Gift Bringers from Around the World
Santa Claus / Father Christmas in different Countries
Although Santa Claus/Father Christmas is the best known Christmas gift bringer, there are many different present givers in different countries around the world. Santa's also called different things in different countries! Here are some of them!
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Afghanistan: Baba Chaghaloo
Albania: Babadimri
Argentina: Papá Noel (Father Christmas), El Niño Diós (the baby Jesus), Reyes Magos (The Three Kings)
Armenia: Gaghant Baba / Kaghand Papa (Father Christmas or Father New Year) and Dzmer Pap[ik] / Ձմեռ Պապ (Winter Father/Grandfather)
Austria: Christkind (a little angel like person)
Azerbaijan: Şaxta baba (Grandfather Frost)
Belarus: Sviaty Mikalaj / Святы Мікалай (St. Nicholas) & Dzied Maroz (or Ded Moroz) / Дзед Мароз (Father Frost)
Belgium: Sinterklaas/St. Niklaas (Flemish) or 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: Дядо Коледа / Dyado Koleda (Grandfather Christmas)
Canada: Santa Claus, Père Noël (Father Christmas)
Chile: Viejito Pascuero (Christmas old man)
China: Shengdan laoren (Traditional: 聖誕老人, Simplified: 圣诞老人; means Old Christmas Man)
Colombia: Niño Dios (Baby Jesus)
Costa Rica: Niño dios (Child God, meaning Jesus) & Colacho (another name for St. Nicholas)
Croatia: Djed Božičnjak (Grandfather Christmas)
Czechia / Czech Republic: Svatý Mikuláš (St. Nicholas) and Ježíšek (the Christ child)
Denmark: Julemanden (Christmas Man)
Ecuador: Papa Noel
Egypt: Baba Noël
Estonia: Jõuluvana (Yule Elder)
Ethiopia: Amharic: Yágena Abãt (Christmas Father)
Finland: Joulupukki (Santa Claus) - well he does live in Lapland in Finland!
France: Père Noël (Father Christmas)
Georgia: თოვლის ბაბუა, თოვლის პაპა / Tovlis Babua, Tovlis Papa (Snow Grandfather)
Germany: Weihnachtsmann (Christmas Man) & Christkind (a little angel like person)
Greece: Aghios Vassilis / Άγιος Βασίλης (Saint Basil)
Haiti: Tonton Nwèl
Hungary: Mikulás (Nicholas) / Télapó (Old Man Winter) & Jézuska (the Christ child)
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
Iran: Baba Noel
Iraq: Baba Noel / Vader Kersfees
Ireland: San Nioclás' (Saint Nicholas) & Daidí na Nollag (Father Christmas)
Italy: Babbo Natale (Santa Claus) or La Befana (an old woman) or The Three Kings (parts of northern Italy)
Japan: Santa Claus who's known as: サンタさん 'Santa-san (Mr Santa)' or サンタクロース 'Santa-Kurosu (Santa Claus)'
Kazakhstan: Ayaz Ata (Snow Father/Father Frost/Grandfather Frost)
Latvia: Ziemassvētku vecītis (Christmas old man)
Lithuania: Senis Šaltis (Old Man Frost) & Kalėdų Senelis (Christmas Grandfather)
Lebanon: Baba Noël
Malta: San Niklaw (St. Nicholas)
Mexico: El Niñito Dios (baby Jesus), Los Reyes Magos (The Three Wise Men) & Santo Clós (Santa Claus)
Mongolia: Uvliin Uvuu or Uvliin Uvgun (Winter Grandpa or Winter Old Man)
The Netherlands: Sinterklaas (St. Nicholas) & Kerstman (Christmas Man)
New Zealand: Hana Kōkō (Santa Claus in Māori)
North Macedonia: Дедо Мраз / Dedo Mraz
Norway: Julenissen (Santa Claus) or 'Nisse' (Small Gnomes)
Pakistan: Christmas Baba
Peru: Papá Noel
Philippines: Santa Klaus
Poland: Swiety Mikolaj (St. Nicholas), Dziadek Mróz (Ded Moroz/Grandfather Frost), Gwiazdor (the Starman), Dzieciątko (the Baby Jesus), Aniołek (Little Angel), Gwiazdka (Little Star)
Portugal: Pai Natal (Father Christmas)
Puerto Rico: The Three Kings / Magi
Romania: Sfantul Nicolae (St Nicholas), Moş Nicolae (Old Man Nicholas), Moş Crăciun (Old Man Christmas), Moş Gerilă (Old Man Frost)
Russia: Дед Мороз / Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost) / Dedoushka (Grandfather in Russian) or Babushka (an old woman - although this is 'western' than actually Russian!)
Serbia: Дедa Мрaз / Deda Mraz (Grandfather Frost), Божић Бата / Božić Bata (Christmas Brother)
Seychelles: Santa Claus / Papa Noël
Slovakia: Svätý Mikuláš (Saint Nicholas) / Ježíško (the Christ child)
Slovenia: Sveti Miklavž or Sveti Nikolaj (Saint Nicholas) / Božiček or Dedek Mraz (Grandfather Winter); Božiček on December 24 and Dedek Mraz on December 31!
South Africa: Sinterklaas (St Nicholas) / Kersvader (Father Christmas)
South Korea: 산타 클로스 (santa kullosu), 산타 할아버지 (Santa Grandfather)
Spain: Los tres Reyes Mages (The Three Magic King / Magi) & Papá Noel (Father Christmas); in Catalonia the gift bringer is Tió de Nadal, a Christmas log with a face on it!; In the Basque country, the gift bringer is Olentzero, a big man who wears a beret and smokes a pipe.
Sri Lanka: Naththal Seeya
Sweden: Jultomten (Santa) & Nissar / Tomte (Christmas Gnomes/Elves)
Switzerland: Samichlaus (St. Nicholas) or the baby Jesus or Befana (South Switzerland) or the Three Kings
Syria: Baba Noël & The Smallest Camel
Tajikistan: Бобо Барфи / Bobo Barfi (Grandpa Snow)
Turkey: Noel Baba (Santa Claus)
Ukraine: Svyatyy Mykolay (St. Nicholas) & Did Moroz / Дід Мороз (Grandfather Frost)
United Kingdom: Father Christmas (inter-changeable with Santa Claus), Wales: Siôn Corn (Chimney John)
USA: Santa Claus, Hawaii: Kanakaloka
Uzbekistan: Qor bobo (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)
Last Updated: | Sources Information