Who is older than Santa Claus or Santa Claus. What is the difference between Santa Claus and Santa Claus: comparison, differences and similarities

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Since 2005, the official birthday of Russian Father Frost has been celebrated on November 18. This date was not chosen by chance: it is believed that on this day in the homeland of Father Frost - in Veliky Ustyug - frosts come and winter sets in. At the same time, the age of the old man is not precisely known; moreover, there are several versions of the birth of this character.

Q&A Where does he live? real grandfather Freezing?

The Slavic deity is considered the prototype of Santa Claus: the lord of cold and frost. The image of this spirit was reflected in the Slavic fairy tale folklore, where it is referred to as Frost, Student, Treskunets, Morozko, Zyuzya. Slavic peoples imagined this deity in the form of an old man with a long gray beard, who runs through the fields and causes bitter frosts with a knock. Considering that Slavic mythology was formed in the process of separating the ancient Slavs from the Indo-European community of peoples in the II-I millennium BC. e., then the age of Santa Claus can exceed 2000 years.

However, Santa Claus known to us is not only the lord of winter and frost, but also a kind old man who brings gifts to children. A similar image is shown in the fairy tale "Moroz Ivanovich" by Vladimir Odoevsky in 1840, in which the literary processing of the folklore and ritual Frost is given for the first time. Moroz Ivanovich is described as a gray-haired old man who lives in an ice house and sleeps on a featherbed made of snow. He covers the winter shoots with snow, as he “shakes his head - frost falls from his hair.” If we take into account the hit of the image of Santa Claus in literary tradition, then its age is a little less than 180 years.

The author of works on the history of Santa Claus in Russia, philologist Elena Dushechkina writes that the image of Frost created by Odoevsky is still far from the character we know. According to her, it finally took shape only by the beginning of the twentieth century, when, in addition to verbal description acquired a recognizable visual form. By this time, the figure of an old man in a fur coat and with a bag in his hands had become a popular Christmas tree toy, as well as a doll in advertising windows, carnival masks began to be made in the shape of the face of Santa Claus. It wasn't until the 1910s that people dressed up as Santa Claus began to show up at children's parties. If we take into account the time of the appearance of the familiar image of Santa Claus, then the character is just over 100 years old. How is Santa Claus different from Santa Claus? Infographic More

Philologist Svetlana Adonyeva, in her study of the history of the New Year tradition, notes that Santa Claus as an obligatory character of the New Year holiday appeared only in the pre-war years. This image arose under the Soviet regime, which by the end of the thirties, after several years of prohibition, again allowed Christmas trees. Thus, Santa Claus as an attribute of the New Year holiday has existed for about 80 years.

How old is Santa Claus?

Determining the age of Santa Claus is less difficult than in the case of Santa Claus. If we take into account that the prototype of Santa is St. Nicholas, he is also Nicholas the Wonderworker, then the date of birth of the character is taken as the date of birth of the saint: 270 AD. e. Thus, Santa Claus is 1747 years old.

The date when Santa Claus became a hero is also known. literary work. This happened in 1823, when the Christmas poem "An Account of the Visitation of St. Nicholas" was published in New York. Its author, writer Clement Clark Moore, wrote a poem for his three daughters about a cheerful old elf who travels on a reindeer sleigh and brings gifts to the children by entering the house through the chimney. And it's all about him. 7 interesting facts from the biography of Santa Claus Read more

The image of Santa Claus entered popular culture after the American cartoonist Thomas Nast created an illustration with this character for Harper's Weekly. On January 3, 1863, this magazine featured an image of a bearded old man dressed in a suit painted in the colors of the American flag. It was a political cartoon that reflected the events of the Civil War. Santa Claus in his traditional costume and carrying a sack of toys can be seen in Nast's later 1880s illustrations.

In the early 1890s, homeless people dressed as Santa Claus began to appear on the streets of New York to collect donations. This money was used charitable organization Salvation Army to pay for free Christmas meals to families in need. What's in the Santa Claus bag? Where did the tradition of giving sweets to children come from?

So which character is older?

Considering that the exact date of the appearance of the prototype of Santa Claus is unknown, we cannot compare his age with the age of Santa Claus. As for literary images, the description of Santa Claus, close to the modern one, was given a little earlier than that of the familiar Santa Claus. The visual image of the old donor was also first introduced to the Americans, and then to the residents of Russia.

According to the site

A few years ago, or maybe more than a few, say, a dozen years ago, a wave of publications swept across the Internet, comparing two fairy-tale characters - Santa Claus and Santa Claus. They wrote about the difference in clothes, and in the means of transportation on our sinful earth, and even in the way of giving gifts. At the same time, a serious war broke out between the guardians of the “braces” and the “rootless cosmopolitans”. The first insisted, no, not on lemon peels, but on the fact that only a domestic product, that is, Santa Claus, has the right to congratulate our children on the New Year, the second defended the point of view that the children of the entire “civilized world” have been almost a century " they use the fabulous Klaus, and nothing - they definitely didn’t become more unhappy. Here it should be noted that all these comparisons are from the evil one. Yes, the difference in everything between the two characters is visible to the naked eye. But the main thing is that these are generally incomparable characters, if you approach the problem strictly. But let's start with superficial comparisons.

This is a fur coat, and not a stubby one knows what

Yes, indeed, our population has somehow forgotten what, or rather, who Santa Claus is. Even his appearance was somehow erased, apparently from memory. And it would be fine just younger generation. But in the middle and, especially, the eldest, an unforgettable image of Santa Claus should have been imprinted in the brain. At least since kindergarten times and primary school with their New Year's parties. No? Is it really possible to put a peasant under the New Year tree for your children, albeit a bearded, albeit cheerful, but too much, as for our local hero, well-fed, and even in some kind of sheepskin coat, or in an incomprehensible winter jacket? And on the head is this cap, unusual for us, and not a decent, almost boyar, richly decorated hat.

And ours in a fur coat! In the real coat. And it doesn't have to be red. Maybe in blue, maybe in white - winter colors. This is Santa Claus wearing red clothes. Grandpa has a better choice. And a beard. Frost has a beard - all beards have a beard!

Vehicle

Santa Claus is known to ride on a sleigh pulled by reindeer. Flies across the sky. Deer nine. They even have names. Here they are: Swift, Dancer, Prancing, Grumpy, Comet, Cupid, Thunder, Lightning. These are the original eight. The fact is that their Santa is very literary character. His image was written out in books. So the names of his deer appeared only at the beginning of the century before last, in 1823, in the poem "The Night Before Christmas". The ninth deer either fell out of the poem, or it didn’t even exist at all. Rather, the second. Because, as the researchers of the issue note, the ninth deer became known to the broad masses of the people there already a century later - in 1939, and even then thanks to some kind of advertising campaign. It seems to be in Chicago. The deer was put in charge of the team, they named him Rudolf and endowed him with a red nose glowing in the dark. Our Grandfather, a well-known case, is not exchanged for any deer there.

From the dullness and monotony of our life, we so want holidays ... Any! Well, at least some! There would be only an occasion to hang out and stick out, speaking in modern youth jargon. That is why we are omnivorous - we celebrate everything and everything: both Valentine's Day (is it possible to turn the day of the death of the holy martyr Valentine into jokes, kisses, squeezing dances, etc.?), And frankly satanic Halloween (with sacrifices , even human ones!), and St. Patrick’s Day (an Irishman, about whom we don’t know anything at all) with an invariable parade in the center of the capital of our vast Motherland ... Thank God, at least the gay parade was given a “thump” (yet?!) In this sense we practically keep pace with Europe (the blue dream of many, many of our former and current compatriots), without thinking about where, in fact, where we, such fools, are being led and can be taken by the local “uncles and aunts”?

IN last years the months of December and January became the leaders in reckless riotous fun: the country plunges into a festive hangover for as much as three whole weeks - from Catholic Christmas to our "Old New Year". It has almost become the norm. How he became ordinary, indispensable and almost his half-dwarf-half-grandfather, who, if he has not yet completely supplanted our Santa Claus, is already in full swing on a par with him: he smiles slyly from the windows of shops and cafes, invites you to visit New Year's and Christmas performances and youth parties, promises cheap shopping at various sales ...

So who is he, this ubiquitous and rather annoying old man, who is not clear with whose light hand called "Santa Claus"? Why do we celebrate New Year V last week Christmas post? Who invented our Santa Claus? When and who was the first to celebrate the New Year? Why are we still behind the "Americas and Europe" in time? Who brought the first Christmas tree to Russia? Who…

Stop! Let's talk about everything in order.

calendar confusion. Who is to blame?

According to scientists, mankind began to celebrate the New Year at the dawn of civilization - five thousand years ago. This custom originated in ancient Mesopotamia: every spring the streets of the cities were filled with noisy processions, carnivals and masquerades in honor of the supreme god Marduk. The Greeks adopted this holiday tradition from the Babylonians, then it passed to the Romans. In 46 BC Gaius Julius Caesar transformed the calendar, which then began to be used by all countries that were part of the Roman Empire. He, of course, began to be called Julian. By the way, the calendar (Latin calendarium) is literally a debt book. Such books indicated the first days of each month - kalends, when debtors paid interest in ancient Rome. The Julian calendar year consists of 365.25 days. The account according to the new calendar began on January 1 (on this day the Roman consuls took office) 45 BC. Just on this day was the first new moon after the winter solstice (the shortest day of the year). The chronology was then from the "foundation of Rome" - 747 BC.

In 325, at the First Ecumenical (Nicene) Council, the Julian calendar was adopted and Christian Church. In the VI century, the Roman monk Dionysius the Small was the first to propose the so-called "Christ's chronology" (the Nativity of Christ began to be considered the starting point of the new era), which is still used in most countries of the world.

So mankind lived without grieving for over one thousand six hundred years (!), Until in 1582, Pope Gregory XIII decided to reform the old calendar (trying to cope with the inevitable calendar errors) and introduced a new, “Gregorian” one, according to which the time count is now the entire western world. The year according to this "new" calendar is 365.2425 days. The difference between the old and new styles then was 10 days.

Recall that a year is a period of time approximately equal to the period of revolution of the Earth around the Sun. Why approximately? It turns out scientists define this period in different ways. The most accurate are the "starry" and "tropical" years. The sidereal year is determined by the apparent annual revolution of the Sun in the celestial sphere relative to the stars, its duration is 365.2564 days. Tropical - in time between two successive passages of the Sun through the vernal equinox, its duration is 365.2422 days. Changes in annual duration for 100 years in days for both calendars are +0.11x10 -6 and -6.16x10 -6 . It can be seen with the naked eye that the sidereal year is much more accurate than the tropical year.

If we compare the Julian and Gregorian calendars with the stellar calendar, it turns out that they differ from the latter by 0.00175 and 0.0038 percent, respectively. Thus, according to strict mathematical calculations, it turns out that whatever one may say, the Julian calendar is still more accurate! By the way, to this day, astronomers use the old style for a number of calculations, and in any astronomical yearbook of the world, the number of days is given according to "Julian" days - JD. The Julian calendar is also used by historians when dealing with long periods of time.

In Mother Russia, with the adoption of Christianity in the 10th century, the Julian calendar was put into use, but the chronology was conducted from the creation of the world. Until the reformer Tsar Peter I appeared on its historical arena. With one stroke of his pen, the year 7208 from the creation of the world became the year 1700 after the Nativity of Christ. And if in the X-XV centuries the beginning of the year in Rus' was considered March 1, and since 1492, under the Grand Duke John III, - September 1, now, having seen enough of New Year's fun in Europe, on December 15, 1699, Peter I issued a decree.

“Because in Russia they consider the New Year in different ways, from now on stop fooling people and count the New Year everywhere from January 1, following the example of all Christian peoples. Along the large travelable streets and noble people in front of the gates, make some decoration from trees and branches of pine, spruce and juniper, and at least put a branch over the gate for people who are poor (poor). And so that it ripens by the first day of January of this year, and stand for that decoration on the seventh day. And as a sign of that good deed, congratulate each other on the New Year, and do this when fiery fun begins on Red Square and there will be shooting. In honor of the New Year, to amuse children, ride sleighs from the mountains, and do not inflict drunkenness and massacre on adults, there are enough other days for that. From now on and forever this holiday was enshrined in the Russian calendar on the 1st of January.

Time passed, and in the 19th century, more and more often the Russian people, or rather, the most “progressive” part of the intelligentsia (the so-called Westerners) began to try on Western image life. Sooner or later, it came to a new style, which in the 90s of the century before last met with the resistance of most members of the Russian Astronomical Society. "What is the need for this?" asked the scientific community. “To keep up with Europe!” - such was the "iron" argument of the minority, which remained such until 1918.

Well, when in the revolutionary years “the whole world was destroyed to the ground”, the Bolsheviks were not slow to quickly direct our lives into the Western channel, adding 13 days to the calendar by decree of the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR of January 24, 1918. "Just!" - you say. But these "extra" days led to such confusion ...

If earlier, according to the old style (by the way, Russian Orthodox Church adheres to it to this day), everything went on as usual, logically and completely, - the Advent Lent preceded the great feast of the Nativity of Christ, after which the next New Year was celebrated six days later - now the main and first in our until recently atheistic country has become in general, an ordinary day of the calendar (very conditional, mind you!), And the Christmas holiday - as if secondary (80 years of Soviet "captivity" were not in vain). Although these holidays are simply incomparable: the day when the Savior was born, and the day the next calendar year begins.

According to the rector of the Church of Equal-to-the-Apostles Vladimir and Olga in the city of Obninsk near Moscow, father Oleg, “the Bolsheviks sought out great way to mock the Orthodox Church, to confuse and disgrace her - have brought our worldly life to the Western standard. As a result, in the middle of the Nativity Fast, an absurd drunken holiday appeared, on which people unworthily have fun and gorge themselves.

People often ask: “Why does our Church not want to switch to a new calendar? Indeed, for the majority of believers, the celebration of the secular New Year is a huge temptation that few people can cope with.” But if we move the dates, the entire church life will be destroyed! This is what has happened to Catholics. Negative consequences on the face. The task of the Church is not to follow people, but to lead them!

And then there are such signs from above, which can only be ignored by a madman. I'm talking about the descent of the Holy Fire. This amazing phenomenon occurs only in Great Saturday- according to our old, Julian, calendar!

This miracle, which testifies that God is near us, takes place in Jerusalem, in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. This temple is built around the cave in which the body of Jesus Christ lay after the crucifixion. Every year on this day, the Patriarch of Jerusalem enters this cave with a bunch of unlit candles, and leaves with burning ones. Sacred fire descends from the sky and kindles them! This fire has some special nature unknown to us - it does not burn in the first minutes, and therefore the people present in the temple try to “wash themselves” with it. I repeat, this miracle happens only once a year - on Orthodox Great Saturday! And this is recognized by Catholics, and Muslims, and all, all, all other faiths.

So it can be said with certainty that we, Orthodox people, we live according to a single calendar with heaven. And if we break away from our dates, the sacred connection between the earthly and the heavenly will be broken.

So think after all this, do we need to “catch up” with the Western world? You should always have the patience to be yourself and not be ashamed of it.”

Only one thing remains to be added to what has been said: indeed, on December 25, the long-awaited Savior of the world, our Lord Jesus Christ, was born in the city of Bethlehem. And Christians have been celebrating this greatest and most significant day in the fate of all mankind for over two thousand years now. According to different calendars: Orthodox Church - December 25 according to Julian, the Catholic world according to Gregorian - December 25.

And finally, many Orthodox people still believe that the real New Year comes, as it should, on the night of December 31 to January 1, but according to the julian calendar, that is, from January 13 to 14, according to the new style. This is our good friend - "Old New Year".

"The Forest Raised a Christmas Tree…"

Without what the New Year holiday is not a holiday? Of course, without a decorated Christmas tree. It is interesting that this custom was not at all invented by our distant ancestors, as many people think, although we have a dime a dozen Christmas trees. The same scientists say that the custom of decorating an evergreen tree has been around for more than two thousand years. Its roots, so to speak, go back to the pagan mythology and culture of the Celts, Japanese, Tibetans ... For example, the Celts believed that spruce is a sacred tree, in the branches of which the good spirit of the forests lives; she personified immortality and eternal youth, courage and fidelity because of her evergreenness. Beliefs similar in meaning were also among the Eastern peoples.

The first decorated Christmas trees appeared in the 16th century on the territory of modern France. As the chronicler wrote, “for Christmas, Christmas trees are set up in houses, and roses made of colored paper, apples, cookies, sugar cubes and tinsel are hung on their branches.” This pleasant custom soon passed to the German neighbors, and then spread throughout Europe. About 200 years ago, magnificent beauties began to be regularly installed in the royal and royal palaces of France, Germany, England, Norway, Denmark and Russia.

Our first Christmas tree appeared thanks to Peter I, a lover of Dutch and German innovations. However, after his death, this decree, however, like many others, was forgotten. Now, on New Year's Eve, the roofs of only ... drinking establishments were decorated. And soon, the people began to call taverns “trees”, and drunkards - “trees”. The “Christmas tree theme” was also reflected in the jargon of drunkards: for example, the phrase “raise the tree” meant to get drunk, “go under the tree” - to go to a tavern, etc.

The tradition of putting up a Christmas tree, but not New Year's, but Christmas, returned to Russia only in the 20s of the XIX century. Although at first it was rather private than public - in the homes of St. Petersburg Germans. Paying tribute to national traditions, a small Christmas tree was placed in the center of the table, candles, sweets, gingerbread, nuts were attached to the branches. The royal family was no exception in this sense: on the initiative of Alexandra Feodorovna, nee Charlotte of Prussia, wife of Emperor Nicholas I, in 1819 a Christmas tree was first placed in the Anichkov Palace. Three years later, this wonderful tradition has already become universal - at first, dazzling lights on a slender green beauty with " Star of Bethlehem"at the top they lit up in the premises of the Ekaterininsky (now Moscow) station in St. Petersburg, and already to late XIX century, the Christmas tree has become the main decoration of urban and village houses everywhere. I will clarify: for Christmas, because the New Year was just a natural continuation of the Christmas holidays. Actually, as it should be.

In the twentieth century, Christmas trees “existed” until 1918, when, as a result of the fight against “opium for the people,” any traditions that retained at least some connection with the tsarist regime began to be destroyed. As a symbol of Christmas, the Christmas tree was even banned for 17 (!) years. Only in 1935 was the first New Year's children's party organized - naturally, already with a new semantic coloring: a festive meeting of the New Year ... Since 1949, this day has been made non-working.

Santa Claus - Saint Nicholas - Santa Claus

In many countries of the world, until recently, Santa Claus was the symbol of the New Year. Each nation called it in its own way, sometimes very funny: Yolupukki (Finns), Deda Mraz (Croats), Noel Baba (Turks), Pere Noel (French).

It seems that this kind old man with a snow-white beard has always existed, but the symbol new year holidays it became only about 200 years ago. The image of Santa Claus took shape gradually, and each nation brought something of its own to it, but its obligatory attributes were a white mustache and beard, mittens and a bag with gifts.

Here, in fact, because of this very bag of gifts, another confusion occurred, which led to the fact that in England and America the traditional Santa Claus began to be called ... Santa Claus. And then in many other countries the same way: Santa Nicholas (in Belgium), St. Mikalaus (in the Czech Republic), Site Kaas or Sinter Klaas (in Holland). All these names are translated into Russian in the same way - St. Nicholas.

Who was this very Saint Nicholas, who is revered all over the world, albeit in an absolutely invented image? The answer to this question is given by his biography, or, in the language of the church, his life.

The future saint was born around the year 270 in the city of Patara, in Lycia, on the southern coast of Asia Minor (now it is the territory of Turkey). His parents were noble and wealthy, but had no children until old age. Through their ardent prayers, the Lord gave them a son, whom they named Nikolai, which means "the conquering people."

WITH young years the boy spent almost all his time in the church, at a more mature age he took the priesthood. When his parents died, leaving Nicholas a rich inheritance, there was no doubt for him that it should be used to help those in need. Such an opportunity soon presented itself.

Nearby lived a once noble and rich man, who now fell into extreme need. Having exhausted all the possibilities for getting out of a difficult situation, he decided on an extreme measure: to sacrifice the honor of his three beautiful daughters. Upon learning of this, Saint Nicholas decided to help them. Three times at night he sneaked up to their wretched dwelling and threw a bag of gold out the window. Soon all the sisters successfully married, the merchant's business went smoothly, and he, in turn, also began to help people.

When Nicholas was elevated to the rank of Bishop of the city of Mira, he remained the same kind, sympathetic and caring. The doors of his house did not close - he equally helped and strong of the world this, and to the poor; He was a father to orphans, a breadwinner to the poor, a comforter to those who weep, an intercessor to the offended...

Saint Nicholas died in 342, but his death did not stop his blessings: countless miracles, one more amazing than the other, did not stop and do not stop being performed for all who call on him holy name.

Special veneration of Saint Nikolaus in Germany began already from the 6th century, in Rome - from the 8th century, and therefore already in the Middle Ages here and in other European countries a good custom was established: on St. Nicholas Day, December 19, to give gifts to children, following his example.

But here's the bad luck: when, after a little over two weeks, then Christmas came with its "gift" traditions - the Magi, who found with the help guiding star The Christ Child was presented to Him as a gift of gold, frankincense and myrrh - again it was impossible to do without gifts.

And therefore, over time, both of these "gift" traditions merged together, eventually becoming an indispensable attribute of the Christmas holiday. And Saint Nicholas turned into ... a kind wizard who gives gifts to children (remember the episode from his life with bags of gold) and fulfills them cherished desires. And since the 10th century, it was Santa Claus who congratulated German children; in Poland, since the 13th century, scholarships were distributed in schools on his behalf.

Further - more: over time, this Santa Claus simply "crushed" Santa Claus for himself (the New Year is a minor holiday, after all), although he retained some details of his appearance. Today's Santa Claus is a joint brainchild of the Dutch (so to speak, trendsetters of "fashion"), Americans and the British. They tormented him for a long time: either they wrapped him in a cloak, or they gave him the appearance of a slender chimney-sweep smoker throwing his gifts through the chimneys, or they portrayed him with lush sideburns, dressed in fur from head to toe ... The beard was painted to him in 1860 by the American artist Thomas Knight. Then he was dressed in a red fur coat trimmed with fur. The image of a good-natured fat man with an indispensable bag of gifts was invented by the Englishman Tenniel.

And then, somehow imperceptibly, this ubiquitous Santa Claus became (nothing less) a symbol of Christmas! His first appearance in this capacity happened in 1885 in America: on the first Christmas greeting card (following the example of the British), he was already drawn - in red robes and a hat, with white sideburns and thick eyebrows, with a red nose and a bag full of gifts.

Another 50 years later, in 1931, commissioned by the Coca-Cola campaign (needed an unbroken trademark for a new carbonated drink), artist Heddon Sundblom as part of the Santa Claus Drinks Coca-Cola Too! slightly "modernized" the image familiar to everyone. He came up with a kind of hybrid of a gnome with Santa Claus - in a red cap with a white edge and a red short caftan and trousers with a bottle of Coca-Cola, of course. The notion turned out to be very successful - since that time, this half-dwarf-half-grandfather has also been the "face" of this campaign, the momentum of which is only "gaining momentum" from this.

God is with them - with Coca-Cola and its capital ... Another thing is surprising: why does “her face” still bear the name of St. Nicholas and is a Christmas symbol? Isn't this blasphemous?

True, in the last days of the outgoing 2006, the media (in particular, the Trud newspaper of December 26) presented readers with a kind of pre-Christmas gift, announcing that from now on in Germany and Austria it is forbidden to use the Santa Claus brand in Christmas symbols - "according to Christian tradition, Christmas gifts are distributed by St. Nicholas, and not at all by an English-speaking grandfather in red robes. It would be nice if this belated undertaking was not limited to only these two countries!

The older generation understands the difference between Santa Claus and Santa Claus. But not all modern children see differences in them. Many guys believe that this is the same character, others think that the winter wizards are brothers. Not all parents are quick to dispel such myths. Some do not consider it necessary to deprive the child of fairy tales. They say: "Let him believe in whom he wants, grow up, understand that all wizards are a figment of the imagination." But you can't do that with kids. The guys should see the difference between the Russian wizard and his Western colleague. After all, if this is not taught to children, then in the future our country will lose its history. Today we will analyze in detail how Santa Claus differs from Santa Claus.

The origin of the Russian wizard

To understand the difference between Santa Claus and Santa Claus, you need to know the history of these two characters. It is believed that our wizard is the spirit of frost, which 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, such an association came much later. Indeed, in Russia, Christmas has always been considered the main holiday of winter. Only in Soviet period New Year has acquired an all-Union scale. And the symbol of this main holiday and became good wizard and his granddaughter.

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

History of the Western Wizard

Well, now let's take a look at the difference between Santa Claus and Santa Claus. St. 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 lay down their folklore. This is how Sinterklaas was born. It was he who tossed presents to well-behaved children over the fireplace. But why did Santa Claus give gifts in such a strange way? And this fact has an explanation. They say that St. Nicholas walked on the roofs and threw purses of gold into the chimney of the poor. And since socks were dried on the fireplaces, wallets were found there.

Santa Claus gained wide popularity in 1931. It was in this year that Coca-Cola released its commercial with the famous old man in a red sheepskin coat. Therefore, thinking about who is older - Santa Claus 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, in which he welcomes his guests all year round. Our wizard can't stand the heat, that's why he settled in the North. He has his own residence, which is located 11 km from the city. But it is open to everyone to visit. It's especially great to go there on New Year's Eve to get a dose of New Year's mood.

Where does Santa Claus live?

The birthplace of Santa Claus is Lapland, specifically the city of Rovaniemi. Here is his winter residence, in which the wizard welcomes guests and distributes gifts. Santa Claus has a beautiful palace with a wonderfully decorated facade. What can we say, the wizard has his own town, where the post office functions and the bakery works daily.

We understood where Santa Claus 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, the character of our wizard 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 does not freeze all the guys. It is only the most notorious pranksters that get such a fate. And Santa Claus brings gifts to the rest of the children. Some of the guys, those who are especially distinguished by good behavior and academic performance, the wizard gives gifts personally, at the governor's Christmas tree in Moscow. Santa Claus gives presents to other children at matinees in kindergartens and schools. Well, for those guys who study poorly and do not please their parents with good behavior, the wizard does not bring anything.

Santa Claus character

The Western wizard is also distinguished by his obstinate character. Although he is not as strong in witchcraft as his Russian prototype, he can still harm children. Instead of giving gifts to children who have misbehaved during the year, New Year's Santa Claus pours ashes into the 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 are distinguished by an eccentric, but kind character.

Santa Claus clothes

Today European and Russian fashion no different, but it wasn't always like that. 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 she does not suit her grandfather, on the contrary, in her he has a regal look. On the head of Santa Claus is a hat trimmed with white fur. Often on it you can see embroidery in the form frosty patterns. Santa Claus is dressed in a fur coat that reaches to the heels. It is girded with a belt, which is embroidered with gold or silver. Yes, and it can also be applied to a fur coat interesting drawing. On the feet of the Russian wizard are felt boots. These are the most appropriate shoes for a person who lives in the North. Hands of Santa Claus protect mittens from wind and snow. And his face is decorated with a white long beard. And of course, the red nose. The nose, by the way, can be blue. Everything will depend on the color of the coat. Recently, Santa Claus is increasingly wearing red outerwear, paying tribute to Western fashion. But still, the Russian wizard does not disdain to wear both a blue and a white fur coat. Santa Claus carries a staff in his hands. He conjures them, and he relies on him. Still, grandfather is in years, it is sometimes difficult for him to walk. As the wizard leads healthy lifestyle life, 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 clothes

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

The Western wizard is not without human weaknesses, so you can see a smoking pipe in his hands. Although since anti-tobacco campaigns began in Europe, even Santa Claus has quit smoking. It is not surprising that in a few years the legend about the old man will change, and it turns out that he was never fond of pipe smoking. Old age makes the Western wizard wear glasses. But it is worth remembering that Santa Claus is not very similar to a person. It looks more like elves. The small stature and round belly, which add charm to the old man, unite the grandfather with pointy-eared creatures.

Homeland of Santa Claus - Lapland. It takes a long time to get from it on foot, so a Western wizard moves on a team with deer. These animals even have their own names, and some of them can talk. Elves often hang bells on deer antlers.

Santa's helpers

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

Santa's helpers

The Western wizard has a whole team that prepares gifts for children for Christmas. It is made up of elves. These little men 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 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 in which the fat and clumsy old man gets into.

Why Russian children should know the differences

Naturally, each person should know his history and the history of his country. It is because of her that we exist. Of course, history can be rewritten, but you can't rewrite the past. And if you forget it, you can make the same mistakes in the future. It seems, where does the comparison of Santa Claus and Santa Claus and the future of our country? And it turns out there is a connection. After all, every child should know the folklore of his country. It is thanks to folk tales that each nationality has its own unique flavor. For example, have you ever wondered: in Germany, Santa Claus or Santa Claus congratulates children on the New Year? It turns out that neither one nor the other. The Germans have their own wizard, and his name is St. Nikolaus. And it's the same in any country. Cheerful or formidable, but always fair old men, who have more than one hundred years behind them, congratulate children on the holidays. What if there were no wizards? All countries would celebrate New Year and Christmas in the same way, and it would be uninteresting. After all, you see, 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 would like 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 holiday symbols. And for Russia, the main characters of the New Year are Santa Claus and the Snow Maiden.

The streets gradually begin to dress up in colorful garlands; shop windows strewn with fluffy fake snow urge passers-by to buy gifts; and the hashtag #ng is increasingly appearing on social networks. If only this reminds you of the approach of the main holiday of all times and peoples, then it's definitely time to wake up and start planning a trip to the most New Year's place on the planet.

In fact, there are two of them - Veliky Ustyug and Lapland. And there, and there magic just hovering in the frosty air, creating a "holiday mood" that most people cease to feel that way by the age of 30 or earlier. And to whom to go to visit - to the Russian Santa Claus or foreign Santa Claus - you decide. We will only help you not to get lost in the wilds of their fabulous forests.

Find 10 differences

For many, it is still not entirely clear who the real symbol of the New Year and Christmas is and where to go so as not to be mistaken. But it is unlikely to be disappointed, because Santa Claus and Santa Claus are two interpretations of the same phenomenon that arose on the basis of different cultures. They are very similar and only in some moments show significant differences. We list the main ones so that you can choose the one you like best.

1. Where he was born, he came in handy there.

Terem of Father Frost in Veliky Ustyug

To the question "Where does Santa Claus live?" most children will answer - in a fairy tale. So it is, only she has a specific address: the Vologda region, the city of Veliky Ustyug. 20 years ago, the authorities of our state decided that the main New Year's magician was born there and will live permanently.

Santa is registered in the polar Lapland, in the Arctic north of Finland, where his residence is located. In it, he spends a whole year plowing over making gifts for obedient children, along with an army of his gnomes.

2. Who is who.

This grandfather smokes a pipe

In addition to the fact that Santa Claus's nose and cheeks turn red from the cold, you can also notice that he is a very handsome, handsome, aged, but not quite an old man. A real retired Russian hero, strong and tall. His hair is gray and straight, his beard is curly, white and long - to the waist or even to the floor. The voice is bass, booming, pleasant.

But Santa looks older and more squat: he is small in stature and has a heavy belly. The hair and beard are white, curly, the length of the latter is not below the waist. You can see glasses on his nose - old age is not a joy. And this grandfather smokes a pipe. The cheeks are red as apples, and in general it gives the impression of a kind and pleasant, laughing old man who likes to say "Ho-ho-ho" in a low and loud voice.

3. Meet by clothes.

Warm up with Santa Claus

In the Russian North you can’t spoil, so Santa Claus has a long (to the toe) fur coat, turned inside out with fur to the body, and on the outside it is covered with brocade, red, blue or white. There is a wide and long sash on the belt, fur mittens on the hands, and supposedly there are pants on the legs (it is not visible due to the long hem). In theory, they, like the shirt, should be snow-white. Dear head warms fur hat, in shape reminiscent of an old boyar, decorated with embroidery and precious stones.

But his colleague would not exchange his suit for anything, consisting of a light red jacket with a white fur trim and pants made from the same fabric. Santa Claus is girded with a black leather belt with a weighty metal buckle. He uses a red cap with a fur pompom at the end as a headdress, and warms his hands in black or white gloves.

4. To keep the legs from leaving.

Santa style

Initially, red leather boots were depicted on the feet of Santa Claus, with curved toes and patterns on the tops - real royal boots. And now, more and more often, he chooses old, kind, folk felt boots, white and embroidered with precious threads.

Santa Claus does not change his style and wears high warm boots made of black leather.

5. Give me a foothold.

Staff - Magic wand Santa Claus

In the hands of Santa Claus, you can always see a long staff with carved patterns. At the upper end is a knob or an asterisk. It is not just a means of maintaining stability on slippery ice or in deep snowdrifts, but also a kind of magic wand. Our hero wields it when the time comes to immerse nature in hibernation. According to beliefs, Frost helped the Russians more than once to defeat the enemy with the help of his miracle staff: what is worth only the flight of Napoleon from the exhausted Moscow.

But Santa Claus does not need tools for witchcraft. He uses his stick bent from one edge for its intended purpose - it leans when walking. Usually it is decorated with red or green stripes.

6. Oh, I'll ride!

Santalet: gifts with home delivery

Three white horses - December, January and February - just serve as a means of transportation for our Grandfather. He harnesses them to a sleigh and travels around the country to light ... New Year trees. Sometimes he walks or even skis - apparently, in his youth he was an athletic fellow.

Santa Claus is not supposed to ride on the ground - too long, probably, traffic jams and so on, so he travels through the air on a sleigh, which harnesses a whole herd of reindeer. All nine animals have names, but the leader has always been Rudolf, who rides at the head of the team and sets the pace for movement.

7. Hacking rules.

Who goes to visit houses, that Santa Claus

The whole family is waiting for Santa Claus, and he enters through the front door: hiding is not his style. Gifts are given in person or placed under the Christmas tree.

Klaus prefers secret visits to his admirers and, under the cover of night, descends into houses through chimneys. Presents laid out in specially hung over the fireplace socks.

8. Suite.

Gnomes are always at hand

The Russian wizard is supported by his granddaughter Snegurochka. Usually she does not appear at the festival with her grandfather, which is not surprising, because they live in different cities. The birthplace of the Snow Maiden, as it turned out, is Kostroma.

And Santa Claus is helped along the way by his constant companions - gnomes, but he usually “falls through” into houses alone.

9. About the roots.

Karachun - lord of frost, cold and darkness

The appearance of the image of Santa Claus in Russian folklore was served by the pagan beliefs of our ancestors. So they worshiped several winter deities at once: Karachun, Treskun, Student and Bogatyr-blacksmith. Initially, they were evil and cruel: they only strove to harm people. But then the result of their unification in one person was rethought and began to be seen in a positive light.

And the origin of Santa Claus is closely connected with Christianity: St. Nicholas the Wonderworker became his prototype (Santa is a saint, Claus is Nicholas). He, in turn, became famous for the fact that he secretly and absolutely disinterestedly provided assistance to poor families with children.

10. Job responsibilities.

No difference. Both Grandfather Frost and Santa Claus are designed to bring joyful moments to the lives of children and adults.

And now let's talk about what awaits you in the homeland of each of them. This is especially useful if you are traveling on your own.

To Veliky Ustyug: where the eyes light up

Santa's mail

The place for the permanent registration of Father Frost was not chosen by chance and not only because Ustyug Veliky. This is one of the oldest cities in the Russian North, with a rich history, ancient architecture, a lot of sights and stunning nature, especially in winter. Favorite fairy-tale character fits perfectly into his surroundings.

The residence of Father Frost can be visited in Veliky Ustyug itself. In it you will find mail where letters come from all the enthusiastic peanuts of our country. Send from this point Greeting Cards to your loved ones: they bear the signature and seal of the main symbol of the New Year.

There you will also be able to visit the throne room and the shop of Santa Claus. If you have time, you should look into the museum of New Year's toys on the territory of the Church of the Myrrh-bearing Women, as well as look at the Christmas nativity scene, the Cathedral of Procopius the Righteous and take a walk along the embankment of the Sukhona River.

And you still need to get to the Estate of Frost: it is located a little further from the bustle of the city (a little more than a dozen kilometers). Traveling there can be arranged through one of the local travel agencies or you can get there on your own: by taxi or bus number 122.

Sledges are the favorite pastime of Santa Claus guests

The most optimal time for a trip is in the morning, as there are not too many people yet - they usually flood the estate closer to dinner. In the evening, so many people gather in it that it is difficult to move around and not step on the heels of others. Again, visiting the Votchina at night will leave much more impressions than during the day: as if by the wave of a magic staff, everything suddenly starts to sparkle, move, and dance. At such moments, the eyes light up not only in children, but also in adults.

Winter rides, ice and snow slides, rides on horses, snowmobiles and buns, a fascinating excursion along the Trail of Fairy Tales - these are just the minimum program that is difficult to master in one day. You will definitely want to return there again to warm yourself near the fire of 12 brothers-months, look at the light to grandmother Aushka and Zhitny grandfather in a hut. We bet that you don’t even know some of the named characters - the more useful the trip to Veliky Ustyug will be.

If you are offered to join a group of tourists, we advise you not to refuse. IN different points The estates for guests are provided with folk amusements, and it is always noisy and fun when you play in a crowd. One of the brightest moments of the trip will be a visit to the fairy-tale tower, during which its owner appears enchantingly under the snow falling right from the ceiling. At this moment, you begin to believe that Santa Claus is real, and miracles exist!

He is real!

How to get there

When planning a car trip, keep in mind that the navigator may not believe in fairy tales, so instead of the Manor of Father Frost, set the route to the village of Medinsky Vologda region. On trains and planes from most cities in Russia, you will have to get to Veliky Ustyug with transfers.

Where to settle

Early booking is the key to a successful and inexpensive accommodation. Now all the tidbits have already been snapped up (some very prudent people start doing this in the summer). From mid-December until almost the end of January, in the homeland of Frost, prices skyrocket, and hotels are packed to capacity (and where is it not like that at this time?). Look for the option of settling in private houses and cottages within the Votchina itself and in the surrounding villages.

To Lapland for childhood

Welcome to Santa Claus Village

The foreign brother of our Santa Claus settled near the capital of Lapland, Rovaniemi, in a village with the funny name of Joulupukki. This territory is reputed to be a fabulous province, where incredible nature and unique culture merge together and create an atmosphere of celebration, fun and home comfort. Children are especially interested in visiting the places that their favorite writers so colorfully described. And possible frosts of -50 do not frighten thousands of tourists who annually travel to the Finnish north to look at Santa's house and life.

According to legend, Klaus had to create his current Village because people slowly began to learn about his secret gift-making laboratory on Mount Korvatunturi. And he chose Joulupukki not by chance - because there is a thin Earth's crust, which allows you to slow down the rotation of the planet so that the wizard has time to fly around the whole world in one night.

In fact, the residence appeared in the middle of the last century after visiting these places by the wife of the American President Roosevelt. Since then, the settlement has only grown. In it, the owner receives visitors, reads letters and prepares for the next "New Year's dream".

In Santa's village you will find his "headquarters", guest houses, Santa Park, many souvenir shops, shops and cafes, as well as a real deer farm - where without it. On the main square, you can ride the slides and admire the Christmas tree with decorations in the form of miniature copies of the flags of different countries. And not far from the fabulous residence there is a whole entertainment center.

On the Wizard's Knee

To fulfill the dream of your life - to sit on Santa's lap, you need to get into his office (free admission) and stand in a rather big queue. Klaus gives gifts to the most obedient children, and you need to pay for a photo with him at the dwarf cashier.

Just like ours, there is a post office where you can order a letter to any corner of the world. They will even help you compose, write, pack it and immediately send it to the right direction, without forgetting to stamp it with a magic seal.

And everyone is amused by the ritual of crossing the border of the Arctic Circle. Those who dare to jump over the symbolic line are even given certificates confirming their heroic deed.

In addition to all of the above, in the village of Santa Claus there is still a lot of interesting things, ranging from skiing to all possible winter activities transport, continuing with cooking classes from Mrs. Claus herself and ending with overnight stays in ice houses. Children learn elvish literacy, communicate with animals and just fool around in the snow - in Lapland they don't have to be under 30.

Have you tried digging up your childhood in a snowdrift?

How to get there

Finland is good because it has a common border with Russia. Therefore, getting to Santa's house from St. Petersburg, for example, will not be difficult and will not take much time. You can do this both by car and by train. Rovaniemi has railroad station, as well as an airport that receives international flights.

Where to settle

Housing is usually not a problem. You can live next door to the Klaus family, rent a room in one of the Rovaniemi hotels or a cottage in nearby settlements. You need to book in advance: the closer to the New Year, the more expensive the trip will cost you.

Hey, coachman, turn north!

Soon, soon the whole world will start talking about new hopes, plans, blank slates and other platitudes. And here's what we advise you: drop this business and go ahead - have fun in the Russian or European north. Ultimately, the citizenship of the main New Year's wizard is not important. Just for a trip abroad, you will need more documents and, possibly, money. But regardless of the chosen direction, do not forget to bring warm clothes with you!