The European Santa Claus has already taken root in Belarusian realities so much that few people think about how he differs from Father Frost. Meanwhile, there are many differences!

1. Headdress

Santa Claus has a fur-trimmed hat. Santa Claus has a nightcap with a pompom.

2. Beard

Santa Claus's is long, to the waist. Santa Claus has a short beard like a shovel.

3. Outerwear

Santa Claus has a warm fur coat to his toes. Santa Claus has a short jacket.

4. Fur coat color

Santa Claus' fur coat can be red, blue or even white (colors associated with frost - Ed). Santa Claus only has red.

5. Staff

Santa Claus holds a staff in his hands. Santa Claus is holding a bag of gifts.

6. Belt

Santa Claus has a white belt. Santa Claus has a belt with a buckle.

7. Shoes

Santa Claus has white felt boots. Santa Claus has black boots.

8. Glasses

Santa Claus has poor eyesight and wears glasses. Santa Claus sees well, so he doesn’t have any glasses.

9. Vehicle

Classic Santa Claus moves on foot. Modern - in a sleigh drawn by three horses. Santa Claus rides in a cart pulled by reindeer.

10. Assistants

Grandfather Frost is helped by his granddaughter Snegurochka. Elves work for Santa Claus.

By the way, the Christian Saint Nicholas is considered the prototype of Father Frost and Santa Claus. He lived a long time ago in the Turkish city of Mira and was a good miracle worker and persecutor of evil, the patron of kidnapped and lost children. In Russia, Nikolai Ugodnik became one of the most beloved saints by the people. Simple peasants prayed to him for help if a cow fell ill, there was no rain for a long time, or some other misfortune occurred. Gradually, St. Nicholas in Western countries began to be called in English - Santa Claus. But in Russia the translation of the saint’s name was given in a very unique way. The whole point is that in Soviet years religious symbols were actively supplanted and, according to the resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1937, the saint was replaced by a character named Father Frost () NEW YEAR'S SHOPPING

By the way, the Christian Saint Nicholas is considered the prototype of Father Frost and Santa Claus. He lived a long time ago in the Turkish city of Mira and was a good miracle worker and persecutor of evil, the patron of kidnapped and lost children. In Russia, Nikolai Ugodnik became one of the most beloved saints by the people. Simple peasants prayed to him for help if a cow fell ill, there was no rain for a long time, or some other misfortune occurred. Gradually, St. Nicholas in Western countries began to be called in English - Santa Claus. But in Russia the translation of the saint’s name was given in a very unique way. The thing is that during the Soviet years, religious symbols were actively supplanted and, according to the resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1937, the saint was replaced by a character named Father Frost ()

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Gift sets, trips to hot countries, plastic windows, building materials... Whatever your heart desires! And all this at a discount! Look for bargains

Russian folklore is full of interesting creatures that people have believed in for centuries, and perhaps millennia.

Santa Claus belongs to the category of traditional entities; they believed in him back in pre-Christian era. But it had nothing to do with the New Year in its original form.

When did Santa Claus appear?

Before Peter the Great, with his decree to celebrate the New Year in winter, from 1700 the holiday fell on September, and with the transition to new way the winter frosty spirit found itself at the epicenter of the solemn events and was simply obliged to lead them. Since then, Santa Claus has not only filled the forests with snow to protect the trees from freezing, he has not only frozen bad people and gave gifts to the good, but also became a symbol of the main extravaganza of the year.

The custom of celebrating the New Year in winter was taken by Peter from Europe, and Father Frost took on the role of Santa Claus. Today, many people even confuse these two characters. However, what about winter wizards? different cultures Are they really different from each other?

Where did the image of Santa Claus come from?

So, everything is relatively clear with Santa Claus; the spirit of winter came from ancient pagan beliefs. However, where did Santa Claus come from? As the name suggests, St. Claus (Nicholas) is a Christian saint who originally gave things to the poor, and was introduced to Christmas in 1823 - the reason for this was the work of Clement Moore. The character's popularity came in the 1840s, when he was celebrated as the spirit of Christmas everywhere. Initially, he was not always depicted in red clothes; the kind old man was often depicted in light robes.

Father Frost and Santa - similarities and differences

So, Santa Claus is originally a pagan character who personifies the forces of winter nature. Over time, he became exceptionally kind and began to give New Year's gifts- first of all for children, to appear with Snegurochka - granddaughter, also endowed with magical powers. Santa Claus never comes on New Year's Day. The saint appears on Christmas, surrounded by forest elves, often on a reindeer sleigh loaded with gifts. Santa Claus uses three horses, or comes on foot.

In the days when the Catholic world is looking forward to everyone’s beloved and long-awaited Christmas, it’s time to talk about the Russian Father Frost and highlight the main differences from his Western “colleague” Santa Claus. Among the many fairy-tale Russian heroes, people associate only one with a cheerful and joyful holiday - the New Year. This character is known to our compatriots and the rest of the world under the name Father Frost. Here are some of the most interesting facts about him, as well as the main differences between him and Santa Claus.

Origin of Santa Claus

Despite his venerable age, Father Frost is in excellent health and endowed with an excellent sense of humor.

He is also known for his active life position, including participation in various charitable activities. Santa Claus appears at many major events, charging everyone with a positive attitude.

Of course, Santa Claus takes part mainly in winter events. This year, one of the main events in his life was the Winter Olympics in Sochi.

Father Frost took an active part in organizing the 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The character of Father Frost claimed to become a symbol of the Winter Olympics in Sochi.

However, on the eve of the decisive vote, the jury excluded Santa Claus from further participation in the fight for the title of symbol of the Winter Olympics, explaining it this way: if he wins, the traditional symbol of the New Year for Russian people would become the property of the IOC (International Olympic Committee), this automatically happens with all mascots of the games .

This year, Santa Claus, along with many celebrities, passed the bucket test ice water(Ice Bucket Challenge).

This campaign was organized in the form of a flash mob, in which participants doused themselves with a bucket of ice water and then made a donation to funds to combat various ailments.
Residence of Father Frost in Russia

7. Residence

If you want to meet the “real”, “official” and “only” Russian Father Frost, go to the Vologda region, to the city of Veliky Ustyug. It is there that the fabulous old man lives in his magnificent estate.

Located a thousand kilometers northeast of Moscow, the summer residence of Father Frost is hidden in a dense forest. Children associate this place with performing the most cherished desires. The residence is open to visitors all year round.

This place has a fun and charming atmosphere and offers a variety of activities for the whole family.
The birthplace of Santa Claus

The birthplace of Santa Claus is considered to be Lapland or the immediate vicinity of the North Pole. It is there that Santa Claus's main assistants live - little fairy-tale elves, without whom Santa Claus' activities would be much more troublesome and difficult.
Santa Claus's birthday

8. Happy birthday, Santa Claus

Every year on November 18, Father Frost celebrates his birthday on a grand scale, organizing a real celebration on his estate in Veliky Ustyug. Many people, both the youngest and adults who believe in miracles, come to Russia to congratulate the most famous grandfather.

On his birthday, which is also considered the beginning of winter in this region, Father Frost receives many guests from all over the world. Thus, once a year he receives gifts from those to whom he usually gives them himself.

This year there was a joyful and happy holiday, which broke the country's record for mass game in the snow.

Although winter came to the Vologda region quite late, and this year on November 18 there was no abundance of snow, 412 people took part in the celebration of the birthday of Father Frost and in the traditional snowball fight. The figure was included in the Russian Book of Records.
Santa Claus Birthday

9. Letter to Santa Claus

If you want your wishes to come true for Christmas and New Year, don't forget to write a letter to Santa Claus!

Every year he receives about 200,000 letters from Russia, as well as from countries near and far abroad. Since he opened his own official post office, he was able to read and respond to 2,660,523 letters.

It is quite possible that your letter may be the next one, and it is you who will receive an answer from Santa Claus himself. And if you are very lucky, you can become the lucky owner of a gift from a fairy-tale grandfather.
Letter to Santa Claus

Children write letters to Santa Claus just as willingly as to Santa Claus. In their letters, the kids tell him about their lives, and also turn to the magical grandfather with a request for what they would like to receive on Christmas night.

Despite many differences, Father Frost and Santa Claus have one thing in common: both fairy tale character are the main animated symbols of the Christmas and New Year holidays.

Both Santa Claus and his Western “colleague” give people joy, smiles and good mood.

Good afternoon, friends. There are a few hours left until the new year. People all over the world are in a festive mood and expecting some kind of miracle. An indispensable attribute of the New Year in the countries of the former Soviet Union is Father Frost and his companion, Snegurochka. But, on the streets and in store windows, we increasingly see not Santa Claus, but Santa Claus. How did I determine that it was Santa?

How does Father Frost differ from Santa Claus in appearance? According to many people, they are almost the same. Both of them wear red warm clothes. Both have gray beards and arrive on sleighs. But not everything is as simple as it seems at first glance. In fact, there are differences between them. Let's look at which ones.

Santa Claus and Santa Claus difference

Origin

I think most of you guess that the prototype of Santa is one of the main Christian saints, Nicholas the Wonderworker. He is especially revered in Rus'. Christians generally believe that he secretly helps the poor part of the population. Hence, Catholics chose him for the role of the Christmas character who secretly puts gifts under the Christmas tree for children.

Father Frost, unlike Santa, is a fairy-tale character. Its origin comes from the Slavic pagan mythology. The Slavs believed that he patronized blizzards, frost, cold and one of the parts other world. Time passed, the image of the formidable winter deity disappeared, and the character himself became a kind grandfather who distributes gifts on Christmas Day. New Year. The Snow Maiden is a mythical character from a fairy tale by V. Dahl. But, if you look deeper, the image of the granddaughter of Santa Claus came from Slavic paganism.

Clothes colors

Santa wears clothes in red- white. These colors in the West symbolize Christmas. Red - Christmas joy. White - symbolizes snow, winter in general, purity.

Grandfather Frost wears not only a red fur coat, but also a blue one, and can wear a white one. Frost's fur coat is not a uniform red color. It is covered with various winter iridescent patterns. The Snow Maiden wears a white (she can wear red), rather elegant, beautiful fur coat, on which all sorts of winter patterns are also applied.

Character clothing

In Western Europe and the USA, severe frosty days are missing, hence Klaus puts on a short red caftan. The bottom of the caftan has a fur trim. On his belt, Santa wears a wide leather belt with a large plaque. He usually wears white gloves on his hands. When Klaus takes off his sheepskin coat, we see that he is wearing a warm blouse, shirt and trousers.

But Santa Claus can’t dress like that, because... in the harsh conditions of the Russian winter, such clothing does not provide much warmth. From here, grandfather puts on a long fur coat that reaches his feet. Grandfather’s belt is white or red, covered with patterns. He has warm mittens on his hands, also covered with patterns. When some child does not listen to his grandfather, he touches him with his mitten, and the child freezes. Grandfather wears a beautiful Russian caftan under his fur coat. Grandfather rarely takes off his fur coat.

The Snow Maiden is dressed in a beautiful white, silver, red fur coat, surrounded by a beautiful belt. Under her fur coat, the granddaughter wears a snow-white, very beautiful sundress.

Santa and Father Frost hats

Santa wears a red hat with a white pompom on his head. He has a cheerful personality and a cap like this looks great on him. Grandfather Frost has a strict but fair character. When children behave incorrectly at a New Year's party, a strict grandfather can punish them by freezing them!

Grandfather's hat is the same color as his fur coat. It is made of fur. There are rumors that under his cap there are various birds, flowers, and grass. He hides them there so that they don't freeze in winter. Grandfather never wears a Santa hat, especially one with a pompom. The Snow Maiden wears a very beautiful kokoshnik made of silver, snow and various precious stones. Sometimes she is simply dressed in a red, blue, or white fur hat to match her grandfather.

Character shoes

Santa, as a rule, wears ordinary black leather boots. For the climate of Russia, such shoes are not suitable in winter. Hence, grandfather puts on beautiful red (white) winter boots, embroidered with patterns. Or, simple felt boots, also embroidered winter patterns. The Snow Maiden wears light, elegant felt boots, embroidered with patterns, or silver (red), stylish boots with fur inside.

Working tools

Santa Claus holds in his hands a silver, or crystal, fairy staff with a carved knob. This staff is magical. With this staff he can freeze both bad people and animals. He can use it to defrost good people and turn simple thing into a valuable one. In addition, the grandfather uses his staff to light the lights on the Christmas tree and with the help of it he makes the children’s wishes come true. Behind his back is a red or blue bag with gifts.

Santa often carries a staff shaped like a rounded "G" sign. Catholic bishops carry similar staffs. Nicholas the Wonderworker was also a bishop. In addition, red and white candies in this form are popular there. He also has a red bag of gifts behind his back.

Figure

Santa appears to be a middle-aged man with a heavy build, short stature, and a stocky build. When Klaus stands next to the Snow Maiden, we see that she is half a head taller than him. And if you take into account the Snow Maiden’s kokoshnik, then it’s on her head. Interesting couple.

Grandfather Frost has the figure of a tall and stately man. By appearance, he resembles a hero from Russian epics. Perhaps the excellent figure of the grandfather can be explained by his habit of walking through the forest on foot or on skis with forest animals.

Beard

Typically, Santa Claus has a spade-shaped, rounded beard. Santa Claus has a long, thick beard, below the waist. Almost all men in our country used to wear similar beards. Moreover, than older man, the longer the beard. Such a long beard on a person symbolizes wisdom. According to legend, Santa Claus is several centuries old. Maybe thousands of years. Therefore, his beard sometimes reaches the ground.

Assistants

Klaus has wood elves as his assistants. They look at the children's addresses, prepare gifts, and choose which child to deliver this or that gift to. In general, they help in any way they can to prepare for Santa for Christmas. Santa travels on a sleigh with reindeer, usually alone. He also distributes gifts alone.

But Santa Claus prefers to travel with his granddaughter. During times Soviet Union, at the end of the Revolution, the Soviet government began to arrange new year holidays for kids. But some of the children were afraid of the huge Grandfather Frost. Therefore, the authorities took the “Snow Maiden”, affectionate and kind, from Dahl’s fairy tale. As already mentioned, her image comes from the ancient paganism of the Slavs. She also gives gifts to the children, makes them laugh, and leads round dances.

Vision

Klaus almost always wears round-framed glasses. Perhaps this is due to the fact that Santa reads a lot of letters from children whose handwriting is not clear.

Grandfather Frost also reads a lot of children's letters. Moreover, he has a very impressive age. But despite this, his vision is fine. Maybe this is because the Snow Maiden helps him read his letters. Santa, as a rule, reads letters alone. Also, the bunnies often let Frost eat carrots. And everyone knows that carrots help preserve vision.

Transport

Klaus lives in Lapland, which, as we know, is a habitat for reindeer. Therefore, Santa prefers to ride on a sleigh pulled by reindeer.

Grandfather Frost, according to Russian tradition, brings gifts on three horses. Also, he often walks in the forest. At the same time, the Snow Maiden helps him, taking his arm. In addition, on Soviet postcards Grandfather was also depicted traveling on trains, planes, and, interestingly, on space rockets.

How gifts are delivered

As we know from Hollywood films, Santa prefers to enter the house through the chimney. He returns the same way. Gifts are placed in children's boots or their little socks. Waking up in the morning, the child rejoices at the gifts. And why shouldn’t he be happy, because he doesn’t need to read poems or sing songs.

Grandfather Frost prefers to knock loudly on the door and demand from the child a poem, a song, or a story about how he behaved in last year. After this, the grandfather gives the child a gift. But when the grandfather cannot stay in the house for a long time, he quietly puts the gift under the Christmas tree and secretly leaves.

Place of residence

As we know, Klaus lives in Finland, in the Lapland region, in the Arctic. Lapland also includes parts of Sweden and Russia. According to official data, his house is located eight kilometers north of Rovaniemi. Not far from his residence there is an airport and amusement parks. People visit these places throughout the year.

Place of residence of Father Frost, Bolshoy Ustyug, Vologda region (since the late nineties). Until this moment, grandfather lived in Russian Lapland, and in Arkhangelsk. The Belarusian grandfather lives in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Now grandfather has his representative offices in Moscow and Murmansk.

We saw the differences between these New Year's characters. But they also have something in common. They love children very much and with all sincerity want to create an atmosphere of fun, joy, and New Year's mood for the children!

The most important holiday of the year is ahead and the children are looking forward to good grandfather Frost. But there are more and more Santa Clauses on TV and in stores, but they are trying to forget our real Santa Claus? Some may think this is stupid, like, what are the differences between Father Frost and Santa Claus? But in reality this is not the case. They have differences, and the most important thing is that Santa Claus is our traditions, history and our identity!

Origin

The prototype of Santa Claus was the famous Catholic and Orthodox saint - St. Nicholas. IN Orthodox tradition he is usually called Nikolai Ugodnik. Catholics and Orthodox believe that Nikolai Ugodnik secretly helps poor people, which is why he was chosen for such a responsible position as distributing gifts. But Santa Claus is a character who has pagan origin. In mythology Eastern Slavs Frost was considered the patron saint of winter cold and the other world. But over time the image pagan god erased from memory, and the formidable Frost turned into a kind grandfather. Granddaughter of the grandfather, the Snow Maiden is a character in the author's fairy tale written by V. Dahl.

Color range

Western Santa traditionally dresses in red and white. These are the colors in Western Europe symbolize Christmas: red is a symbol of joy. And white color is a symbol of snow, winter, calm and peace. But the domestic grandfather has several options for a winter caftan: blue, red and white. Our ancestral Grandfather’s sheepskin coat is not plain, but covered with carved patterns. And his granddaughter matches him, in an elegant fur coat of the same color.

Headdress

Western Santa wears a pompom hat. He has a cheerful disposition, and therefore such a hat suits Santa. But our Grandfather is strict, but fair: if the children behave badly at the Christmas tree, he can freeze them! And he wears a headdress that matches his cool character and severe frosts: a warm fur hat. They say that under his hat he wears delicate grass and flowers so that they do not freeze in winter, and he can also warm the birds there. It is impossible to imagine our Father Frost in a jester's cap, and even with a pompom. And the granddaughter of such a serious grandfather wears an elegant kokoshnik - an old Russian headdress for women and girls.

Warm clothes

There are no severe frosts in the West, so Santa usually wears a short red sheepskin coat with fur trim. But. If Santa Claus dressed like that, he would definitely freeze. That's why traditional clothes our grandfather is a long, toe-length, warm sheepskin coat made of natural fur. And the old man must wear warm mittens on his hands. If a grandfather touches a naughty child with such a mitten, the baby will immediately freeze. Under his short fur coat, Santa Claus wears ordinary European clothes: a warm jacket, shirt and trousers. And our grandfather has an old Russian caftan under his fur coat. But he never takes off his fur coat and mittens, even during fun games with the guys.

Winter shoes

Santa has ordinary leather boots on his feet. But for Russia this option, of course, is not suitable. Despite the fact that in lately Severe frosts are rare, and the Russian Grandfather continues to wear felt boots according to tradition. And the Snow Maiden usually sports elegant boots with heels, because she is much younger than her grandfather and is known as a fashionista. Father Frost's felt boots are large, size "forty-five extendable." When grandfather walks through the forest with a bag over his shoulders, the creaking of snow under his massive shoes can be heard from afar.

Hairstyle

Santa Claus has a small, neat white beard, like a teacher, doctor or elderly university professor. And Santa Claus has a large, thick beard, approximately the same as what both boyars and peasants wore in Rus' before Peter the Great. IN Slavic culture A beard is traditionally considered a symbol of wisdom, so children and adults treat the fairy-tale old man with respect. Children sometimes simply call a Western grandfather “Santa,” but our grandfather does not tolerate such familiarity. He loves to be addressed respectfully: “Grandfather Frost” or “Moroz Ivanovich.”

Build

Santa Claus is a middle-aged man, dense, stocky and short in stature. If you put him next to the Russian Snow Maiden, Santa will barely reach her shoulders. Funny couple! And our Grandfather Frost is always tall and stately. He reminds me of something epic hero or a giant. Probably good physical fitness Moroz Ivanovich is explained by the fact that he moves not only in a troika, but also likes to walk through the forest on foot or ski or skate with his forest helper friends. If you compare the ages of two grandfathers, any Santa Claus will visually look years...ten years older than any Santa.

Vision

Western Santa invariably wears round, thin-framed glasses. This is probably because he often has to read letters with incomprehensible childish scribbles. But our grandfather, despite constantly reading children’s letters and his advanced age, managed to preserve his eyesight and does not need glasses. However, perhaps this is because his beloved granddaughter reads children’s letters to him, and Santa has to cope alone. Or maybe Santa Claus is often treated to carrots by his hare assistants, which is why he retained his keen eyes into old age.

Accompanying persons

Santa Claus usually travels alone. But Father Frost is always accompanied by his granddaughter, Snegurochka. When children's Christmas trees began to be held again in the Soviet Union for the first time after the revolution, many children were afraid of the big and loud Santa Claus. So they came up with a kind granddaughter for him - an affectionate and sweet girl from V. Dahl’s fairy tale “The Snow Maiden”. The image of the Snow Maiden, like the image of Father Frost, goes back to the ancient Slavic religion - paganism. To be convinced of this, it is enough to recall the plot of Rimsky-Korsakov’s popular opera “The Snow Maiden”.

Magic staff

Santa Claus will not take a step without his famous staff in the shape of a rounded letter “L”. In the West, lollipops of the same shape with red and white stripes are very popular. The exact same staff is traditionally worn by Catholic bishops. But the staff of Santa Claus is a straight stick with a figured knob. It's essentially a magic wand. With its help, a fairytale Grandfather can freeze a naughty child, light the lights on a festive Christmas tree, or fulfill any child’s wish.

Transport

Santa Claus is “registered” in Lapland, and this northern region is famous for its reindeer. It is on them that the Western Grandfather travels. And one of his reindeer even became famous, becoming the hero of cartoons and children's songs - this is Rudolph, the deer with a crane nose. The domestic Father Frost rides a dashing troika of nameless horses or travels through the forest on foot, and his beloved granddaughter carefully leads him by the arm. However, in Soviet-era postcards, kind Grandfather was often depicted on a train, plane, or even on board spaceship, because progress does not stand still.

Gift delivery method

Santa Claus enters the house secretly through the chimney. He leaves in the same way, “in English,” quietly placing the gift in the baby’s sock or boot. In the morning, children wake up and rejoice at gifts. It’s very convenient, and grandpa doesn’t have to read poems or sing songs. And our Santa Claus knocks loudly on the door and demands from the child a poem, a song or a report on good behavior throughout the year. Only then is the gift solemnly presented. If Grandfather cannot stay in the house for a long time, he quietly puts the gift under the tree.

But in one thing both fairy-tale characters are similar: they love children and sincerely want to bring them joy, fun, and faith in miracles.

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