What does Santa Claus look like and where does he live?

Waking up on New Year's or Christmas morning, the kids of the world first of all rush to the decorated Christmas tree or festive socks hanging from the fireplace, in order to find presents with a happy squeal ...

How does Santa Claus look, in which country he lives, does he have a family? These issues are of concern not only to children, but also to adults who sincerely want to continue to believe in a beautiful New Year's fairy tale.

Who in fact was Saint Nicholas

It's interesting to know that the prototype of the current Santa Claus was a real historical character. St. Nicholas, nicknamed Myrlikiy, was in fact a Christian bishop born in Myra in Lycia (modern Turkey). He lived in the IV century and became famous for his charity and good deeds.

About it is composed of many legends. So, having learned that one of the city's residents was so impoverished that he was going to sell his three daughters to a brothel, Saint Nich secretly threw three bags full of gold at night in the window of this man's house. According to another belief, he miraculously revived three children, killed and imprisoned in a barrel. Therefore, he is considered to be the protector of the toddlers, the patron of the lost and innocent, and also protects travelers and sailors in the wanderings.

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

Appearance of St. Nicholas

After studying the relics of St. Nicholas with the permission of the Vatican, British scientists recreated the image of this saint with the help of computer technology. Thanks to them, it became reliably known what the "Santa Claus" actually looked like.

Saint Nicholas was short - 168 centimeters tall, had olive skin, a short gray beard, dark brown eyes and a broken nose. There are not many similarities with the modern fairy-tale hero who brings Christmas presents ...

Why does Santa give presents on Christmas?

Santa Claus became a Christmas character not at once. Initially on the territory of Europe gifts to children were given on December 6 - the day of veneration of St. Nicholas. However, during the Reformation this tradition has undergone changes. The character giving the children was the Christ child, and the holiday, when it happened, was moved to the eve of the Catholic Christmas.

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

The Story of Santa Claus in America

The English Puritans, the first to begin exploring the North American continent, did not celebrate Christmas at all. The history of Santa Claus on these lands begins from the middle of the 17th century, when the Dutch colonists founded the settlement of New Amsterdam (later became New York).

At the beginning of the 19th century, the American writer Washington Irving wrote The History of New York, in which he mentioned the custom of celebrating St. Nicholas in New Amsterdam. In the development of this theme 14 years later, from the pen of Clement Moore, the book "The Night Before Christmas, or the Visit of St. Nicholas" was published. In it, he first described how Santa Claus looks like, how he roams the sky on a reindeer harness and what happens when he visits homes with gifts on Christmas Eve.

This poem significantly influenced the idea of Santa Claus in the entire English-speaking world. And today she is one of the most beloved Christmas fairy-tale Americans.

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

How does Santa Claus look like?

In the composition of Clement Moore, Santa Claus appears in the image of a cheerful elf with a fat belly, smoking a pipe and loving a delicious meal. The artist-cartoonist Thomas Nastu was the first to fulfill the desire of adults and children to find out what this fairy-tale hero looks like . For twenty-four years, he portrayed Santa Claus on the Christmas cover of the weekly Harpers Weekly, which was very popular. However, Nast's Santa Claus was black and white, although the fur coat, and the wide belt, and the headdress, and the sparkling boots were almost the same as we used to see them now.

Colorized the fur coat of the fairy grandfather in red at the end of the 19th century by the publisher Louis Prang, who was the first in America to produce color lithographic cards for Christmas.

In 1930, the American company Coca-Cola, wishing that their drinks enjoyed equal popularity in the winter and in the summer, included Santa Claus in his advertising campaign. The work was commissioned by the Chicago artist Haddon Sandblom. For thirty years he created images of "Christmas grandfather", who brings gifts to children. The prototype of Santa Claus, now known throughout the world, was the friend and neighbor of the artist, Lou Prentice.

Images where Santa Claus looked no longer an elf, but a kindly smiling giant, fell to the liking of people. Well-received also Rudolph - invented by the artist a new, ninth reindeer in Santa's harness.

Does Santa have a family?

You can often hear a question that does not give rest to many: "Does the Santa Claus family exist, or does the" Christmas grandfather "live alone?"

The answer is covered with a veil of secrecy. According to the classical Catholic tradition, the "historical" Santa Claus, that is, Saint Nicholas, was a clergyman, that is, definitely no family. But as for the current fairy-tale character, it does not exclude the fact that he may well be in a happy marriage.

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

Anyway, but, according to the most widespread version, the Santa Claus wife is an ordinary human woman. Her "fairy-tale age" is about sixty years. Mrs. Klaus's real name is not known to anyone - some sources call her Goody, others - Wilhelmina, others - Jessica ... She is plump, cheerful and very sociable, almost always wears a red dress, because she adores this color, puts on glasses, and also Twists the gray hair into a bun at the back of the head. She often bakes delicious buns and loves to watch the elves - Santa's faithful helpers - make toys for children's gifts. It is said that one day, when Santa Claus got very sick just on the eve of Christmas, Mrs. Klaus put on his coat, put on an artificial beard and went to deliver gifts for the little ones.

Where does Santa Claus live?

Cold "country of Santa Claus" - Lapland, the realm of eternal snow and ice - in fact the northern province of Finland. However, the residence of the "Christmas grandfather" exists there in reality! It is located in the provincial capital - Rovaniemi.

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

Santa Claus and Santa Claus

The image of Santa Claus, so popular in TV shows and commercials, does not leave our screens and shop windows in December-January days. Often, children simply identify Santa Claus with the primordial Slavic Grandfather Frost. However, in addition to the fact that in winter holidays, both these fairy-tale characters bring gifts to babies, they do not have much in common, as it may seem at first glance.

So what is the difference between Santa Claus and Santa Claus? First of all, the fact that the latter has nothing to do with St. Nicholas. The history of our Father Frost is rooted in the folklore of the Eastern Slavs. There he is represented in the image of a fairy-tale hero, a giant who fetters the river and the lake with frost and ice.

Over time, the image of Frost was changing. From the formidable stern character, he gradually turned into a kind and fair Grandfather, gifted children with gifts. The company is traditionally made up by a granddaughter, a sweet and beloved Snegurochka.

The image of Santa Claus

Externally, Santa Claus, too, looks different - quite different from what Santa Claus looks like. The photo below allows you to fully present these differences.

Grandfather Frost is powerful and strong, impressive growth, wears a large white beard. He is dressed in a long fur coat to the ground, wearing a boyar cap on his head, boots on his feet. He does not wear glasses. Unlike Santa Claus, the vehicle of Santa Claus is not a fairy deer, but a Russian horse troika. At home, it does not penetrate through the fireplace, but in an inexplicable magical way, inherent in the magical creature. And he never puts gifts in his toe, preferring to hide them under the branches of the tree.

The fact that these fairy-tale characters are different does not in any way mean that one of them is better, and someone is worse. Just do not forget that on winter holidays, along with the world famous Santa Claus, Grandfather Frost marches grandly along his possessions, carrying a huge bag of gifts behind his back ...