain are "Los Reyes Magos" ("The Three Kings"; "Magi").
- Turkey: Noel Baba ("Father Noel") Also, Noel Baba is
widely thought to bring new year presents in Turkey due to the country's
predominant Muslim population. Christmas
is celebrated among the Christian communities.
- Turkmenistan: Aýaz baba
- United Kingdom: Father Christmas also
known as Santa Claus though they were originally two quite different people, and
Father Christmas did not originally bring gifts; Siôn Corn in Welsh
Latin America
- Chile: Santa Claus is called "Viejito Pascuero"
(Old man Christmas)
- Costa Rica: San Nicolás or Santa
Clos; "Colacho" (from "San Nicolás"). The "Niño dios" ("Child God", meaning
Jesus) is the traditional giftbringer.
- Dominican
Republic: Santa Clos/Papá Noe. However, traditionally, Christmas gifts are
given by The Three Kings (Los Tres Reyes Magos) on the Epiphany (January 6th)
and not on Christmas.
- Mexico: Santo Clós (Santa Claus); El Niño Dios ("God child," in reference to Jesus)
and also Los Tres Reyes Magos.
- Peru: Papá Noel
- Venezuela: Niño Jesús ("child jesus"); San Nicolás
("Santa"). Depends on the region.
East Asia
People in East Asia, particularly countries that have adopted Western
cultures, also celebrate Christmas and the gift-giver traditions passed down to
them from the West.
- China: "Shengdan laoren" (Traditional Chinese: 聖誕老人, Simplified Chinese: 圣诞老人, Cantonese: "sing daan lo jan", pinyin: shèngdànlǎorén literally
"The Old Man of Christmas")
- Hong Kong: 聖誕老人 (jyutping: sing3 daan3 lou5 jan4 lit. Christmas
old man) Santa Claus, Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas
- Indonesia: Santa Claus or Sinterklas
- Japan: サンタクロース (Santa Kuroosu, or Santa-san)
- Korea: 산타 클로스 (Santa Harabeoji, or "Grandfather Santa")
- Taiwan: 聖誕老人 or 聖誕老公公 (both literally 'The Old Man of
Christmas')
- Thailand: ซานตาคลอส (Santa Claus)
- Vietnam: Ông Già Nô-en (literally 'The Old Man of
Christmas')
Central Asia
- India: ಸಾ೦ಟಾ ಕ್ಲಾಸ್ (in southern India); Jingal Bell,
Santa Claus, Telugu:
Thatha("Christmas old man") Marathi: Natal Bua ( Christmas elder man)
- Sri Lanka – "Naththal Seeya"
- Tatarstan: Qış Babay/Кыш Бабай (Winter
Grandfather)
Africa and the Middle East
Christians in Africa and Middle East who celebrate Christmas generally
ascribe to the gift-giver traditions passed down to them by Europeans in the
late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Descendants of colonizers still
residing in these regions likewise continue the practices of their ancestors.
- Israel: סנטה קלאוס (Santa Claus in Hebrew letters; note
that most of the population in Israel is Jewish and does not recognize the
entity known as 'Santa Claus')
- South Africa: Sinterklaas;
Father Christmas; Santa Claus
Oceania
- Australia: Best known as Santa Claus. Less commonly
referred to as Father Christmas and Saint Nick. He will come while your sleeping
and will put presents under your tree. Usually, people will leave a glass of
milk along with cookies and sometimes, carrots for the reindeers.[1]
- New Zealand: Santa Claus,
Father Christmas
^ It was interesting to see how each country portrays the same, basic concept for Christmas/New Years. ^
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Christmas_gift-bringers_around_the_world
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