Skip to main content

9 Holiday Characters From Around The World!

Jejak PandaHai.. Bertemu Lagi Di Website Kesayangan Anda
situs bandarq


    Most American four-year-olds can tell you all about beloved Christmas characters like Santa Claus and Frosty the Snowman. But in other countries, talking about Rudolph and his ilk might earn you little more than a blank stare. Here’s a look at some holiday characters who might not be familiar to Americans, but play a big role in celebrations around the world.





1. Zwarte Piet






olds can tell you all about beloved Christmas characters like Santa Claus and Frosty the S 9 HOLIDAY CHARACTERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD!





   The Dutch equivalent of Santa, Sinterklaas, rolls into town via steamship from his home in Spain, and he’s always got Zwarte Piet (“Black Pete”) in tow. Although for years Black Pete was depicted as Santa’s slave, since the 1950s he’s been toned down a bit and is now thought of as Santa’s mischievous helper—a scamp who will also put naughty children in a bag and take them back to Spain. Despite being recast as Santa’s friend or devoted, albeit non-slave, servant, Black Pete still incites quite a bit of controversy, as many Dutch people feel that a subservient character in blackface and an afro wig is more than a little racist.






2. Krampus







olds can tell you all about beloved Christmas characters like Santa Claus and Frosty the S 9 HOLIDAY CHARACTERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD!







   This terrifying horned monster is part of the Christmas tradition in Austria and other surrounding countries. If children are good, Saint Nicholas brings them toys. If they’re bad, though, they’ve got to face Krampus’ wrath. The clawed, hairy beast is said to punish naughty children by stealing their toys, smacking them with a birch rod, and even tying them in a sack and chucking them into a river. Getting a lump of coal in your stocking doesn’t seem like such a terrible fate in comparison, does it?








3. Belsnickel















   In northwestern Germany and in some Pennsylvania Dutch communities, children get visits from the somewhat less intimidating Belsnickel instead of Krampus. Belsnickel, a man covered in head-to-toe fur, sneaks a sock or shoe full of candy into children’s rooms. Like Krampus, though, Belsnickel will put his foot down; if the children have been naughty, they’ll wake up to a shoe full of coal or switches.







4. Le Pere Fouettard
















   Le Pere Fouettard is another of Saint Nicholas’ enforcers, this time in Eastern France. This bearded, black-robed character carries either a whip or a rod, and while St. Nick hands out toys to the good children, Le Pere Fouettard is said to beat the naughty ones. Even though he may not be as visually terrifying as Krampus, some origin stories for Le Pere Fouettard are pretty grisly. He’s said to be the murderer of three boys who’s now stuck working for St. Nick to atone for his sins.






5. Gryla






olds can tell you all about beloved Christmas characters like Santa Claus and Frosty the S 9 HOLIDAY CHARACTERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD!







   Naughty children in Iceland have to fear being caught by Gryla, an ogress who lives in a mountain cave but comes out each year to plague bad kids during Christmas. During the 18th century, Gryla was such a terrifying figure—her mythology at the time included eating the bad children, not just scaring them—that a public decree banned the use of Gryla to strike terror in the hearts of the poorly behaved.






6. Ded Moroz






olds can tell you all about beloved Christmas characters like Santa Claus and Frosty the S 9 HOLIDAY CHARACTERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD!






   Ded Moroz (“Grandfather Frost”) is the Slavic equivalent of Santa Claus, but he acts just a bit differently from the St. Nick Americans are used to. Ded Moroz carries a magical staff everywhere, and instead of sneaking down chimneys to deposit gifts before disappearing into the night, he actually shows up at New Year parties to give kids their gifts
   Ded Moroz had a tough time in the Soviet Union. Between the Russian Revolution and 1937, he didn’t come at all due to a ban on Christmas-like New Year’s traditions. When Joseph Stalin came into power, he ordered that Ded Moroz wear a blue coat so that no one would confuse him with the Western Santa Claus.









7. La Befana













   Children in Italy don’t have to worry about Santa, but they definitely want to remain on the good side of Befana. On January 6th each year, Italian kids wake up with the hope that Befana, a shawl-wearing old lady who rides a broomstick, will have come down their chimneys to leave a sock full of candy rather than a lump of coal.






8. Olentzero

















   In Basque communities, Olentzero comes to town on Christmas Eve to deliver children’s holiday gifts. Although Olentzero—an overweight man who wears a beret, smokes a pipe, and dresses like a Basque farmer—is now a beloved character who comes bearing gifts, he used to have some violent enforcer-type aspects to his personality; children heard that if they didn’t go to sleep, Olentzero would hurl a sickle down the chimney. The message was clear: go to sleep or Olentzero will come cut your throat.







9. Tio de Nadal






olds can tell you all about beloved Christmas characters like Santa Claus and Frosty the S 9 HOLIDAY CHARACTERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD!



 





   Tio de Nadal is a Catalan character that’s also known as “Caga tio,” or “pooping log.” Starting with the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8th, Catalan families host a tio, which is a small hollow log propped up on two legs with a smiling face painted on one end. Each night the family gives the log a few morsels of food to “eat” and a blanket so it will “stay warm” throughout the evening.   On Christmas or Christmas Eve, the family then orders the hollow log to “defecate” small gifts. Family members sing songs and hit the log with sticks in order to speed its “digestion,” and the log gradually drops candies, nuts, and dried fruits that the family shares. When a head of garlic or an onion falls out of the log, all of the treats are finished for the year.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

History Of Christmas Crackers!

Jejak Panda Hai.. Bertemu Lagi Di Website Kesayangan Anda situs bandarq    The childhood magic of anticipation comes rushing back with one of these treasures packs of promise!     Christmas crackers  or  bon-bons  are an integral part of Christmas celebrations in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth countries such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa. They are also popular in Ireland. A cracker consists of a cardboard tube wrapped in a brightly decorated twist of paper, making it resemble an oversized sweet-wrapper. The cracker is pulled by two people, and, much in the manner of a wishbone, the cracker splits unevenly. The split is accompanied by a small bang or snapping sound produced by the effect of friction on a chemically impregnated card strip (similar to that used in a cap gun).    Crackers are typically pulled at the Christmas dinner table or at parties. In one version of the cracker tradition, the person wit...

December Food Holidays!

Jejak Panda Hai.. Bertemu Lagi Di Website Kesayangan Anda situs bandarq    December is a time to celebrate our faith, be with our family, and enjoy great food. But, there are more food holidays in this month than you might think. Actually there is a national food holiday for everyday of the year. In this article, you'll not only find out which food holidays are in December, but you'll also find suggestions on how to celebrate each holiday. National Pie Day December 1 : Pies are so easy to make, especially if you start out with store bought pie crusts. Just make a quick filling, bake, and enjoy. National Fritters Day December 2 : Try a nice apple fritter for breakfast with a big cup of coffee. National Apple Pie Day December 3 : Apple pies are so easy to make, but since you just made a homemade pie, why not pick up a Mrs. Smith's pie? Just bake and add a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. National Cookie Day December 4 :  This is definitely the time to ...