Santa Claus - Der Weihnachtsmann The term Weihnachtsmann is a very generic German term for Father Christmas, St. Nicholas, or Santa Claus. The German Weihnachtsmann is a fairly recent Christmas tradition having little if any religious or folkloric background.
German children call Santa Claus 'Weihnachtsmann' which translates to Christmas man. The Weihnachtsmann is a recent Christmas tradition which has little if any religious or folkloric background.
The modern figure of Santa is based on folklore traditions surrounding Saint Nicholas, the English figure of Father Christmas, the German Belsnickel and the Dutch figure of Sinterklaas.
Belsnickel (also known as Belschnickel, Belznickle, Belznickel, Pelznikel, Pelznickel, Bell Sniggle) is a crotchety, fur-clad Christmas gift-bringer figure in the folklore of the Palatinate region of southwestern Germany along the Rhine, the Saarland, and the Odenwald area of Baden-Württemberg.
Santa Claus is called Père Noël in French or Father Christmas. Small children may also call him Papa Noël or Daddy Christmas. He looks more or less like the Santa Claus from the American Coca-Cola ads, but there are a few subtle differences in his costume and practices that make him French. 1.
5 German Christmas traditions you should know | History Stories
What is Santa called in Russia?
Unlike the bloated, red-coated father Christmas of the West, Russia's Santa Claus, known as Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost), is slender with a wizard-like flowing beard and he wears a long robe that comes in different colors, such as blue and white.
In Japan Santa is known as サンタさん、サンタクロース / Santa-san (Mr Santa) or サンタクロース / Santa-Kurosu (Santa Claus). (Another Japanese gift bringer is Hoteiosho, a Japanese god of good fortune from Buddhism. But he is NOT related to Christmas.)
Through most of Germany, St. Nicholas is assisted by a character named Knecht Ruprecht, in Switzerland by Schmutzli, in France and Luxembourg by Père Fouettard, in the Netherlands by Zwarte Piet, and in Slovenia by Parkelj. In Southern Germany and Austria, St. Nicholas' counterpart is Krampus.
With Father Christmas preparing for the season, we spoke with one of his elves to learn more about Santa Claus, or joulupukki, as he's called in Finland.
Kris Kringle can be traced back to the German Kristkindl, meaning Christ Child, the first documented use in English was 1830. Kris Kringle entered the English language through the immigration of Pennsylvania Dutch settlers.
Krampus is thought to come from either Bavarian: krampn, meaning "dead", "rotten", or from the German: kramp/krampen, meaning "claw". The Krampus is considered to be a half-goat, half-demon monster in some legends. Its role is to punish bad children or scare them into being good.
Krampus is a mythical creature who is often depicted with horns and a demon-like face. According to myth, which likely originated in what is now Germany and Austria, the creature punished children who behaved badly.
In German, the phrase "Frohe Weihnachten!" which translates to "Merry Christmas” is commonly used. If you prefer a more neutral expression, say "Frohes Fest!" ("Happy Celebration!") or "Schöne Feiertage!" ("Beautiful Holidays!").
Santa is known as 'Sheng dan Lao ren' in Mandarin, which translates as 'Christmas Old Man', and he is seen as a non-religious figure who lives in a fairytale Arctic Christmas Village in China's North Pole.
Treat guests to a traditional German Christmas dinner with classic dishes like roasted goose legs, braised red cabbage. and dumplings, and don't forget the mulled wine and platter of gorgeous, festive cookies.
Krampus is one such character who comes from folklore in Austria's Alpine region, where he's been frightening children and amusing adults for hundreds of years. Krampus, the half-man, half-goat counterpart to St. Nicholas, has been apart of folklore in Austria's Alpine region for hundreds of years.
Max sincerely apologizes for losing his spirit; although Krampus seems to accept his apology, he still tosses Max in as well. Max awakens in his bed on Christmas morning and discovers his family alive and well downstairs, concluding what happened was just a nightmare.
Apparently created to strike terror in the hearts and minds of small children — and quite a few adults, too — Krampus traditionally carries a ruten bundle, or birch rod, to whip those who have misbehaved and chains to bind those who have strayed from the straight and narrow.
That stout, bearded gnome-like figurine with its bulbous nose poking out from under its hat is known as a gonk. They hail from Scandinavian mythology and represent the traditional Nordic Santa Claus.
In Denmark, Santa Claus is known as Julemanden (literally "the Yule Man") and is said to arrive on a sleigh drawn by reindeer, with presents for the children.
What is Santa Claus called in Australia? These days most Australians call Atnas (his real name) “Santa”. At “Australia Post” he is officially called “Santa”.
However, in 2020, KFC's own explainer said “[t]he original idea for the campaign came when a foreign customer who visited KFC in Tokyo on Christmas day said, 'I can't get the turkey in Japan, so I have no choice but to celebrate Christmas with Kentucky Fried Chicken'.
