Christmas gift figures are the traditional gift bringers without whom the festival and its buoyant spirit isn't complete. Read on to about the different gift bearers associated with Christmas.
Christmas Gift Bringers
When you think of a Christmas Gift Bringer, what is the picture that strikes in your mind? Probably, a huge, bearded old man with a sack full of goodies and presents for the children! Most of the midwinter and Christmas traditions involve the concept of the gift bringers. The similar features in the characters of different countries depict that they have a mutual influence on each other. Ever wondered why is it that the huge cuddly figure of Santa captures your Christmas dreams? Is Santa Claus the only Christmas gift-bringing character? Not really! Papa Noel of Brazil, Baboushka of Russia, Christkind of Austria, etc. do the same job around Christmas. Many similar figures embrace the same concept of gift bringing and carry sack full of goodies for children all over the world. Scroll further and gather more information of the various Christmas gift bringing character around the world.
Christmas Gift Bringers Around the World
- Afghanistan: Baba Chaghaloo
- Albania: Babadimri
- Armenia: Gaghant Baba / Kaghand Papa (Father Christmas or Father New Year)
- Austria: Christkind (a little angel like person)
- Azerbaijan: Şaxta Baba (Grandfather Frost)
- Belgium: Sinterklaas/St. Niklaas (Flemish), Saint Nicholas (Walloon) & Père Noël (Father Christmas)
- Bosnia and Herzegovina: Djeda Mraz (Grandfather Frost)
- Brazil: Papai Noel (Father Christmas) & Bom Velhinho (Good Old Man)
- Bulgaria: Grandfather Christmas
- Chile: Christmas Old Man
- China: Sheng dan lao ren - Old Christmas Man
- Costa Rica: Niño dios (Child God, meaning Jesus) & Colacho (another name for St. Nicholas)
- Croatia: Djed Božičnjak (Grandfather Christmas)
- Czech Republic: Svatý Mikuláš (St. Nicholas)
- Denmark: Julemanden (Christmas Man)
- Ecuador: Papa Noel
- Egypt: Baba Noël
- Estonia: Jõuluvana (Yule Elder)
- Finland: Santa Claus or Joulupukki
- France: Père Noël (Father Christmas)
- Georgia: Tovlis Babua, Tovlis Papa (Snow Grandfather)
- Germany: Weihnachtsmann (Christmas Man) & Christkind (a little angel like person)
- Greece: Aghios Vassilis (Saint Basil)
- Holland/Netherlands: Sinterklaas (St. Nicholas) & Kerstman (Christmas Man)
- Hungary: Mikulás (Nicholas) & Télapó (Old Man Winter)
- Iceland: Jólasveinn (Yule Man) & Jólasveinarnir (The Yule Lads)
- India: Hindi: Christmas Baba, Urdu: Baba Christmas (Father Christmas), Telugu: Thatha (Christmas old man), Tamil: Christmas Thaathaa, Marathi: Natal Bua (Christmas Elder Man)
- Indonesia: Sinterklas
- Iraq: Baba Noel / Vader Kersfees
- Ireland: San Nioclás' (Saint Nicholas) & Daidí na Nollag (Father Christmas)
- Italy: Babbo Natele (Santa Claus) or La Befana (an old woman)
- Japan: Santa-san (Mr Santa) & Hoteiosho
- Latvia: Ziemassvētku vecītis (Christmas Old Man)
- Lithuania: Senis Šaltis (Old Man Frost) & Kalėdų Senelis (Christmas Grandfather)
- Lebanon: Baba Noël
- Macedonia: Dedo Mraz
- Malta: San Niklaw (St. Nicholas)
- Mexico: El Niñito Dios (baby Jesus), Los Reyes Magos (The Three Wise Men) & Santo Clós (Santa Claus)
- Norway: Julenissen (Christmas Gnome)
- Pakistan: Christmas Baba
- Peru: Papá Noel
- Philippines: Santa Klaus
- Poland: Swiety Mikolaj (St. Nicholas)
- Portugal: Pai Natal (Father Christmas)
- Romania: Moş Crăciun (Old Man Christmas), Moş Nicolae (Old Man Nicholas), Moş Gerilă (Old Man Frost)
- Russia: Ded Morez (Grandfather Frost) or Babouschka
- Serbia: Deda Mraz (Grandfather Frost), Božić Bata (Christmas Brother)
- Slovenia: Sveti Miklavž or Sveti Nikolaj (Saint Nicholas) / Dedek Mraz (Grandfather Winter)
- South Africa: Sinterklaas / Kersvader
- South Korea: Santa kullosu, Santa Grandfather
- Spain: Los tres Reyes Mages (The Three Magic King / Magi) & Papá Noel (Father Christmas)
- Sri Lanka: Naththal Seeya
- Sweden: Jultomten (Santa) & Nissar / Tomte (Christmas Gnomes/Elves)
- Switzerland: Samichlaus (St. Nicholas)
- Syria: Baba Noël
- Turkey: Noel Babal (Father Christmas)
- Ukraine: St. Nicholas / Did Moroz
- United Kingdom: Father Christmas (inter-changeable with Santa Claus), Wales: Siôn Corn (Chimney John)
- USA: Santa Claus, Hawaii: Kanakaloka
- Uzbekistan: Grandfather Snow - more related to New Year's Eve than Christmas
- Venezuela: San Nicolás (St. Nicholas) & Niño Jesús (Baby Jesus)
- Vietnam: Ông già Noel (Christmas old man)
