Sunday, December 3, 2017

Gift Bringer

From Why Christmas.com and Wikipedia;
"Gift Bringers from Around the World"


  • 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 / Dyado Koleda (Grandfather Christmas)
  • Chile: Viejito Pascuero (Christmas old man)
  • China: Sheng dan lao ren (Traditional: 聖誕老人, Simplified: 圣诞老人; means Old Christmas Man)
  • Columbia: Niño Dios (Baby Jesus)
  • 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: თოვლის ბაბუა, თოვლის პაპა / 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
  • Iran: Baba Noel
  • 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) or The THree Kings (parts of northern Italy)
  • 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)
  • Mongolia: Uvliin Uvuu or Uvliin Uvgun (Winter Grandpa or Winter Old Man)
  • 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)
  • Puerto Rico: The Three Kings / Magi
  • Romania: Sfantul Nicolae (St Nicholas), Moş Nicolae (Old Man Nicholas), Moş Crăciun (Old Man Christmas), Moş Gerilă (Old Man Frost)
  • Russia: Дед Мороз / Ded Morez (Grandfather Frost) / Dedoushka (Grandfather in Russian) or Babushka (an old woman - although this is '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 the gift bringer is Tió de Nadal, a Christmas log with a face on it!; In the Basque country, the gift bringer is Olentzero, a big man who wears a beret and smokes a pipe.
  • Sri Lanka: Naththal Seeya
  • Sweden: Jultomten (Santa) & Nissar / Tomte (Christmas Gnomes/Elves)
  • Switzerland: Samichlaus (St. Nicholas) or the baby Jesus or Befana (South Switzerland) or the Three Kings
  • Syria: Baba Noël
  • Turkey: Noel Baba (Father Christmas)
  • Ukraine: Svyatyy Mykolay (St. Nicholas) & Дід Мороз / Did Moroz
  • United Kingdom: Father Christmas (inter-changeable 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)
^ It is interesting to see how different countries and cultures view/celebrate the same basic holiday. ^

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