The difference between Santa Claus and Santa Claus. What is the difference between Father Frost and Santa Claus? The birthplace of Santa Claus

1. Red color. Santa Claus can also be in red, but at the same time he can wear other clothes - in general, it is desirable that it be white, blue, maybe it can be yellow or green. Also, the robe of the real Santa Claus is not covered in a solid color - it is diluted with patterns, embroidery, trim (white or blue), etc. And in the clothes of Santa Claus, an aggressive solid red color predominates (exclusively this one!), and only the edge of his pathetic jacket is sometimes white .

Clothes color – red:
This is hardly a Russian Grandfather!

2. Cap. The most typical distinguishing feature! The real Santa Claus can NEVER wear a cap - he is wearing a boyar's hat. And Santa Claus is wearing this disgusting jester's cap with a pompom, like a prankster gnome, which immediately gives him a frivolity and parody atypical for Santa Claus.

When will you see the cap?
Be sure: this is the enemy!

3. Outerwear. Santa Claus wears a short jacket (sometimes just below the waist, sometimes up to the waist), tied with a belt. Below the sweatshirt are red pants. Remember that the true Santa Claus would never be able to endure our Russian winter in such mocking clothes. Santa Claus should wear a long fur coat reaching to the ground, without any belts, from under which no pants should be visible. Pants destroy all respectability. What Santa Claus wears under his fur coat is sacred and cannot be put on display :)

If you saw Grandfather’s pants -
Know: this Grandfather is not from our country!

4. Shoes. Santa Claus always wears boots, often of the shorter type, which is again ridiculous for our climate. Santa Claus should only have felt boots!

If Grandfather is wearing boots -
Know that enemies are walking in them!

5. Beard. Santa Claus's beard is cut short, like that of a civilized old man, and also curly, like that of a lamb from a children's postcard. All this is absolutely not typical for Santa Claus. Santa Claus's beard is wild, long, tousled by the free wind, and in most cases it lacks any sweet curliness.

Is Grandfather's beard short?
Trouble threatens the nation!

6. Growth and volume. From all the previous rants, in general, it is clear that Santa Claus is indecently small in height. And Santa Claus is impressive in stature, like the true ruler of the New Year! As for volume, Santa Claus is quite skinny. Well, his clothes are crap, just for the sake of formality. But in accordance with the Russian winter, Santa Claus wears a lot of warm clothes, and all the clothes are real, fur, thick. So Santa Claus is also impressive in terms of volume!

If Grandfather is both skinny and small -
Drive him away boldly!

Sometimes it happens that in terms of volume, Santa Claus, on the contrary, goes to the opposite extreme and becomes fat and round. But remember that his thickness always looks unnatural and caricatured, while all the proportions of Santa Claus are always harmonious, and his thickness never conflicts with his height.

OTHER ELEMENTS

7. Glasses. Also, such a sign of culture as glasses is typical for Santa Claus. Santa Claus does not have this characteristic. How can this all-powerful spirit of Nature - Santa Claus - have such a disadvantage as myopia?! Myopia is inherent only to those who are spoiled by a destructive civilization, who are tamed and domesticated to the point of complete degeneration, as happened with Santa Claus.

8. Snow Maiden. Also a distinctive feature. Santa Claus never had and never will have a granddaughter, because his mutilated prototype is St. Nicholas, like any saint, was chaste. And our natural Grandfather has a granddaughter, this is everyone’s favorite Snow Maiden! So there are two of us, and there is only one Santa Claus!

9. Staff. Please note: Santa Claus's staff is the standard staff of a Catholic bishop (for it is not for nothing that Santa Claus comes from St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra): a stick with a curved top. But Santa Claus has nothing to do with St. Nicholas has nothing to do with it, so his staff should only be a straight stick; it could have a round knob (or at least in the shape of a star; the staff should never be rounded).

10. Deer. Only Santa Claus moves, as the Americans teach us in their movies and cartoons, on reindeer across the sky. Reindeer have never been Santa Claus's mode of transportation. For our Grandfather, the deer is too small and weak. Santa Claus can ride on a Russian troika, not in the sky, but quite on the ground, or rather on the snow - he is flesh of the flesh of this snow, this earth, this nature, why should he tear himself away from his native roots, snow fluttering from under the runners dust, frosty wind blows in the face, Santa Claus rolls with daring and bells! The dashing troika is rushing across the Russian Earth - then the owner of Winter, Grandfather Frost, is driving around his endless domain!

But in general, as already mentioned, Santa Claus moves in a mystical way, and there is no point in meddling with sacred matters.

11. Socks on the fireplace. This only applies to Santa Claus, not Father Frost. Socks on the fireplace are a purely Western gadget: supposedly Santa Claus comes down the chimney and puts a gift in the sock. However, what to explain - a fool understands that there have never been any fireplaces in Rus'. And our Grandfather won’t fit into some narrow fireplace, why would he? Moreover, Santa Claus would never have appeared among us in such a primitive and mundane way as they did: “Penetrating into the house through pipes and windows, he puts gifts in stockings, most often hung on the fireplace, and jingles his bells, as if announcing about the coming of the New Year."

Santa Claus appears in our homes in some mystical way, truly like a spirit, no one really knows how he appears - we only know that he WAS... And trying to explain this sacred secret in a rational way in the Western manner is blasphemy.

And one more thing. Our Father Frost is a real generous Russian soul, he is not so wretched and stingy as to limit his gift to the size of an idiotic and, most often, striped sock!

12. Other accompanying paraphernalia – all sorts of wreaths, bells, etc., including “Jingle Bells” songs and others. This is all purely Christmas paraphernalia and is associated only with Santa Claus, and all this Western consumer goods and garbage should not be attributed to the image of Santa Claus.

Celebrating Christmas and New Year in different countries has its own characteristics and traditions. This also applies to the main participant of these holidays - Santa Claus. Each country has its own, special one, and they call it differently. The most famous are Grandfather Frost and Santa Claus. What other wizards come to people these holidays to please them?

Russia – Santa Claus

Three snow-white horses are rushing to Santa Claus for the holiday. Santa Claus is in a painted sleigh, wearing a long fur coat, usually blue or red, and holding a magic staff. And next to him is always his beautiful granddaughter Snegurochka.

USA, Canada, UK, Australia – Santa Claus

Santa is younger than Grandfather Frost, quite well-fed and cheerful. He is easily recognized by his red outfit and cap of the same color. As soon as Santa gives a sign to his magical talking reindeer Rudolph, they are already in the air! Having carefully entered the house through the chimney, placing gifts in the shoes or stockings prepared by the fireplace, Santa, of course, does not forget to enjoy the treats left for him, usually milk and cookies.

Belarus – Father Frost (Dzed Maroz) and Zyuzya

The Belarusian Father Frost settled in the beautiful Belovezhskaya Pushcha park. Here he welcomes guests all year round.
There is another character in Belarus, very similar to the Russian Grandfather Frost, although a little eccentric - Zyuzya. He lives in the forest, often walking around barefoot or wearing slippers on his bare feet.

Belgium - Saint Nicholas

This Santa Claus is the eldest of the whole family. He rides on a horse, and always next to him is the Moor Black Peter, who has with him a bag of gifts and rods for hooligans. The owners of the house where Saint Nicholas stays usually leave a golden apple as a keepsake of him.

Hungary – Nikalaus and Telapo

First, Nikalaush brings gifts to the children for Christmas, but before that his assistants tell him how the children behaved. And, accordingly, someone gets candy, and someone gets coals.

After Christmas, Nikalausha takes over from Telapo. Sometimes the little devil Krampus comes with him to the children, who slightly frightens the mischievous children by the fact that he may leave them without a gift.

Holland - Sinter Klaas

This wizard appears surrounded by a whole retinue of dark-skinned Moors with turbans on their heads. They accompany Sinter Klaas everywhere, and their duties also include distributing the gifts he brought.

Germany – Weihnachtsmann

The local Santa Claus is called Weinachtsmann. Children really love this kind grandfather, who comes to them on a donkey with gifts. The children, while waiting for Weihnachtsmann, leave treats in their shoes for the donkey.
Along with Weinachtsmann, a very strange-looking creature also appears - Polznickel. Strangely dressed in a topsy-turvy fur coat, holding a rod intended for hooligan children, he wanders the streets, clinking his chains and frightening passers-by.
But many Germans are not afraid of him at all; on the contrary, they believe that Polznickel disperses evil spirits with the ringing of chains.

Denmark - Yletomten (Julemanden)

Yuletomnen is distinguished by the fact that when he brings gifts into the house, he tries not to leave them under the tree or near the fireplace, as many other Santa Clauses do, but hides them in the most unexpected places. And in the morning there is a commotion in the house - everyone is busy looking for gifts, and sometimes this drags on for a long time. Nevertheless, it is pleasant and interesting.
This grandfather also has assistants - mischievous little brownie gnomes, very good-natured. They have wooden shoes on their feet and red caps on their heads. Their favorite treats are rice pudding and oatmeal with cinnamon.

Ireland - Dady na Nollagh

In this land of fairy-tale elves, shrouded in secrets and legends, Santa Claus is also very unusual. He is wearing a green fur coat, which is very popular in Ireland, on his head is not a hat, but a wreath, his staff is decorated with herbs.

Spain – Papa Noel

Although the Spaniards only recently met Santa Claus (the Magic Kings used to give them gifts), they have already fallen in love with him. And now they celebrate the holidays with him. But they also haven’t forgotten about the Magic Kings, and they now come with gifts on January 6th.

Italy - Babbo Natale and the fairy Befana

The wizard Bobo Natale comes to Italian children on a sleigh with reindeer. Having made his way into the house (usually through a pipe), he leaves gifts for each child under the Christmas tree. And in case he wants a snack on the way, a cup of milk is waiting for him in every house.

The fairy La Befana also brings gifts to Italian children on these holidays. She also goes down the chimney and lays out gifts, while strictly making sure that only obedient children receive them. Before she flies away, she sweeps the floor near the fireplace.

China - Shan Dan Laozhen

The Chinese grandfather has a rather exotic appearance - he is wearing a silk oriental robe, an intricate headdress, and he moves astride a donkey. But, nevertheless, he has a lot in common with European wizards. In particular, he also puts gifts in socks hanging on the wall.

Norway - Ylebukk

The Norwegian Julebukk is also helped by the little house gnomes Nisse, who are very fond of sweet oatmeal with butter. The children set the table for them with their favorite delicacy, and the gnomes leave them gifts.

Romania and Moldova – Mosh Craciun

According to an old legend, the Virgin Mary once stayed with the shepherd Krechun. And after she gave birth to Jesus, the shepherd brought her cheese and milk. When, after some time, Mary left with the child, the shepherd began to give gifts to the children.

Finland – Joulupukki

High in the mountains lives the leisurely life of Joulupukki, the Finnish Father Frost. His wife, Muori, also lives in the house with him.

France - Pere Noel

The kind Pere Noel often goes with Chalande, who has hidden rods to punish naughty children, most likely just to scare them a little.

Differences between Father Frost and Santa Claus. Where do these fairy-tale characters live? Where can you find them?

New Year's holidays are approaching all over the world. Soon Father Frost and Santa Claus will pack their bags and go to distribute gifts to obedient children in every country. But first, each of them will read all the letters that came from them.

It is interesting that these main characters of the Christmas and New Year period work on their own territory and do not encroach on the property of their neighbor.

What are the differences between them, where do they live and is it really possible to see them together at the same time? Let’s talk in more detail.

What is the difference between Santa Claus and Santa Claus: comparison, differences and similarities

drawings of Father Frost and Santa Claus to determine the differences between them

There are more differences between Father Frost and Santa Claus than similarities. Let's start with them:

• Headdress.
  Santa has a nightcap, Grandfather has a hat trimmed with fur. Due to the strong climate difference in Russia, a thin cap will not help you warm up from the severe cold. Frost's hat should be embroidered with pearls and silver, have a wide hem and an oval shape.
• Our fairy-tale hero's vision is stronger than that of the European one. The last one wears glasses
• Santa Claus's beard is longer, it reaches the waist, although the classic size is down to the toes. His colleague's is short and spade-shaped
• Cloth.
  Our Grandfather wears a long fur coat down to his toes in red, blue or white, unlike Santa, who prefers a short jacket only in red because he advertises Coca-Cola. Again, the climatic conditions of the north of Russia require high-quality insulation with a fur coat.
• Shoes.
  Frost is comfortable only in felt boots, and Klaus is comfortable in boots.
• Grandfather has mittens on his hands, and Santa has gloves. In severe frost, you can only keep warm with gloves
• Belt our hero has a wide one, tied around the waist. European character wears a belt with buckle
• Grandfather holds a staff in his hands, and Santa holds a bag of gifts or nothing. With his staff, our hero covers trees with snow, freezes water, that is, works miracles.
• The bad habit of smoking a pipe is characteristic of many Santa Claus characters. Our character leads a healthy lifestyle
• Method of transportation.
  Santa only rides in a cart pulled by reindeer. Santa Claus prefers to walk, or at least ride in a sleigh driven by three horses.
• Habitat.
  Santa lives in Lapland in a big house, and Frost lives in a log house in the Siberian wilderness.
• Assistants- Santa has elves and gnomes, but our Frost is helped by his granddaughter Snegurochka; before the revolution there were angels.

What these New Year's heroes have in common is their origin from a Christian saint named Nicholas, who lived in an ancient Byzantine city. He protected children and patronized them.

In Tsarist Russia, Nicholas the Wonderworker became associated with the hero of the New Year holidays. After the revolution in the last century and persecution of religion and its paraphernalia, the image and name were replaced by Father Frost.

North American peoples had a folklore character who gave gifts to children at Christmas. He came to Europe as Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of children. The English translation of his name transformed into Santa Claus.

Father Frost and Santa Claus: difference, differences in appearance, costume, photo

photo of New Year's characters Father Frost and Santa Claus looking at a moose figurine

Let's add a series of photographs of Santa Claus and Father Frost to remember the visual difference between them in appearance.

external differences between Father Frost and Santa Claus, Figure 1

external differences between Father Frost and Santa Claus, Figure 2

external differences between Father Frost and Santa Claus, Figure 3

Who is older, better, cooler, stronger: Father Frost or Santa Claus?

collage drawing “Santa or Father Frost?”

Grandfather Frost is definitely older. This image came to Christianity from pagan times.

Our Santa Claus is also stronger. In addition to his physically developed body, he wields a magic staff. Santa has neither one nor the other.

To answer the question of who is better, you need to decide on the parameters. The same applies to determining the coolness of heroes. For example, Santa Claus is more interesting because he always walks accompanied by his beautiful granddaughter, he is a magician, loves wildlife and takes care of it. Does not obey anyone and does not advertise to anyone. Lives freely and honestly.

Where do Father Frost and Santa Claus live?

photo of Santa Claus's residence at night, top view

Santa Claus lives above the Arctic Circle in a territory called Lapland. By the way, this is the northern part of Russia, Sweden and Finland.

Officially, his residence is considered to be a place located 8 km from the town of Rovaniemi in Finland. An international airport, a large office, an amusement park and a shopping center have been built here. Santa's residence welcomes tourists all year round.

Since the late 90s of the last century, the city of Bolshoy Ustyug in the Vologda region has been officially recognized as the residence of Father Frost. Before that, she was in Arkhangelsk and on the Kola Peninsula in the Lapland Nature Reserve. Currently, there are representative offices of Father Frost in Moscow and Murmansk.

Where can Father Frost and Santa Claus meet?

Santa Claus and Father Frost met at a corporate party

• Theoretically, these characters should not meet, since they work in different territories.
• If you play with words and pay attention to their place of residence - Lapland and the Lapland Nature Reserve, then it is logical to assume that they are neighbors.
• In practice, Santa Claus and Father Frost meet at New Year's corporate parties and on the street during the holidays.

If you hear a similar question on a holiday quiz, the correct answers will be:

• at the border, matinee
• in a shopping center, airport
• under the door of your house

Use your imagination and come up with the most extraordinary guesses regarding the meeting place of Father Frost and Santa Claus.

Video: what is the difference between Father Frost and Santa Claus?

The older generation understands the difference between Father Frost and Santa Claus. But not all modern children see differences in them. Many guys think that this is the same character, others think that the winter wizards are brothers. Not all parents are in a hurry to dispel such myths. Some do not consider it necessary to deprive a child of a fairy tale. They say: “Let him believe in whomever he wants, let him grow up, and understand that all wizards are a figment of the imagination.” But you can't do that to children. The guys should see the difference between a Russian wizard and his Western counterpart. After all, if children are not taught this, then in the future our country will lose its history. Today we will look in detail at the difference between Father Frost and Santa Claus.

Origin of the Russian wizard

To understand the difference between Father Frost and Santa Claus, you need to know the history of these two characters. It is believed that our wizard is the spirit of frost, who was worshiped by our pagan ancestors. People brought gifts to this mystical deity, trying to appease the harsh temper of Frost. A fictional deity from folklore became the prototype for the fairy tale "Morozko". At first, this character had nothing to do with the New Year; this association came much later. After all, in Russia, Christmas has always been considered the main holiday of winter. Only during the Soviet period did the New Year acquire an all-Union scale. And the good wizard and his granddaughter became the symbol of this main holiday.

Many will be surprised, but there is also an American Santa Claus. Santa Claus is not the only hero of Western children's fairy tales. Jack Frost is an analogue of our Russian wizard. But in America he is considered a negative hero, he spoils the children's holiday, and it is with him that Santa Claus constantly comes into conflict. Of course, Jack Frost is not exactly our Santa Claus, he smokes, drinks, and looks very repulsive.

The history of the appearance of the Western wizard

Well, now let’s look once again at the difference between Father Frost and Santa Claus. Saint Nicholas was taken as the prototype of the Western wizard. When the first settlers moved to live on a new American island, they had to develop their own folklore. This is how Sinterklaas was born. It was he who threw gifts to children who behaved well through the fireplace. But why did Santa Claus give gifts in such a strange way? And this fact has an explanation. They say that Saint Nicholas walked across the rooftops and threw wallets of gold down the chimneys of poor people. And since socks were dried on the fireplaces, wallets were found there.

Santa Claus gained wide popularity in 1931. It was this year that Coca-Cola released its commercial with the famous old man in a red sheepskin coat. Therefore, when thinking about who is older - Father Frost or Santa Claus, we can safely say that our wizard is in the lead here.

Where does Santa Claus live?

Everyone knows that the birthplace of the Russian wizard is Veliky Ustyug. There is the residence of Father Frost, where he welcomes his guests all year round. Our wizard cannot stand the heat, which is why he settled in the North. He has his own residence, which is located 11 km from the city. But it is accessible to everyone. It’s especially great to go there during the New Year holidays to get a dose of New Year’s spirit.

Where does Santa Claus live?

The birthplace of Santa Claus is Lapland, and specifically the city of Rovaniemi. Here is his winter residence, where the wizard greets guests and distributes gifts. Santa Claus has a beautiful palace with a wonderfully decorated façade. What can we say, the wizard has his own town, where there is a post office and a bakery is open every day.

We understood where Father Frost and Santa Claus live, and surprisingly, these wizards communicate with each other. In the early 2000s, their joint video message to the children of the planet was recorded.

Character of Santa Claus

As you know, our wizard’s character is not sugar. It is enough to remember the fairy tale “Morozko” to understand how Santa Claus treats lazy and deceitful children. Of course, the wizard doesn’t freeze all the kids. Only the most notorious pranksters suffer such a fate. And Santa Claus brings gifts to the rest of the children. The wizard gives gifts to some children, those who have especially distinguished themselves by their good behavior and academic performance, in person, at the governor’s Christmas tree in Moscow. Santa Claus gives presents to other children at matinees in kindergartens and schools. Well, for those children who study poorly and do not please their parents with good behavior, the wizard brings nothing.

Santa Claus character

The Western wizard is also distinguished by his obstinate character. He may not be as strong in witchcraft as his Russian prototype, but he can still do mischief to children. Instead of gifts for children who have behaved badly during the year, New Year's Santa Claus pours ash into a sock.

Unlike the Russian wizard, the Western one does not have a healthy lifestyle. He loves to eat delicious food and smoke a pipe. As you know, people with a big belly have an eccentric but kind character.

Santa Claus clothes

Today, European and Russian fashion are no different, but this was not always the case. And since Santa Claus is not a hero of our generation, his clothes are already morally outdated and look a little out of date. But this does not mean that it does not suit my grandfather; on the contrary, it makes him look regal. On his head, Santa Claus has a hat trimmed with white fur. You can often see embroidery in the form of frosty patterns on it. Santa Claus is dressed in a fur coat that reaches to his toes. It is belted with a belt embroidered with gold or silver. And an interesting pattern can also be applied to a fur coat. The Russian wizard has felt boots on his feet. These are the most appropriate shoes for a person who lives in the North. Mittens protect the hands of Santa Claus from wind and snow. And his face is adorned with a long white beard. And of course, a red nose. The nose, by the way, can be blue. Everything will depend on the color of the fur coat. Recently, Santa Claus is increasingly wearing red outerwear, paying tribute to Western fashion. But still, the Russian wizard does not disdain wearing both a blue and a white fur coat. Santa Claus carries a staff in his hands. He casts a spell with it, and he relies on it. Still, my grandfather is getting old and sometimes it’s difficult for him to walk. Since the wizard leads a healthy lifestyle, he can often be seen skiing. But most often, Santa Claus uses eight white horses as a means of transportation, which he harnesses to a luxurious sleigh.

Western Wizard's Clothes

The Santa Claus costume is different from the Father Frost outfit. The fur coat of the European wizard is short. In a long one it would be inconvenient to climb smoke shafts. Santa Claus has red pants and black boots on his feet. His head is crowned with a nightcap with a pompom, and his face is adorned with a short white beard. White gloves protect your hands from cold and wind. The Western wizard's belt is wide and leather. Santa's suit is red and he has one.

The Western wizard is not without human weaknesses, which is why you can see a smoking pipe in his hands. Although, since anti-tobacco campaigns began in Europe, even Santa Claus has given up smoking. It is not surprising that in a few years the legend about the old man will change, and it will turn out that he was never interested in smoking a pipe. Old age forces the Western wizard to wear glasses. But it’s worth remembering that Santa Claus doesn’t look much like a person. He looks more like an elf. His short stature and round belly, which add charm to the old man, unite the grandfather with pointy-eared creatures.

The birthplace of Santa Claus is Lapland. It takes a long time to get there on foot, so the Western wizard travels on a team of reindeer. These animals even have their own names, and some of them can talk. Elves often hang bells on the antlers of deer.

Santa Claus's assistants

The Russian wizard does not work alone. He has an assistant - his granddaughter Snegurochka. It is not entirely clear how this girl appeared, but by default it is generally accepted that she was left an orphan, and Santa Claus took her to live with him. It’s surprising that there are no analogues of the Snow Maiden in any country in the world. This girl accompanies her famous grandfather on all his trips, helps him give gifts to children, and it is she who spends most of the matinees. Children love Snegurochka for her beautiful appearance and kind disposition. But it’s not only the granddaughter who helps the Russian wizard. In addition to the horses harnessed to his harness, you can see titmice, bunnies and squirrels in various illustrations. These cute animals are Santa Claus' companions and friends.

Santa's Helpers

The Western wizard has a whole team that prepares gifts for children for Christmas. It consists of elves. These little people sew clothes and make toys day and night. Santa Claus also has a wife. Mrs. Claus does not accompany her husband on trips, but she always waits for him at home and supports him in all his endeavors. Santa Claus travels with his reindeer. They are his friends. The Western wizard talks to them, and it is they who help him get out of various troubles that the fat and clumsy old man gets into.

Why Russian children need to know the differences

Naturally, every person should know his history and the history of his country. It is thanks to her that we exist. Of course, history can be rewritten, but you cannot rewrite the past. And if you forget it, you can make the same mistakes in the future. It seems, what does the comparison of Father Frost and Santa Claus and the future of our country have to do with it? But it turns out there is a connection. After all, every child should know the folklore of their country. It is thanks to folk tales that each nationality has its own unique flavor. For example, have you ever wondered: in Germany, Father Frost or Santa Claus wishes children a Happy New Year? It turns out that it is neither one nor the other. The Germans have their own wizard, and his name is St. Nicholas. And this is true in any country. Cheerful or menacing, but always fair old men, with hundreds of years behind them, congratulate children on the holidays. What if these wizards didn’t exist? If all countries celebrated New Year and Christmas the same way, it would not be interesting. After all, you must admit, it’s nice to come to a foreign country and look at the strange and mysterious rituals that are performed in this foreign world. I want to try wonderful national cuisine and appreciate completely new entertainment. This is what makes a person travel. And perhaps this is due to the preservation of traditions and national heroes and symbols of the holiday. And for Russia, the main characters of the New Year are Father Frost and Snow Maiden.

The most important holiday of the year is ahead and children are looking forward to the good Father Frost. But there are more and more Santa Clauses on TV and in stores, but they are trying to forget our real Santa Claus? Some may think this is stupid, like, what are the differences between Father Frost and Santa Claus? But in reality this is not the case. They have differences, and the most important thing is that Santa Claus is our traditions, history and our identity!

Origin

The prototype of Santa Claus was the famous Catholic and Orthodox saint - St. Nicholas. In the Orthodox tradition, he is usually called Nikolai Ugodnik. Catholics and Orthodox believe that Nikolai Ugodnik secretly helps poor people, which is why he was chosen for such a responsible position as distributing gifts. But Santa Claus is a character of pagan origin. In the mythology of the Eastern Slavs, Frost was considered the patron saint of winter cold and the other world. But over time, the image of the pagan god was erased from memory, and the formidable Frost turned into a kind grandfather. Granddaughter of the grandfather, the Snow Maiden is a character in the author's fairy tale written by V. Dahl.

Color range

Western Santa traditionally dresses in red and white. These are the colors that symbolize Christmas in Western Europe: red is a symbol of joy. And white color is a symbol of snow, winter, calm and peace. But the domestic grandfather has several options for a winter caftan: blue, red and white. Our ancestral Grandfather’s sheepskin coat is not plain, but covered with carved patterns. And his granddaughter matches him, in an elegant fur coat of the same color.

Headdress

Western Santa wears a pompom hat. He has a cheerful disposition, and therefore such a hat suits Santa. But our Grandfather is strict, but fair: if the children behave badly at the Christmas tree, he can freeze them! And he wears a headdress that matches his cool character and severe frosts: a warm fur hat. They say that under his hat he wears delicate grass and flowers so that they do not freeze in winter, and he can also warm the birds there. It is impossible to imagine our Father Frost in a jester's cap, and even with a pompom. And the granddaughter of such a serious grandfather wears an elegant kokoshnik - an old Russian headdress for women and girls.

Warm clothes

There are no severe frosts in the West, so Santa usually wears a short red sheepskin coat with fur trim. But. If Santa Claus dressed like that, he would definitely freeze. Therefore, the traditional clothing of our grandfather is a long, warm sheepskin coat made of natural fur, reaching to the toes. And the old man must wear warm mittens on his hands. If a grandfather touches a naughty child with such a mitten, the baby will immediately freeze. Under his short fur coat, Santa Claus wears ordinary European clothes: a warm jacket, shirt and trousers. And our grandfather has an old Russian caftan under his fur coat. But he never takes off his fur coat and mittens, even during fun games with the guys.

Winter shoes

Santa has ordinary leather boots on his feet. But for Russia this option, of course, is not suitable. Despite the fact that severe frosts have been rare lately, the Russian Grandfather continues to wear felt boots according to tradition. And the Snow Maiden usually sports elegant boots with heels, because she is much younger than her grandfather and is known as a fashionista. Father Frost's felt boots are large, size "forty-five extendable." When grandfather walks through the forest with a bag over his shoulders, the creaking of snow under his massive shoes can be heard from afar.

Hairstyle

Santa Claus has a small, neat white beard, like a teacher, doctor or elderly university professor. And Santa Claus has a large, thick beard, approximately the same as what both boyars and peasants wore in Rus' before Peter the Great. In Slavic culture, a beard is traditionally considered a symbol of wisdom, so children and adults treat the fairy-tale old man with respect. Children sometimes simply call a Western grandfather “Santa,” but our grandfather does not tolerate such familiarity. He loves to be addressed respectfully: “Grandfather Frost” or “Moroz Ivanovich.”

Build

Santa Claus is a middle-aged man, dense, stocky and short in stature. If you put him next to the Russian Snow Maiden, Santa will barely reach her shoulders. Funny couple! And our Grandfather Frost is always tall and stately. He is somewhat reminiscent of an epic hero or giant. Probably, Moroz Ivanovich’s good physical shape is explained by the fact that he moves not only in a troika, but also likes to walk through the forest on foot or ski or skate with his forest assistant friends. If we compare the ages of two grandfathers, any Santa Claus will visually look years...ten years older than any Santa.

Vision

Western Santa invariably wears round, thin-framed glasses. This is probably because he often has to read letters with incomprehensible childish scribbles. But our grandfather, despite constantly reading children’s letters and his advanced age, managed to preserve his eyesight and does not need glasses. However, perhaps this is because his beloved granddaughter reads his children’s letters, and Santa has to cope alone. Or maybe Santa Claus is often treated to carrots by his hare assistants, which is why he retained his keen eyes into old age.

Accompanying persons

Santa Claus usually travels alone. But Father Frost is always accompanied by his granddaughter, Snegurochka. When children's Christmas trees began to be held again in the Soviet Union for the first time after the revolution, many children were afraid of the big and loud Santa Claus. So they came up with a kind granddaughter for him - an affectionate and sweet girl from V. Dahl’s fairy tale “The Snow Maiden”. The image of the Snow Maiden, like the image of Father Frost, goes back to the ancient Slavic religion - paganism. To be convinced of this, it is enough to recall the plot of Rimsky-Korsakov’s popular opera “The Snow Maiden”.

Magic staff

Santa Claus will not take a step without his famous staff in the shape of a rounded letter “L”. In the West, lollipops of the same shape with red and white stripes are very popular. The exact same staff is traditionally carried by Catholic bishops. But the staff of Santa Claus is a straight stick with a figured knob. It's essentially a magic wand. With its help, a fairytale Grandfather can freeze a naughty child, light the lights on a festive Christmas tree, or fulfill any child’s wish.

Transport

Santa Claus is “registered” in Lapland, and this northern region is famous for its reindeer. It is on them that the Western Grandfather travels. And one of his reindeer even became famous, becoming the hero of cartoons and children's songs - this is Rudolph, the little deer with a crane nose. The domestic Father Frost rides a dashing troika of nameless horses or travels through the forest on foot, and his beloved granddaughter carefully leads him by the arm. However, in postcards of the Soviet era, the kind Grandfather was often depicted on a train, plane, or even on board a spaceship, because progress does not stand still.

Gift delivery method

Santa Claus enters the house secretly through the chimney. He leaves in the same way, “in English,” quietly placing the gift in the baby’s sock or boot. In the morning, children wake up and rejoice at gifts. It’s very convenient, and grandpa doesn’t have to read poems or sing songs. And our Santa Claus knocks loudly on the door and demands from the child a poem, a song or a report on good behavior throughout the year. Only then is the gift solemnly presented. If Grandfather cannot stay in the house for a long time, he quietly puts the gift under the tree.

But in one thing both fairy-tale characters are similar: they love children and sincerely want to bring them joy, fun, and faith in miracles.

Help us improve: if you notice an error, select a fragment and click Ctrl+Enter.