The scary truth about Santa Claus. The history of Santa Claus

Santa Claus is translated from Dutch as Saint Nicholas (Sinterklaas). Saint Nicholas - Nicholas the Wonderworker - Saint Nicholas of Myra the Wonderworker - Nicholas the Pleasant - a real historical figure. He became famous as a great saint - God's helper. He helps everyone who asks him for help and intercession.

To understand why St. Nicholas became the prototype of Santa, let's go back in time...
Saint Nicholas was born back in the 4th century, in Lycia, located in southwestern Asia (the territory of modern Turkey) and which was a province of the Great Roman Empire, in the seaport of Patara to wealthy parents. In his youth he traveled as a pilgrim to Egypt and Palestine, and on his return to Lycia became a bishop in the city of Myra. Having distributed his inheritance to the poor, he visited Palestine, venerated the holy places and returned to Patar, where his uncle was a bishop. On the advice of his uncle, St. Nicholas became a priest. He later became bishop of the city of Myra in Lycia, hence his name Nicholas of Myra.

Nicholas was imprisoned during the persecution of Christians under the Roman Emperor Diocletian, but was released during the reign of Constantine the Great.

Fishermen and sailors consider Nicholas the Pleasant their patron; they light a candle before sailing and pray to him during storms and storms. There are legends where Nicholas the Wonderworker, with a prayer to God, calmed the storm and saved a sinking ship, returned a sailor who fell from the mast of the ship and crashed to death to life.

They also pray to Nicholas the Pleasant for healing from various ailments, for protection family hearth, about help in various troubles, from sadness and despondency, for children, to get daughters married, about help in poverty and need, about intercession for widows and orphans, about compassion for the defenseless, in captivity from enemies.

In Rus', the fame of the miracles of St. Nicholas has been going on for a long time, starting with the adoption of Christianity. Numerous temples and monasteries were erected in his honor. Among the peasants, Nicholas the Wonderworker enjoyed great respect and was considered the oldest and closest saint to God. St. Nicholas Memorial Day is celebrated twice a year: in the spring on May 22 and in the winter on December 19.

Since ancient times, Russian soldiers considered St. Nicholas their special heavenly intercessor, along with other holy champions of the Russian land. This is evidenced by the cross-vests that have survived to this day, worn by our warrior-ancestors under their armor, on which there was an image of St. Nicholas. The Streltsy guard in ancient Moscow, during roll call, proclaimed in the third voice: “St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, pray to God for us!”

Nicholas the Wonderworker became famous for performing real miracles during his lifetime.
IN hometown Nicholas the Pleasant, there lived a certain rich man who had three beautiful daughters. This rich man went bankrupt and fell into such poverty that he decided to offer his daughters, so that the family would not die of hunger, to earn a living with their beauty. To save the beauties from dishonor, Nikolai crept up to the house of the unfortunate father at night and quietly threw bags of gold out the window. The father of the three girls took this as a miracle and successfully married off his daughters with the money sent down. So Saint Nicholas popular imagination became the organizer of all happiness. The saint's blessing to three poor girls became the basis for turning to the Wonderworker with prayer before concluding a marriage. This story also gave rise to the custom of discreetly giving Christmas gifts. Saint Nicholas must, while no one sees him, sneak into the house and leave a bag of gifts under the tree.

For a long time, Nikolai Ugodnik has been considered the patron saint of children. In the Netherlands there is a belief that on Christmas night St. Nicholas rides around on a white horse and gives gifts to good children.

A similar belief exists in other European countries. All the children on Christmas evening are full of impatient anticipation, will “good grandfather St. Nicholas” give them something?

How did Nicholas the Wonderworker become Santa Claus?

The cult of St. Nicholas was very widespread in Holland. Since the seventeenth century, the Dutch have celebrated the day of St. Nicholas on December 6th (in the Orthodox Church - December 19th), the famous patron saint of sailors and children.

Since St. Nicholas is the patron saint of children, in the evening gifts were given to the children: a wooden shoe was filled with fruits and sweets (now the shoe has been replaced by a sock hanging over the fireplace).

During the Reformation of the Church, the cult of St. Nicholas weakened and almost disappeared from Europe. Only in Holland do they still celebrate St. Nicholas Day, or Sinterklaas as they call it there. Dutch settlers brought this custom with traditional gifts for children to New Amsterdam - as New York was once called. In America, the Dutch Sinterklaas becomes Santa Claus. Under this name, the saint who became an American is now known throughout the world.

In 1823, seminary teacher Clement Clarke Moore came up with the image of Santa Claus. On Christmas Eve, Clark read to his wife and children a poem he had composed, “Christmas Is Coming, or A Visit from Santa Claus.” He portrayed Santa Claus as a kind elf who arrives on eight reindeer and enters the house through the chimney. Moore did not intend to publish his work, but one of his friends, without the author’s knowledge, took Moore’s opus to the Sentinel newspaper.

The first image of Santa Claus was drawn in 1862 by cartoonist Thomas Nast. For 24 years, he painted him for the cover of the popular magazine "Harper's Weekly". The artist settled Klaus in the North Pole (and not in Lapland). The covers were incredibly popular.

During Civil War Lincoln asked Nast to draw Santa with the Northerners. Historians say that the Confederate army was demoralized by the appearance of Klaus on the enemy side.

Thomas Nast's Santa had one drawback - he was black and white. The red fur coat was given to the fairy-tale grandfather in 1885 by publisher Louis Prang. He brought the Victorian Christmas tradition to America. greeting cards made using color lithography technique. So Santa Claus changed the furs that Nast had dressed him in for a nice bright red outfit.

Finally, in 1930, the Coca-Cola company came up with a clever advertising trick so that their products would not be forgotten either in summer or winter - Chicago artist Haddon Sundblom depicted Santa Claus in the red and white colors of Coca-Cola.

Thus was born modern look Santa Claus, where he was no longer portrayed as Clement Moore's elf, but as a giant. Sundblom introduced a ninth reindeer, named Rudolf, into his team. Sundblom's Santa model was his friend and neighbor Lou Prentice.

Thus, Santa Claus, the fat, cheerful old man who delivers gifts, has become an integral part of Christmas celebrations around the world. He must have a white beard, a red jacket, trousers and a hat with a white fur trim. He rides around on a reindeer-drawn sleigh filled to the brim with gifts. He enters houses through the chimney and leaves gifts under the tree or in a special sock, but only to obedient children.

America is a huge country with different climate zones, so Santa Claus may not appear on his sleigh everywhere. He arrives in Hawaii on a Christmas ship, and in California on a surfboard.

Where does Santa Claus live?

Santa lives far in the north, but he also has 2 houses in America.
Torrington, Connecticut has a Christmas village where Santa and his elves hand out gifts. In Wilmington, New York, near Whiteface Mountain, a house was built in which Santa Claus lives permanently. He has a blacksmith to shoe deer, a chapel and a post office. More than 100,000 people visit Santa's house every year. There is also a city called Santa Claus in America. More than three million letters addressed to Santa come to this city every year. There you will also find a multi-colored statue of American Santa Claus almost eight meters high.

And, of course, if you want Santa Claus to stop by your house and leave you gifts, don't forget to leave milk and cookies for him - millions of children do this before going to bed on Christmas night.

How Santa Claus lives in the North Pole, Alaska

Santa Claus lives in Veliky Ustyug. Where does Santa Claus live? The Americans believe that he is where he belongs - at the North Pole. We went there - to Alaska, to the town of North Pole (North Pole) and talked to its main inhabitant

The American North Pole, or rather the North Pole, stands on solid ground (in particular, from underground ice) land, almost in the center of the huge and cold state of Alaska. The city is tiny - a little over 2,000 people - and seemingly unremarkable.

The first thing you see when driving into North Pole is the New Year's lights. On the roundabouts, of which there are many, colorful Christmas trees sparkle, and striped “sweet canes” glow everywhere, candy canes - an indispensable attribute of American Christmas, symbolizing Christ, his purity (white) and blood (red) shed for humanity.

The streets are empty - walking on snow-covered roads at -30°C is not much of a walk. It seems the city is immersed in cotton wool. People drive up to doctors' offices, post offices, cafes, banks, quickly walk 10–15 meters to the door and disappear into a warm room.

Most of the houses resemble barracks, placed right in the forest, through which the streets are laid. There are no cinemas or theaters in North Pole, but there is a television and radio station KJNP (King Jesus North Pole), broadcasting 24 hours a day on religious themes(and unofficially referred to as "Jesus' 50,000 Screaming Watts"). There are about twice as many churches as cafes here, from traditional to very strange. The selection of the latter is quite standard: Pizza Hut, Wendy's, Subway, Taco Bell. Those who are short on money and do not think about their health dine there. Those who don't have to count cents gather at Pagoda, the best Chinese restaurant within 500 kilometers.

In the difficult winter months, when daylight hours are reduced to four hours, people are looking for the slightest excuse to get out somewhere, and large stores, completely empty, working hours, in the evenings they serve as unique community centers. People spend hours there, escaping from the twilight of their homes (they need to save on electricity) and forced oxygen starvation (they need to save fuel, so the houses are tightly sealed, all cracks are coated with sealants). Cabin fever - a painful human reaction to long months of living in a confined space, manifested in irritability or even real depression - is well known in North Pole, as well as almost throughout Alaska.

Many local residents they work 20 kilometers from home - in Fairbanks, a large regional center with a university by Alaskan standards. Every morning there is a stream of traffic on the highway from North Pole to Fairbanks - people rushing to work. The highway is just like a highway, but right on the side of the road stands the main attraction of North Pole - Santa Claus's House. This is where people come from different parts tourists come to see Santa, talk to him and buy souvenirs.

It is impossible to drive past: the bright lights on the white house with red trim beckon the traveler. However, if it weren’t for the catchy colors and lighting, this house would look like a barn, like many houses in the town: a simple structure made of boards, covered with plywood. Inside there are several interconnected halls filled with Christmas tree decorations, toys, bells, dolls, Christmas trees and various souvenirs. Most of the items are made in China, but in response to the outcry from shoppers craving the authentic, the store tries to display as many locally made products as possible, displaying them on separate shelves with large "Made in Alaska" signs. There are also goods from Russia in the form of inhospitable nesting dolls and an unexpected porcelain wolf from the Imperial porcelain factory in St. Petersburg for 150 dollars.

“This is an ordinary souvenir shop with crazy prices,” some people say about Santa’s House. Indeed, prices for Chinese-made Christmas decorations here are almost twice as high as in other stores. “They've commercialized Santa Claus too much, there's no magic here,” echoed others. There is some truth in these words, but it is only for boring adults. And it’s generally not easy for adults to find a place for themselves where the fairy tale continues to live.

Children don’t care about the price of souvenirs; they see (and even feed!) reindeer in the enclosure near the store, then in the store they find Santa in a chair, and their faith in miracles becomes even stronger.

They write to Santa. Some people ask for toys (often describing the details in some detail), others for miracles, believing in the power of the bearded wizard. Some letters are posted on the walls of the store.

“Dear Santa, hello! I'm in second grade, I'm seven years old. I want a glow in the dark tent for Christmas! Thanks for the clothes for my sister. What is Mrs. Claus's real name? (Ashley).

“Dear Santa! I think I was good this year!” (pink heart instead of signature).

“I never wrote to you, but you always brought me what I wanted! I'll just write what I need, otherwise I have to run... [long wish list] I don't expect you to give me everything. Give poor people something too, please! Merry Christmas!"

“I don't care what I get for Christmas. Just please don’t give me panties!” (Katie).

“Dear Santa! I want daddy to come back!” (Haley)

Music is playing softly in the shop house. Santa signs books and gives autographs. People stand patiently in line, separated by velvet railings. Children behave differently: some happily climb into Santa's lap. And very little ones often cry - the bearded old man scares them. Here is a brave “princess”, smiling widely, approaching Santa’s throne. They talk quietly about something, and the old man fishes out from somewhere not one, but several gifts for her. Here, following the little boy, a huge man in military uniform sits on the old man’s lap. You can’t hear what he’s talking about, but the military man’s face is serious and even a little sad. Here is an elderly couple with an old French bulldog. The dog has cataracts in both eyes. “The veterinarian said: twelve thousand - and the eyes will be like new. We would pay, but there is no such money! Maybe Santa will help,” the owner says quietly. The dog sits in Santa’s arms with dignity, as if this is all he has been doing all his dog’s life.

Ho-ho-ho,” Santa laughs in a deep voice, greeting the next visitor. This is a “branded” laughter: candidates for the position of Santa are required to be able to laugh with a deep, “belly” laugh, as well as “corpulence”. The local Santa has all the necessary data.

"Where are you from?" - he asks me. “From Russia,” I say. And Santa perks up:

Oh, Russia! I was there a few years ago! In Moscow and St. Petersburg! It's beautiful there! I brought a bunch of books from there, but I can’t read them, they’re in Russian. Then they sent me a huge bottle of vodka, I don’t drink, but it was still nice! I also went to Finland.

So you know Joulupukki too?

Yes, that's his name.

What is it like to be Santa?

“I was born by Santa,” he grins slyly. - So you have photos somewhere in these clothes, such a little Santa? - Zhenya, with whom we are wandering around the store, teases the old man (Evgenia Shpakova, Eve Campbell - creator of the website russia-alaska.com. Thanks to her for her help!).

No,” he smiles, “but I’ve been Santa for 40 years, worked in Australia, Japan, all over America. I've been here for 10 years, I like it because I meet people from everywhere. I hope to work as Santa for a few more years.

Do you live in a hut, carry water and chop wood yourself?

What kind of firewood is that at 75 years old... I live in an ordinary small house. Moose and other animals wander into our area. Mrs. Claus is involved in charity work. She participates in organizing the 4th of July parade (US Independence Day. - Note "Around the World"), knits hats for children. We do a lot of things together. We just sent a Christmas present to Yukon - 40 hats and 40 scarves that she made, and 60 other miscellaneous items.

Do you keep children's letters? Are any of them sad?

Yes, a lot of letters from all over the world. We put them in boxes and store them. A lot of sad ones. Children ask to bring their dads home from the war. Or make sure that mom and dad get back together.

How do you feel on the first of January, when all the letters are sent, the gifts are delivered and the children don’t come for a while?

Seven months a year I do other things, work around the house, hobbies again...

What hobby?

You know,” his voice becomes quiet and solemn, “I do all sorts of things.” Toys, locomotives. I love trains. I have 42 sets of steam locomotives. And I'm working on them all free time. It’s been fifty years, no, sixty. I want to give them to my grandchildren. True, they live too far away. I have twenty-eight of them. And five great-grandchildren,” Santa’s voice rings with pride.

Are any of them going to follow in your footsteps?

Not yet. But they know that their grandfather is Santa. And they are all my friends. We often talk to them on Skype. One of them lives in Boise, Idaho, he is already grown up, and when he was six years old, they had Santa in town - sitting at the top of the big stairs in the shopping center. All the people lined up, and the grandson ran straight upstairs and, having reached that Santa, blurted out: “You don’t real Santa, my grandfather is real, he lives in North Pole!” I laugh, but I felt so sorry for that man!

What are you most proud of?

I granted six wishes for children dying of cancer with MakeaWish(a charitable organization whose goal is to fulfill the greatest wish of a child whose days are numbered. - Note "Around the World"). They bring the kids here, we give them gifts, we take them around, we spend a lot of time with them. This is very dear to me. It lights up my life. I'm trying to do more in this area. I try to show up at the hospital the evening before Christmas. It’s very sad when children have cancer and you don’t know how long they have left to live. When you are around these children, you have to hold on, but when I left the room, I cried...

Santa Claus's house recently celebrated its sixtieth anniversary. It opened back in 1952, the same year that North Pole officially became a city. And three years earlier, in 1949, the family of Cohn and Nellie Miller arrived in Fairbanks with two children. Cohn had only one dollar and forty cents in his pocket. But he somehow managed to get into the fur trade. In 1952, the family moved to a place called either Moose Crossing or Mosquito Junction. Thinking about how the settlement would develop, local activists decided to register the name North Pole, hoping to build a toy factory and sell them under the “Made in the North Pole” brand, and maybe create something like a northern Disneyland. The latter did not work out simply because there is snow here for eight months of the year and it is quite cold. The production of toys also somehow did not work out. Good idea brought by the Millers.

Con Miller worked as Santa Claus back in Fairbanks. He built a store in North Pole and initially sold basic goods. And one day, when he was renovating a building, a boy running past recognized him and shouted: “Hello, Santa!” It clicked in Kon’s head, and from an unremarkable general store he was born national brand Santa Claus House. Cohn began to “serve” as Santa there, and his wife Nellie became Mrs. Santa Claus.

Zhenya and I walk around the store, looking at toys. On the top shelves - Not for sale- old dolls, property of the Miller family. They look like characters from the movie " Gone with the Wind" The current Ken is a pathetic first-grader compared to the luxurious gentleman with a thin mustache and a tuxedo, looking out from the ceiling.

“They can’t get around to making signatures for these dolls,” Zhenya complains. - Brenda, do you remember the first Santa? - she turns to the saleswoman. - He probably came to see you at school?

Yes, the first Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus used to be here. They worked for quite a long time. We have another Santa, we call him Santa Rich (Richard), but the one you talked to today is the main one. It happens in the summer too. We have a good time in North Pole - it's so nice to be able to say "Hello!" Santa every day. So it seems like a city like a city, nothing special, but at some point you realize that this place is unique.

I'm reading children's letters when a woman stops next to me with a camera in her hands. She smiles, but her eyes sparkle with surging emotions. “I lived here for 20 years and took everything for granted. Then I went to Ohio and now I miss this landscape!”

Outside Santa's House, town life flows slowly. But sometimes the “still whirlpool” explodes on a large scale, even in national concepts events. Here, for example, the only conspiracy so far in Alaska was organized along the lines of “let’s carry out a mass murder, like at Columbine School” (fortunately, promptly discovered by the police); here, before the arrest, lived members of the group that was preparing the murders of federal and local officials and politicians (the arsenal found among the conspirators impressed even seasoned federalists). Civilians solve their problems - how to pay for fuel, how to provide for their family clean water(many wells are poisoned by oil refinery effluents), how to find a job and an inexpensive nanny.

We here... how to say... love independence. We don’t like it when they start telling us how to heat our houses (local authorities have long been trying to force residents to switch to less smoky stoves. - Note "Around the World") or how many guns we should have. - Katherine, a local supermarket worker, puts goods on the shelves, smiling like a model from a video about miracle cosmetics. She looks just like that - fresh and carefree, despite her 50 years, apparently thanks to her Irish roots.

Yes, we are an independent people. I would say not very sociable. But many people know each other, and it’s nice when you live in such a small community,” Linda, a curly brunette of the same age, adds to the words of her colleague.

It's good that you don't have to pretend to be someone. You don't have to worry about what you're wearing. - Katherine glances at me quickly. - You won't be judged by your suit. You can be yourself,” she develops the topic, and I am glad that I didn’t wear a silver fur coat.

Our people love outdoor life (that is, everything you do outside the home. - Note "Around the World") - hunting, fishing, skiing, snowmobiling. Entertainment? - asks Katherine. - For entertainment, it's in Fairbanks. You know what they think about us: North Pole is somewhere far away, a hundred miles away! And we're talking about them: Fairbanks? Ten minutes drive!

Here our main entertainment is to meet one of our friends in church or in a store, where it is warm and light, and chat. Well, yes, on Christmas day you suddenly see Santa in his costume in the store,” Linda smiles. - Santa, of course, is a noticeable part of local life, but not all of life.

Distance from Moscow to Fairbanks - 6600 km (from 26 hours in flight with two transfers), from Fairbanks to Norg Pole - 23 km along the highway Time lags behind Moscow by 13 hours in winter and 12 hours in summer Visa USA Currency dollar See Christmas on Ice" - ice sculpture competition. Here you can not only admire the works of sculptors from different countries, but also get lost in the ice maze and ride down a high slide (adults are allowed). Eat Alaskan king crab (two legs for $33) at the restaurant Eff"s den. Have a drink beer AlaskanAmber. Price is $3 per bottle or ~$8 for a six-pack. Live at the hotel North Pole. It is located closest to Santa Claus's House. Per night 100-200 dollars. Move from Fairbanks to North Pole by shuttle bus. Travel time is 35 minutes. Ticket price - 1.5 dollars, day pass - 3 dollars. Buy a gift of a New Year's souvenir from Santa's House, such as a small Eskimo figurine made from five different furs ($113); for myself - ugly, unwarm and non-slip Keen boots in the city mall ($70-130).

Waking up on New Year's or Christmas morning, the first thing kids all over the world do is rush to the decorated Christmas tree or festive stockings hanging by the fireplace to find gifts there with a joyful squeal...

What does Santa Claus look like, what country does he live in, does he have a family? These questions concern not only children, but also adults who wholeheartedly want to continue to believe in a beautiful New Year's fairy tale.

Who really was Saint Nicholas?

It is interesting to know that the prototype of the current Santa Claus was a real historical character. nicknamed Myra, was actually a Christian bishop originally from the city of Myra in Lycia (modern Türkiye). He lived in the 4th century and became famous for his charity and good deeds.

There are many legends about him. So, having learned that one of the city residents has become so impoverished that he is going to sell it to the public house of three His daughters, Saint Nicholas secretly threw three bags full of gold into the window of this man’s house at night. According to another belief, he miraculously revived three children who had been killed and imprisoned in a barrel. Therefore, he is considered the protector of children, the patron of the lost and innocent, and also protects travelers and sailors on their journeys.

In Russia this saint is also very revered. He is called the Pleasant, or the Wonderworker.

Appearance of Saint Nicholas

Having studied the relics of St. Nicholas with the permission of the Vatican, British scientists used computer technology to recreate the appearance of this saint. Thanks to them, it became known reliably what the real “Santa Claus” looks like.

Saint Nicholas was short - 168 centimeters, had olive skin, short gray beard, dark brown eyes and not much common features with a modern fairytale hero bringing Christmas gifts...

Why does Santa Claus bring gifts at Christmas?

Santa Claus did not immediately become a Christmas character. Initially, in Europe, gifts were given to children on December 6 - the day of veneration of St. Nicholas. However, during the Reformation this tradition underwent changes. The baby Christ began to be considered the character giving gifts to children, and the holiday when this happened was moved to Catholic Christmas Eve.

After the victory of the Counter-Reformation, Saint Nicholas again began to bring gifts to children, but still at Christmas, at the end of December. Although, for example, in the Netherlands this saint (here his name is Sinterklaas) sometimes delights children with surprises on both holidays.

History of Santa Claus in America

The English Puritans, who were the first to explore the North American continent, did not celebrate Christmas holidays at all. The history of Santa Claus in these lands begins in the mid-17th century, when the settlement of New Amsterdam (which later became New York) was founded by Dutch colonists.

In the early 19th century, Washington Irving wrote a History of New York, in which he mentioned the custom of honoring St. Nicholas in New Amsterdam. In development of this theme, 14 years later, the book “The Night Before Christmas, or the Visit of St. Nicholas” was published from the pen of Clement Moore. In it, he first described what Santa Claus looks like, how he rides around the sky and what happens when he visits houses with gifts on Christmas Eve.

This poem significantly influenced the idea of ​​Santa Claus throughout the English-speaking world. And today it is one of America's most beloved Christmas tales.

It was from this time that the image of a character giving gifts to children finally ceased to be associated with the saint.

What does Santa Claus look like?

In the work of Clement Moore, Santa Claus appears as a cheerful elf with a thick belly, smoking a pipe and loving to eat. Cartoonist Thomas Nast was the first to fulfill the desire of adults and children to know what this man looks like. For twenty-four years he portrayed Santa Claus on the Christmas cover of the weekly publication Harpers Weekly, which was very popular. However, Nast's Santa Claus was black and white, although the fur coat, wide belt, headdress, and sparkling boots were almost the same as we are used to seeing them now.

The fairy-tale grandfather's fur coat was colored red at the end of the 19th century by publisher Louis Prang, who was the first in America to produce color lithographic Christmas cards.

In 1930, the American Coca-Cola company, wanting their drinks to be equally popular in both winter and summer, included Santa Claus in their advertising campaign. The work was commissioned to Chicago artist Haddon Sundblom. For thirty years, he created images of a “Christmas grandfather” who brings gifts to children. The prototype of Santa Claus, now known throughout the world, was the artist’s friend and neighbor, Lou Prentice.

People liked the images where Santa Claus no longer looked like an elf, but a kind, smiling giant. Rudolph, the new, ninth reindeer in Santa's sleigh, invented by the artist, was also well received.

Does Santa Claus have a family?

You can often hear a question that haunts many: “Does Santa Claus’s family exist, or does “Christmas Grandfather” live alone?”

The answer is shrouded in mystery. According to the classical Catholic tradition, the “historical” Santa Claus, that is, St. Nicholas, was a clergyman, that is, he definitely did not have a family. But as for the current fairy-tale character, it is not at all ruled out that he may well be in a happy marriage.

According to some sources, information about Mrs. Claus first appeared on the pages of the American magazine "Harper" in 1881. According to another version, this lady was invented eight years later by the writer Katherine Lee Bates, who dedicated a funny song to her.

One way or another, but, according to the most common version, Santa Claus’s wife is an ordinary human woman. Her “fairytale age” is about sixty years. No one knows the real name of Mrs. Claus - some sources call her Goody, others - Wilhelmina, others - Jessica... She is plump, cheerful and very sociable, wears a red dress almost all the time, because she adores this color, puts on glasses, and also twists her gray hair into a bun at the back of her head. She often bakes delicious buns and loves to watch how the elves - Santa Claus's faithful assistants - make toys for children's gifts. They say that once, when Santa Claus became very ill just before the Christmas holidays, Mrs. Claus put on his fur coat, put on a fake beard and went to deliver gifts for the kids herself.

Where does Santa Claus live?

The cold "land of Santa Claus" - Lapland, the kingdom of eternal snow and ice - is actually the northern province of Finland. However, the residence of the “Christmas grandfather” actually exists there! It is located in the provincial capital - Rovaniemi.

A kind gray-bearded gentleman in red welcomes guests here all year round. From the central Santa Claus post office you can send a postcard to any corner of the world. And the dreams of adults and children about the holiday come to life in the fabulous Santa Park and Christmas Village.

Santa Claus and Father Frost

The image of Santa Claus, so popular in television programs and advertising, does not leave our screens and store windows in December and January. Often, children simply identify Santa Claus with the original Slavic Grandfather Frost. However, in addition to the fact that winter holidays Both of these fairy-tale characters bring gifts to the kids; they do not have as much in common as it might seem at first glance.

So what is the difference between Santa Claus and Father Frost? First of all, because the latter has nothing to do with Saint Nicholas. The history of our Santa Claus goes back to folklore Eastern Slavs. There he is presented in the form of a fairy-tale hero, a giant who binds rivers and lakes with frost and ice.

Over time, the image of Frost changed. From a formidable, stern character, he gradually turned into a kind and fair Grandfather, who gave gifts to children. He is traditionally accompanied by his granddaughter, the sweet and beloved Snow Maiden.

The image of Santa Claus

Externally, Santa Claus also looks different - completely different from what Santa Claus looks like. The photo below allows you to fully imagine these differences.

Grandfather Frost is powerful and strong, of impressive height, and wears a thick white beard. He is dressed in a long fur coat that reaches to the ground, wears a boyar's cap on his head, and boots on his feet. He doesn't wear glasses. Unlike Santa Claus, Father Frost's vehicle is not fairy-tale reindeer, but a Russian horse troika. It penetrates into houses not through the fireplace at all, but in an inexplicable magical way inherent in a magical creature. And he never puts gifts in a sock, preferring to hide them under the branches of the tree.

The fact that these are different does not in any way mean that some of them are better and some are worse. Just don’t forget that on winter holidays, along with the world-famous Santa Claus, our Grandfather Frost also majestically walks through his domain, easily carrying a huge bag of gifts on his back...

Santa Claus - legendary hero Christmas, a kind old man bringing gifts to children on Christmas And New Year. As a rule, he is depicted as a cheerful, plump grandfather with a white beard, dressed in a red caftan bordered with white. He flies through the air on a sleigh full of toys and pulled by eight reindeer. It is said that on Christmas Eve, Santa (also St. Nicholas or St. Nick) enters homes through the chimney and places gifts under the Christmas tree and in the stockings of all children who have behaved well throughout the year. Although the image of Santa Claus familiar to us is a North American invention of the 19th century, it still has ancient European roots, and this has an impact great influence for Christmas celebrations around the world.

Origin of the legend.

In history, Saint Nicholas first appears in Christian legends, in which he is idolized for rescuing sailors marooned during a storm, protecting children and giving generous gifts to the poor. Despite the fact that the authenticity of many stories about St. Nicholas is doubtful (they say, for example, how he once brought poor family a bag of gold by throwing it through a window), the legend about him spread throughout Europe, giving him the image of a hero who gave gifts to children. The Christian Saint Nicholas was changed or transformed into various pagan images, such as the Italian Befana, or the German Berchta. The saint was called Sankt Nikolaus in Germany and Sanct Herr Nicholaas or Sinter Klaas in Holland. In these countries, Saint Nicholas was sometimes depicted galloping across the sky on a horse. He appeared in the robes of a bishop and was at times accompanied by Black Peter, an elf who was supposed to spank naughty children. The celebration of St. Nicholas Day, the day when people exchanged gifts, usually took place on December 6th. After the Reformation, German Protestants recognized the veneration of the son of Christ and created their own day of celebration for him - December 25. As the tradition spread widely, it began to be closely associated with Christmas.

American origin.

American Santa Claus got its inspiration and name from the Danish legend of Sinter Klaas, which the founders of New York brought with them in the 17th century. The name Santa Claus first appeared in the American press as St. A Claus, and the famous writer Washington Irving was the first to tell detailed history about the Danish Saint Nicholas. In his book "History of New York", published in 1809 under the pseudonym Diedrich Knickerbocker, Irving described the appearance of the Saint on horseback, accompanied by Black Peter, every year on the eve of St. Nicholas Day. This Danish-American image of Saint Nick became completely national for the American people in 1823 after the poem was published. Clement Clark Moore"A Visit From Saint Nicholas" better known as "The Night Before Christmas" (" Christmas Eve"). Moore added details such as the names of the reindeer, Santa's laughter, nods and winks, and described the way in which Santa, like an elf, came back from the chimney (Moore's interpretation was not based on his own head, but by reference to Irving's 1809 work).

What does Santa Claus look like? This question worries almost all boys and girls, last days living in anticipation of the upcoming New Year. Santa Claus is the Western equivalent of our Father Frost. He also comes to the children, only at Christmas, not New Year, and gives gifts. They have many differences. One of them is that it is not known for certain which area is considered his homeland. If Santa Claus comes from Veliky Ustyug, then his western brother is either from the vicinity of the North Pole, or from Lapland.

Appearance

Everyone who has seen him at least once knows what Santa Claus looks like. Outwardly, he is very different from the familiar and close Santa Claus. What Santa Claus looks like and where he lives, you will learn from this article.

While Father Frost's beard grows almost to his toes, Santa Claus's is always neat and short. Santa Claus wears felt boots, and Santa Claus always wears boots. Santa Claus moves on foot, and his Western brother rides in a sleigh drawn by reindeer, each of which has its own given name.

To find out what the real Santa Claus looks like, just look at any image of him. The Western New Year and Christmas wizard wears a neat jacket with a belt, but the domestic Santa Claus wears a warm sheepskin coat with a sash.

In addition, it is not difficult to recognize him, since the Santa Claus costume always looks the same. It only comes in red. But Santa Claus' clothes come in both blue and red. When describing what a Santa Claus hat looks like, it is worth noting that he has a cap with a neat fur trim. Comparing with Santa Claus, it must be said that the latter has a mandatory attribute - a fur hat.

How is Father Frost different from Santa Claus? Another fundamental point is that the Western wizard has bad habit. He can often be seen with a pipe, which he smokes incessantly.

When describing what Santa Claus and Father Frost look like, it must be recognized that the differences between them are very significant. They make it easy to distinguish one from another.

Origin

The way Santa Claus looks has a lot to do with his origin story. The prototype of a good grandfather with gifts is considered to be the Christian Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, who is revered by both Catholics and Orthodox Christians. The saint himself became famous primarily for the fact that he devoted a lot of time and attention to charity. With secret gifts, he often helped poor people who had children.

Initially, St. Nicholas Day was celebrated on December 6th. It was then that in European countries it was customary to give gifts in his name. Everything changed during the Reformation. The veneration of saints was no longer encouraged. Therefore, in Germany and some neighboring countries They began to distribute gifts to children in the name of the baby Jesus Christ. And the day of their presentation was moved to December 24, when Christmas markets were organized everywhere.

When the time came for the Counter-Reformation, children again began to receive gifts in the name of St. Nicholas, this time directly at Christmas. Only in a few European countries have ancient traditions been preserved. For example, in Holland, children expect surprises not only on Christmas, but also on December 6, St. Nicholas Day.

Santa Claus in the USA

It is noteworthy that it was the Dutch colonists who brought this image to New World. This happened back in mid-17th century century. In America, Santa Claus first settled in the settlement of New Amsterdam, present-day New York. There they first began to replicate what Santa Claus looks like.

An important stage in the formation of this character is considered to be 1809, when in the book “History of New York”, written by the famous American writer Washington Irving, told about the times of Dutch rule, it specifically mentions how St. Nicholas was honored in New Amsterdam.

Transformation of Saint Nicholas into Santa Claus

In 1822, in fact, the biography of this hero began in American literature. Columbia University teacher Clement Clarke Moore wrote a Christmas story for children in which he spoke in detail about this character who always brings gifts to children who have behaved well in the past year. Shortly before Christmas, the poem was published in local press entitled "The Night Before Christmas, or the Visit of St. Nicholas." It became very popular and was reprinted several times. Many today argue that it was thanks to Clement Moore that St. Nicholas was finally transformed in the minds of millions into Santa Claus. By 1840, almost all residents of the New World knew who Santa Claus was.

Another important point: it was in this poem that the transport of a fairy-tale wizard was first described. It was indicated that he travels across the sky on a sleigh pulled by reindeer.

Santa's Popularity

In 1863, American artist Thomas Nast used the character in a series of his political cartoons. It was he who presented him in the image of a hero who gives gifts to children. Santa Claus has become very popular. Nast, in fact, made a name for himself on this. In subsequent years he released large number drawings intended for children, in which funny scenes the life of Santa Claus was presented. In his works, he began to think about and describe in detail the life and habits of a good wizard.

It was then that a version appeared that Santa’s homeland is the North Pole, where he has a special home. In it he keeps records in a special book in which he writes down all the bad and good deeds children from all over the world. From these drawings one can clearly trace the transformation of this image from the fat elderly elf, as he was originally presented, to a more realistic and humane character, who is very similar to our modern Santa Claus.

It is believed that Nast almost completely copied this character from himself. He, too, was a plump and well-fed man, very short in stature, but at the same time with a wide spade beard and a large lush mustache.

Santa Claus in the 19th century

It’s actually interesting what Santa Claus looked like in the 19th century. Initially, he was depicted as a kind elf who appears on the eve of Christmas in a cart pulled by reindeer. And it enters the house through the chimney.

Some historians note that the Confederates were absolutely demoralized to see Santa depicted on the enemy side.

There is even a legend that during the Civil War for Independence, Lincoln asked Nast to portray Santa Claus along with the northerners. His only drawback at the time was that Santa for a long time remained black and white. He only got his famous red fur coat in 1885 thanks to the publisher Louis Prang. It was he who brought to America the tradition of Christmas cards, which were customary to give in Victorian England. They were made using the technique of color lithography, so it soon became necessary to figure out what color the robe of the hero of our article would be. So he got a bright red outfit.

Development of the image of a wizard

In 1930, the image of Santa received further development. All thanks advertising campaign major manufacturer American soft drinks. They decided on a clever trick to ensure that their products are remembered all year round, and not just during the Christmas period.

The drink's red and white labels reminded marketers of Santa's similar attire. Illustrator Haddon Sundblom, originally from Chicago, consistently depicted a new winter wizard every year for the next 30 years. He turned into a giant, similar to his neighbor Lou Prentice. It was Sundblom who painted the ninth reindeer in the harness, to which he gave the name Rudolf.

Transformation of the image

It’s interesting that initially Santa in Nast’s illustrations always wore a sheepskin coat. brown. Only over time did it begin to acquire reddish shades. At the same time, many researchers of the biography of this character argued that the red color itself does not carry any meaning.

It was only after the advertising campaign in which Sundblom participated that Santa's costume was only depicted in red. Wearing a sheepskin coat of the same type, he was depicted on the covers of the popular American humor magazine Puck, which was published at the beginning of the 20th century.

Santa's transport

Santa gets to his charges, to whom he brings gifts, on a sleigh drawn by reindeer. Interestingly, each of them has its own name. Initially there were eight of them. Their names were Swift, Lightning, Dancer, Thunder, Prancing, Cupid, Grumpy and Comet.

In 1823, another reindeer named Rudolph appeared in the poem "The Night Before Christmas." It is noteworthy that he has become the most popular among all Santa's reindeer today. He stands at the head of the team and is distinguished from the rest by his bright red nose.

And one more interesting fact about Santa Claus. In 1955, his image was used in entertainment program Aerospace Defense Command North America. In it you could watch the fictitious movements of Santa's sleigh. This was reported by the media mass media, they could even be monitored using a special hotline number.

Santa Claus remains a popular character today, regularly used in advertising, films and animated series.