Who is older than Father Frost or Santa Claus? Old or New? Father Frost or Santa Claus? The history of the appearance of the Western wizard

How does our Russian Father Frost differ from the overseas Santa Claus, and what do they have in common?

Who is better, Father Frost or Santa Claus?

New Year 2016 is coming soon. Shops and stores are the first to be transformed for the holiday. shopping centers. Well, this is understandable - we need to encourage the population to purchase, outfits , delicacies and champagne. We begin to think about inviting Father Frost or Santa Claus to our children. Stop! Are Father Frost and Santa Claus the same character? Or are they completely different fairy-tale heroes? What do these Grandfathers have in common? How is our Russian Father Frost different from the overseas Santa Claus?

Let's figure it out together.

1. PLACE OF BIRTH

Since 1998, at the state level, it was decided to consider the homeland and place of permanent residence Russian Grandfather Frost city Veliky Ustyug in the Vologda region. Currently there is an official residence there Santa Claus.

Motherland Santa Claus- Finnish Lapland, which is located far in the North beyond the Arctic Circle. There he lives permanently along with his hardworking assistants - fairy-tale gnomes.

2. APPEARANCE

Father Frost- not very old yet, handsome, strong, heroic build, tall old man. He has straight white hair and a long beautiful snow-white beard down to his waist, sometimes down to the ground. Santa Claus has a red nose from the cold and rosy cheeks. It has a loud booming bass.

Santa Claus- a man at a very advanced age, he is short and has a rather large tummy. Santa has curly gray hair, a white, curly beard, down to his chest. Santa Claus wears glasses and smokes a pipe. He is very cute and rosy-cheeked from the cold. Santa speaks in a loud, low voice.

3. OUTERWEAR.

Father Frost dressed in a warm, long fur coat with white fur inside, covered with blue-blue, white-silver or red brocade fabric. The fur coat is belted with a long sash.

Santa Claus always dressed in a short, light red jacket trimmed with white fur, belted with a black leather belt with a large metal buckle.

4. HEADGEAR.

On the head Santa Claus wearing a warm fur hat, shaped like an old boyar or royal hat. IN classic version the lapels of this hat should be embroidered with precious crystals and pearls. In general, a rather expensive headdress.

U Santa Claus on the head there is a light red cap with a fur balaboshka.

5. MITTENS-GLOVES

Father Frost hides her hands in warm fur mittens. In the classic version, mittens should have three fingers.

In the arms of Santa Claus light black gloves

6. PANTS

U Santa Claus his pants are not visible from under his long fur coat, but it is assumed that his pants and shirt should be white from linen.

Santa Claus always wears red pants, made from the same fabric as the jacket.

7.FOOTWEAR

Modern Father Frost shod in Russian felt boots, most often white, embroidered with intricate patterns with silver thread. In the classic version, Father Frost appeared in red leather boots with heels, with pointed toes turned up, embroidered with beautiful patterns. Do you remember what kind of boots Ivan Tsarevich had from the Russian fairy tale? Santa Claus had the same ones when he was younger, but now at his age it’s time to keep his feet warm.

Santa Claus always wearing black leather boots.

8. STAFF

Father Frost When walking, he leans on a long carved staff, decorated with a precious knob or star on top. With this staff in winter, Santa Claus freezes everything he considers necessary: ​​rivers, lakes, seas, in general, everything around. It happened many times that in hard times, when Rus' was attacked by enemies, Frost came to the aid of Russian heroes. Remember history: this was the case during the wars with the Teutonic Knights, with Napoleon, and even with the Nazis.

In the hands of Santa Claus a long stick curved to the bottom with a hook. The stick is usually painted with red and green stripes. In my opinion, it's just a stick that Santa leans on when walking, and no magic.

9. TRANSPORT

Father Frost walks or skis, or comes in a sleigh drawn by three snow-white horses, personifying the three winter months.

Santa Claus moves across the sky on a sleigh drawn by a reindeer team of nine reindeer. All deer have proper names, but the most popular one is called Rudolf, and it is he who stands first in the team.

10. HOW IT GET INTO THE HOUSE

Father Frost enters the house through the door.

Santa Claus secretly goes down the chimney into the house.

11. SATELLITES

Our Santa Claus at the New Year holiday he is always accompanied by his constant companion - his granddaughter Snow Maiden.

Santa Claus comes to Christmas almost always alone, sometimes accompanied by one or two gnomes.

12. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

And ours Santa Claus, and Santa Claus one main responsibility is to give children gifts on New Year and Christmas. Only Santa Claus gives a gift to a child personally or secretly places it under a decorated Christmas tree, and Santa Claus puts gifts in socks that children hang by the fireplace especially for this purpose.

13. PROTOTYPES OR IMAGES

As a prototype Santa Claus there were Slavic pagan gods - Karachun, Treskun, Studenets, the hero-blacksmith, who freezes the earth in winter.

These pagan gods were quite evil and cruel, but over time they united, became kinder and turned into the kind, strong, brave, cheerful, fair and generous of our beloved Grandfather Frost.

And the prototype Santa Claus there was a Christian saint Nicholas the Wonderworker (Santa is a saint, Klaus is Nicholas), famous for, who secretly and completely disinterestedly helped the poor who had children.

Well, I think she told me everything she knew about Father Frost and Santa Claus. The conclusion is this: it is impossible to say which of them is better and which is worse, they are both very good and loved. These are the two best and most beloved grandfathers in the world! Happy New Year and Merry Christmas to you!

Where did Santa Claus come from?

Santa Claus appeared with us a long time ago. Once upon a time, even before
the emergence of Christianity in Rus', our ancestors believed that the spirits of the dead
They protect their clan, take care of the offspring of livestock and good weather. Therefore, in order
To reward them for their care, every winter people gave them gifts. On the eve of the holiday
the village youth put on masks, turned out their sheepskin coats and went from house to house,
caroled. (However, in different regions had its own characteristics
caroling.) The owners presented the carolers with food. The point was precisely
that the carolers represented the spirits of ancestors who received a reward
for tireless care of the living. Among the carolers there was often one
the “man” dressed the scariest of all. As a rule, he was prohibited
speak. It was the oldest and most formidable spirit; it was also often called
just Grandfather. It is quite possible that this is the prototype of the modern Grandfather
Frost. Only today, of course, he has become kinder and does not come for gifts, but
brings them himself.

According to another version, "great-great-grandfather"
modern Russian Santa Claus was a Russian hero folk tales Morozko or
Frost has a red nose, master of weather, winter and frost. Initially he was called Grandfather
He was a cracker and was represented as a little old man with a long beard and stern as
Russian frosts by nature. From November to March, Grandfather Treskun was the absolute owner
on the ground. Even the sun was afraid of him! He was married to a despicable person - Winter. Grandfather
Treskun or Santa Claus was also identified with the first month of the year - mid-winter
- January. The first month of the year is cold and cold - the king of frosts, the root of winter, its
sir. It is strict, icy, icy, it’s time for snowmen. People talk about January
They also say this: fireman and jelly, snowman and cracker, fierce and fierce. Later
Grandfather Frost's granddaughter Snegurka or Snegurochka, the heroine of many Russians, appeared
fairy tales, snow girl. Yes, and Santa Claus himself has changed: he began to bring children
gifts for the New Year and fulfill your innermost desires.

It’s difficult to say unambiguously where the Russian Father Frost lives, since
there are a lot of legends. Some claim that Santa Claus comes from the North
poles, others say from Lapland. Only one thing is clear, Santa Claus lives somewhere
in the Far North, where there is winter all year round. Now many children are confident
Veliky Ustyug will be called the birthplace of Father Frost.
But this is just a tourism project that has grown from a fantastic idea into an all-Russian brand. In old Russian
in the city of Veliky Ustyug since December 1998 on the initiative of the Moscow Government
and the administration of the Vologda region, the project “Great
Ustyug is the birthplace of Father Frost."

And also, recently, November 18 in Russia officially
celebrate the birthday of Santa Claus. The date of birth of Santa Claus, they say, was invented by the children themselves, since it was 18
November on his patrimony (as is now believed) - in Veliky Ustyug - into his own rights
real winter is coming, and frosts are striking.

Origin
Santa Claus

Sometimes you can hear that the prototype
Santa Claus is Saint Nicholas. But this is a mistaken opinion. Origin
The Russian Father Frost is fundamentally different from the European Santa Claus. If
Santa Claus was real historical figure which was erected for good deeds
to the rank of saints, then the Russian Father Frost is rather a pagan spirit, a folk character
beliefs and fairy tales.

The prototype of Santa Claus is considered to be Saint Nicholas, who
lived in 4
century. WITH early childhood he was distinguished by his love for his neighbor. The fame of his deeds was
great, so while still a young man he was appointed bishop. He settled in
the city of Izmir in Greece (now part of Turkey). Saint Nicholas was rich
and helped the poor in every possible way, and always did it secretly - putting gifts in
windows.

And somehow
times, wanting to help a poor family in which there were three daughters, and whose father, because
poverty decided to sell them into slavery, St. Nicholas gave them a gift at Christmas
three bags of gold coins. (This continued until they
accumulated a sufficient dowry to get married.) But one day
all the windows in the house were locked. Then Saint Nicholas threw
bags of gold in a pipe. The gold coins he threw into the pipe ended up in
socks hanging by the stove to dry. That's why Catholics now put gifts in
socks that hang by the fireplace.

However
Saint Nicholas became famous not only for his secret gifts, but also for his miracles,
who worked both during life and after death.

Saint
Sailors and fishermen considered Nicholas their protector. He provided patronage
abducted and murdered children: found them and brought them back to life. There was
legend that on the feast of St. Nicholas the bishop distributed gifts, but only
obedient children, and punished naughty children.

Therefore on
feast of St. Nicholas, which Orthodox Church celebrates December 19th (to
new style), and Catholic December 6th, children always receive gifts from
St. Nicholas.

Of course
The climate in Greece is different from ours, so no fur coats or hats. Saint Nicholas
didn't wear it.

European settlers who settled in America in the 7th and 7th centuries
XVIII centuries, they brought with them the legends about St. Nicholas. One of the first
churches built in what was then New York was Sinter Klaas or Sint Nicholas,
later called "Santa Claus".

A modern image of a good-natured fat Santa Claus
appeared in the USA relatively recently, on Christmas Day 1822. That's when
Clement Clarke Moore wrote the poem "The Parish of St. Nicholas" in which
The saint appeared as a cheerful and cheerful elf with a round, tight belly,
indicating a passion for delicious food, and with a smoking pipe. As a result
reincarnation, Saint Nicholas got off the donkey, acquired eight deer and
a bag of gifts appeared in his hands.

The first image of Santa Claus was drawn in 1862 by cartoonist Thomas Nast. IN
for 24 years he painted it for the cover of the popular Harper's magazine
Weekly". The artist placed Klaus at the North Pole (not Lapland).
The covers were incredibly popular. Santa Thomas Nast had
one drawback - it 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 tradition of Christmas greetings to America
postcards made using the technique of color lithography. So Santa Claus changed
the furs that Nast dressed him in, to a nice bright red outfit.

Finally, in 1930, the Coca-Cola Company came up with a clever advertising trick to
their products were not forgotten either in summer or winter - an artist from Chicago depicted
Santa Claus in red and white Coca-Cola colors. This is how the modern image was born
Santa Claus.

As you can see,
Santa Claus (originally originated as a good elf) and Father Frost (originally
formerly simply Frost - the patron saint of winter) have little in common with the Saint
Nikolai. They are united only by their love for children and the custom of giving gifts.

However, the modern image of Santa Claus is so widely represented in advertising and souvenirs.
products that our children are completely confused and mistakenly call him Grandfather
Frost. Let's learn to distinguish them.

Differences between Father Frost and Santa Claus

	Father Frost	Santa Claus
Headdress	Warm hat with fur trim. Attention: none bombs and brushes! The hat can be embroidered with silver and pearls. Edge, or hall, should be trimmed with white fur with a triangular neckline made on the front part has stylized horns. The shape of the hat is semi-oval, like this The shape of the hat is traditional for Russian tsars.	Red cap with white pompom.
Beard	Beard down to the floor. White and fluffy like snow.	Short beard with a shovel.
Outerwear	Long thick fur coat. Initially, the color of the fur coat was blue, cold, but under the influence of the red fur coats of the “European brothers" changed to red. On at the moment both are allowed option. The fur coat should be long to the ground, embroidered with silver - in in the form of eight-pointed stars, jibs, crosses and other elements of traditional Russian ornament, trimmed with swan down (or any white fur). Pants should not be visible from under the fur coat!	Short jacket in red. Red pants.
Mittens	Santa Claus hides his hands in huge mittens. Classic look requires that the mittens be three-fingered white, embroidered with silver - a symbol the purity and holiness of everything that he gives from his hands. Three-fingered symbol belonging to the highest divine principle since the Neolithic.	Light gloves.
Belt	Santa Claus does not wear belts, but ties his fur coat with a sash. In extreme cases, it is fastened with buttons.	Belt with buckle.
Shoes	Santa Claus usually prefers felt boots. And it’s not surprising, because at −50 degrees (usual northern air temperature) even the Snow Master's feet are in boots will freeze. The classic look allows for silver or red embroidered silver boots with raised toes (but not black). And on a frosty day Santa Claus puts on white boots embroidered with silver.	Black boots.
Accessories	Santa Claus always carries a staff with him. Firstly, to make it easier to get through the snowdrifts. And secondly, according to legend, Santa Claus, while still “wild” Morozko,” with this very staff the people were “freezing.” The staff should have a straight shape without curves. The end may have a ball or star shaped knob.	Staff Catholic bishop with a curved end. Wears glasses. Sometimes depicted with a smoking pipe. Also included: socks on the fireplace, wreaths, bells, etc.
Method of transportation	Santa Claus travels on foot, by air or on a sleigh drawn by three. He also loves to cross his native expanses on skis. Cases with the use of deer has not been recorded.	Santa Claus rides in a cart pulled by reindeer, because... Santa Claus lives in Lapland, where there are no horses, but there are reindeer.

The most important difference between the Russian Santa Claus is his constant companion, his granddaughter.
Snow Maiden. It’s understandable: alone and on far north where there are only seals
Yes, penguins, you can die of boredom! And it’s more fun with my granddaughter. Image
Snow Maidens are a symbol of frozen waters. This is a girl dressed in white clothes (or
flowers reminiscent of frozen water). The headdress of the granddaughter of Santa Claus is eight-rayed
a crown embroidered with silver and pearls.

Currently, as well as for many millennia, the symbols of the New Year are Father Frost, and of course Santa Claus. These two old men, at first glance, are no different from each other, but there are still some differences.

Santa Claus is also characterized by such names as Frost - cracker, Frost - Red or Student. Since ancient times, everyone knew him as the harsh god of winter, who ruled the world from November to the end of March. In addition, this character was a hero remarkable strength, as a result of which everyone was very afraid of him and only worshiped this creature. If we talk about Santa Claus, the fate of such a character is much more complicated.

Currently, organizations where you can do this provide completely all the information about the history of these heroes. But you can find out on your own.
So, Santa Claus was first called Saint Nicholas, who lived very close to Phenicia. This character was the patron saint of children who were lost or kidnapped. If the child was obedient, he always gave him gifts, but he punished disobedient representatives of infancy. After some time, the Church of St. Nicholas was translated into the English manner of “Santa Claus”.
But the main differences between these characters are not only this.

Santa Claus: appearance characteristics.

Father Frost, as well as his colleague Santa Claus, wore a red fur coat. But Santa Claus often wore green clothes. We saw Santa Claus in a short jacket, which is always tied with a wide belt. And Santa Claus is always depicted in a long fur coat, the edges of which touched the ground. In addition, no one has seen Santa Claus wearing glasses or a hat, which can be seen with Santa Claus. Another difference is the beard. American personnel either don’t have it, or they have it, but it’s very small, but our Santa Claus always has a long and thick beard.

Nowadays, ordering Santa Claus to school can be done very easily. In addition, you can choose the attire of such a character, because he can portray both Grandfather Frost and Santa Claus.
Another big difference should be noted in the felt boots that he always wears. In most cartoons you can see that Santa Claus rides on a troika with bells, and Santa Claus rides on reindeer across the wide sky. Moreover, Father Frost has a wonderful companion - Snegurochka, which cannot be said about Santa, because he is always alone. The Snow Maiden was born from snow, and she is always with her grandfather. Santa Claus puts gifts under the Christmas tree, and Santa only comes down the chimney and puts them in special socks.

But both the first and the second character bring only joy, fun and positive emotions. They fill people's hearts with happiness and a festive atmosphere. These characters have been living for a long time huge amount years, as a result of which they never cease to delight us, and we always look forward to their visit. And children are looking forward to the New Year to receive gifts from the kind, cheerful, and also sweet Grandfather Frost.

Since 2005, the official birthday of the Russian Santa Claus celebrated on November 18th. 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 comes. At the same time, the age of the old man is unknown; moreover, there are several versions of the birth of this character.

The prototype of Santa Claus is considered to be a Slavic deity: the lord of cold and frost. The image of this spirit is reflected in Slavic fairy-tale folklore, where it is mentioned as Frost, Studenets, Treskunets, Morozko, Zyuzya. Slavic peoples They imagined this deity in the form of an old man with a long gray beard, who runs through the fields and causes crackling frosts by knocking. Considering that Slavic mythology was formed in the process of separating the ancient Slavs from the Indo-European community of peoples in the 2nd-1st millennium BC. e., then the age of Santa Claus may exceed 2000 years.

However, the Father Frost we know 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” Vladimir Odoevsky 1840, in which for the first time a literary treatment of folklore and ritual Frost was given. Moroz Ivanovich is described as a gray-haired old man who lives in an ice house and sleeps on a feather bed made of snow. He covers the winter shoots with snow, just like “he shakes his head and frost falls from his hair.” If we take into account the inclusion of the image of Santa Claus in literary tradition, then its age is just under 180 years.

Author of works on the history of Father Frost in Russia, philologist Elena Dushechkina writes that the image of Moroz created by Odoevsky is still far from the character we know. According to her, it finally took shape only at the beginning of the twentieth century, when, in addition to verbal description, it 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 became popular Christmas tree toy, as well as dolls 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 as Father Frost began to appear at children's parties. If we take into account the time of appearance of the familiar image of Santa Claus, then the character is just over 100 years old.

Philologist Svetlana Adonyeva in his study of the history of the New Year tradition, he notes that Santa Claus as an obligatory character New Year's 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, allowed Christmas trees again. Thus, Santa Claus as an attribute of the New Year holiday has existed for approximately 80 years.

How old is Santa Claus?

Age determination Santa Claus causes less difficulties than in the case of Santa Claus. Considering that the prototype of Santa is Saint Nicholas, aka Nicholas the Wonderworker, then the date of birth of the saint is taken as the character’s date of birth: 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 Visit of St. Nicholas" was published in New York. Its author, writer Clement Clarke Moore, wrote a poem for his three daughters, in which he talked about a jolly old elf who travels on a reindeer sleigh and brings gifts to children, entering the house through the chimney.

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

In the early 1890s, homeless people dressed as Santa Claus began appearing on the streets of New York City, collecting donations. The money was used by the Salvation Army charity to pay for free Christmas meals for families in need.

So which character is older?

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

The streets gradually begin to dress up in colorful garlands; shop windows strewn with fluffy fake snow encourage passers-by to buy gifts; and in social networks The hashtag #ng is appearing more and more often. If this only reminds you of the approaching main holiday of all times, 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. In both cases, magic simply hovers in the frosty air, creating a “holiday mood” that most people stop feeling at the age of 30 or earlier. And it’s up to you to decide who to go to stay with - the Russian Father Frost or the foreign Santa Claus. We will only help you not to get lost in the wilds of their fairytale forests.

Find 10 differences

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

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

Tower of Father Frost in Veliky Ustyug

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

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

2. Who is who.

This grandpa 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 very handsome, stately, aged, but not quite 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 bassy, ​​booming, pleasant.

But Santa looks older and stockier: he is short and has a heavy belly. The hair and beard are white, curly, and the length of the latter is no lower than the waist. You can see glasses on his nose - old age is not a joy. And this grandfather smokes a pipe. His cheeks are as red as apples, and in general he gives the impression of a kind and pleasant, funny old man who loves to say “Ho-ho-ho” in a low and loud voice.

3. They greet you by their clothes.

Let's warm ourselves up with Santa Claus

In the Russian North you can’t be spoiled, so Father Frost has a long (to his toes) fur coat, with the fur turned to the body, and the outside covered with brocade, red, blue or white. There is a wide and long sash on the belt, fur mittens on the hands, and presumably pants on the legs (not visible due to the long hem). In theory, they, like the shirt, should be snow-white. The head is warmed by an expensive fur hat, shaped like an old boyar hat, decorated with embroidery and precious stones.

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

4. So as not to leave your legs.

Santa style

Initially, Santa Claus' feet were depicted in red leather boots, with curved toes and patterns on the tops - real royal boots. And now, more and more often, he chooses good old folk 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 point of reference.

Staff - Santa Claus's magic wand

In the hands of Santa Claus you can always see a long staff with carved patterns. At the upper end there is a knob or an asterisk. This is not just a means of maintaining stability on slippery ice or in deep snowdrifts, but also a kind of magic wand. Our hero uses it when the time comes to plunge nature into hibernation. According to legends, Moroz more than once helped the Russians defeat the enemy with the help of his miracle staff: what is it worth just for Napoleon’s flight from frozen Moscow.

But Santa Claus does not need tools for witchcraft. He uses his stick, bent at one end, for its intended purpose - to lean on while walking. It is usually decorated with red or green stripes.

6. Eh, I’ll give it a ride!

Santalet: gifts delivered to your home

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

It’s not appropriate for Santa Claus to travel on earth - it probably takes too long, traffic jams and so on, so he travels through the air on a sleigh harnessed to a whole herd of reindeer. All nine animals have names, but the leader has always been Rudolph, who gallops at the head of the team and sets the pace of movement.

7. Hacking rules.

The one who visits people's homes is Santa Claus

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

Klaus prefers secret visits to his fans and, under the cover of darkness, goes down chimneys into houses. Presents are placed in socks specially hung over the fireplace.

8. Retinue.

Gnomes are always at hand

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

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

9. About roots.

Karachun - lord of frost, cold and darkness

The appearance of the image of Father Frost in Russian folklore was inspired by the pagan beliefs of our ancestors. So they worshiped several winter deities at once: Karachun, Treskun, Student and the 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: his prototype was St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (Santa is a saint, Klaus is Nicholas). He, in turn, became famous for secretly and absolutely selflessly providing assistance to poor families with children.

10. Job responsibilities.

No differences. Both Grandfather Frost and Santa Claus were invented to bring joyful moments into the lives of children and adults.

Now let's talk about what awaits you in the homeland of each of them. This will be especially useful if you go on a trip on your own.

To Veliky Ustyug: where your eyes light up

Santa Claus Mail

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

You can visit the residence of Father Frost in Veliky Ustyug itself. In it you will find mail, where letters arrive from all the enthusiastic little ones of our country. From this point they send 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 Grandfather Frost's shop. If you have time, it's worth visiting the museum New Year's toys on the territory of the Church of the Myrrh-Bearing Women, and also look at the Nativity scene, the Cathedral of Procopius the Righteous and stroll along the embankment of the Sukhona River.

And you still need to get to Moroz’s Estate: it is located somewhat away from the bustle of the city (a little more than ten kilometers). Travel there can be organized through one of the local travel agencies or you can get there on your own: by taxi or bus number 122.

Sleigh is a favorite pastime of Santa Claus's guests

The best time for the trip is morning, as there are not too many people yet - they usually flood the estate around lunchtime. In the evening, so many people gather there that it is difficult to move around without stepping on others’ toes. Again, visiting the Estate in the dark will leave much more impressions than during the day: as if with a wave of a magic staff, everything will suddenly begin to sparkle, move, and dance. At such moments, the eyes light up not only in children, but also in adults.

Winter attractions, ice skating and snow slides, rides on horses, snowmobiles and buns, a fascinating excursion along the Trail of Fairy Tales - this is just the minimum program, which is difficult to complete in one day. You will definitely want to return there again to warm yourself near the fire of the 12 month-brothers, to look into the light of grandmother Aushka and Zhitny’s grandfather in the 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 estate provides folk entertainment for guests, and it is always noisy and fun when you play in a crowd. One of brightest moments The trip will include a visit to a fairy-tale tower, during which its owner magically appears under the snow falling straight from the ceiling. At this moment you begin to believe that Santa Claus is real, and miracles exist!

He's 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 Estate of Father Frost, set the route to the village of Medinskoye, Vologda Region. By train and plane from most Russian cities you will have to get to Veliky Ustyug with transfers.

Where to stay

Early booking is the key to successful and inexpensive accommodation. Now all the tidbits have already been snapped up (some very prudent people begin to do this in the summer). From mid-December and almost until the end of January, in the homeland of Frost, prices skyrocket, and hotels are packed to capacity (and where is this not the case at this time?). Look for the option of moving into 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 Father Frost settled not far from the capital of Lapland, Rovaniemi - in a village with the funny name Joulupukki. This territory is known as a fabulous province, where incredible nature and unique culture merge together and create an atmosphere of celebration, fun and homeliness. Children are especially interested in visiting places that were so colorfully described by their favorite writers. 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 gradually began to learn about his secret laboratory for the production of gifts on Mount Korvatunturi. And he chose Joulupukki not by chance - because there is a thin earth’s crust, which allows the planet’s rotation to slow down so that the wizard can fly around the whole world in one night.

In fact, the residence appeared in the middle of the last century after his wife visited these places 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 Eve.”

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 would you be without it? On the main square you can go down the slides and admire the Christmas tree with decorations in the form of miniature copies of flags different countries. And not far from the fabulous residence there is an entire entertainment center.

On the wizard's lap

To fulfill your lifelong dream of sitting on Santa’s lap, you need to get into his office (free admission) and stand in a long line. Klaus gives gifts to the most obedient children, and for a photo with him you need to pay to the gnome cash desk.

Just like us, we have our own post office branch where you can order a letter to any corner of the world. They will even help you compose it, write it, pack it, and immediately send it to in the right direction, not forgetting to stamp it with a magic seal.

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

In addition to all of the above, there are many more interesting things to do in the village of Santa Claus, from riding on all possible winter species transport, continuing with cooking master classes from Mrs. Claus herself and ending with overnight stays in ice houses. Children learn elf literacy, communicate with animals and just fool around in the snow - in Lapland they don’t have to be under 30.

Have you tried to dig 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. This can be done either by car or by train. Rovaniemi has a train station as well as an airport serving international flights.

Where to stay

There are usually no problems with housing. You can live next door to the Klaus family, rent a room in one of the Rovaniemi hotels or a cottage in nearby towns. 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 banalities. And this is what we will advise you: give up this matter and go ahead - have a blast in the Russian or European north. Ultimately, the citizenship of the main New Year's wizard is not important. It’s just that to travel abroad you will need more documents and, possibly, money. But regardless of the chosen direction, do not forget to take warm clothes with you!