13 Different Names for Santa Claus Around the World

By Matt Alderton December 14, 2019 December 14, 2019

bestlifeonline.com/different-names-for-santa-claus

One could argue that the most recognizable figure in America isn't a famous actor, pop

star, or athlete, but rather a timeless Christmas legend. That's right, we're talking about

Santa Claus, a magical man whose name is as well known as his countenance—and the long

white beard that covers it. And when you add in the red suit, the sack of presents slung over

his shoulder, and the fact that his preferred mode of transportation is a sleigh powered by

flying reindeer, it's clear that Santa is utterly unmistakable. But though he may look similar

around the world—with certain exceptions, of course—in other countries, he answers to

some very different names. You likely know a few of his aliases already, like Saint Nick and

Kris Kringle, but there are so many more. So, join us on our journey to learn 13 different

names for Santa Claus around the world!

The Netherlands: Sinterklaas

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The Dutch name for Santa—Sinterklaas—sort of sounds familiar, right? That because it's

where we got the name Santa Claus from in the first place. Since the 11th century, the

Netherlands has been celebrating Saint Nicholas, or Sinterklass in Dutch, a 4th-century

bishop who was the patron saint of children and sailors. And when Dutch settlers came to

the United States, they brought their customs with them—including the story of Saint Nick,

who is said to have arrived by boat from Spain every year on Dec. 5 to leave treats for

Dutch children in their shoes. In America, Sinterklaas became Santa Claus.

And funnily enough, our Americanized version of the character eventually traveled back to

Holland under the name Kerstman, or "Christmas man," which means the children of The

Netherlands now have two gift-giving visitors to look forward to every year!

Germany: Christkind

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The name Christkind may also ring a distant bell to you. Perhaps you've heard of the

Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt, a famous holiday market in Southern Germany. Or maybe

it's because it sounds like Kris Kringle, which is where the latter name comes from. The

same way Americans turned Sinterklaas into Santa Claus, they turned the German name

Christkind into Kris Kringle. Like the Dutch, Germans had long associated Christmas with

Saint Nicholas.

In the 15th century, however, Protestant reformer Martin Luther decided he wanted

Christmas to be more about Jesus Christ and less about Catholic saints. He therefore

established a new narrative in which children received Christmas gifts from the baby Jesus

—the Christkind, which translates literally to "the Christ child." Because people had a hard

time imagining a baby traveling around leaving gifts, Christkind eventually came to

represent an angelic girl who possessed what Christians believed to be Christ-like qualities.

To this day, people in parts of southern Germany and its surrounding regions—including

Austria and parts of Switzerland—still receive gifts from Christkind. But that's not the only

name Santa is known by in Deutschland.

Germany: Weihnachtsmann

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In some parts of Germany, Santa Claus is more commonly referred to as Weihnachtsmann,

or "the Christmas man." Like Christkind, Weihnachtsmann evolved as an alternative to

Saint Nicholas, who was considered most closely associated with the Catholic faith. But

Christkind was still a name with religious meaning, which non-religious Germans wanted

to avoid, so they created a more secular figure, Weihnachtsmann, who is basically a

German adaptation of Santa Claus in America.

England: Father Christmas

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English may be the shared language of the United States and England, but we all know

there are many differences in the way it's spoken. There are also different meanings behind

certain words, depending on which country you're in. In England, for example, french fries

are "chips," elevators are "lifts," and cookies are "biscuits." The vocabulary divide is also

evident at Christmastime, when people in the U.K. celebrate the arrival of Father

Christmas, a name that is to Santa Claus what "flats" are to apartments—two different

words, same meaning.

And yet, Father Christmas actually comes from a very different set of traditions. When the

Germanic Saxons came to England in the 5th and 6th centuries, they personified winter in

the form of a figure known as King Frost. And later, when the Vikings arrived, they brought

their ideas about the Norse god Odin, considered to be father of all the gods, who had a

long white beard and was known for distributing goods to people he deemed worthy. When

Father Christmas was born into English lore, he was constructed using pieces of both King

Frost and Odin, among other ancient figures.

Latin America: Papá Noel

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Spain and many other Spanish-speaking countries—including Mexico, Argentina, and Peru

—also have a Father Christmas, a name that in Spanish translates to Papá Noel. Despite

the name being Spanish in language, however, Papá Noel is a decidedly American import,

as the original holiday gift-givers in Spanish culture were the three kings ("Los Reyes

Magos"). It was believed they presented gifts to baby Jesus in the manger, and in that

tradition, they are said to still bring gifts to Spanish children today.

Latin America: Niño Jesús

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Latin America is a lot like Germany: There's a secular Santa—Papá Noel—but also a

religious alternative for those of the Christian faith: Niño Jesús, or Niño Dios. Like

Christkind in Germany, Niño Jesús—who is especially popular in countries like Colombia,

Bolivia, and Costa Rica (pictured here)—is a personification of the baby Jesus. But while

the Germans eventually made their version of young Jesus an angelic child, in Latin

America, they remain committed to the original concept: a magic infant who delivers

presents to good boys and girls.

China: Dun Che Lao Ren

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Of course, Santa Claus doesn't limit himself to the Western world. In China, for example,

there's Dun Che Lao Ren, which translates roughly to "Christmas Old Man." Though it's a

small population, the Christians in China celebrate Christmas Day, which they call Sheng

Dan Jieh, meaning "Holy Birth Festival." Children hang stockings in hopes of receiving

gifts from Dun Che Lao Ren, who's also known as Lan Khoong-Khoong, which translates to

"Nice Old Father."

Japan: Hoteiosho and Santa Kurohsu

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Japan has not one, but two Santa Clauses. The first, Santa Kurohsu, is a Japanese

interpretation of the American Santa. Thanks to a 1970s marketing campaign that has

forever joined Christmas with KFC in the Japanese consciousness, he is sometimes

confused with fried chicken icon Colonel Sanders. (Yes, really.)

The second, Hoteiosho, is a gift-giving Buddhist monk who comes on New Year's Eve,

which is more like Christmas in Japan than actual Christmas. He's just as round as Santa

and just as jolly, but he has one thing Santa doesn't: Eyes in the back of his head that allow

him to see when Japanese children are misbehaving.

Russia: Ded Moroz

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In Russia, Santa goes by the name Ded Moroz, which translates to "Grandfather Frost." It's

believed he descended from Morozko, a pagan "ice demon" who froze his enemies and

kidnapped children, but later morphed into the more gentle character of Ded Moroz, who's

now believed to be a kind figure who gives gifts to kids instead. But he looks and does

things a tad differently than other Santas: The tall, slender figure wears blue, not red, and

comes out on New Year's Eve, not Christmas Eve. Ded Moroz also prefers to ride horses

over reindeer, and instead of elves as his assistants, he has his granddaughter, an Elsa-

esque snow maiden named Snegurochka.

Norway: Julenissen

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In Norway, Saint Nick looks more like one of Santa's elves than Santa Claus himself. That's

because the Norwegian Santa, called Julenissen, is a "nisse"—a mischievous gnome with a

long beard and a red hat, who is responsible for protecting superstitious farmers and their

farmsteads in Scandinavian folklore. "Jul" (think "Yule") is the Norwegian word for

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Christmas, so Julenissen literally translates to "Christmas gnome." And he not only brings

gifts, but also plays Christmas pranks! A similar character exists in Sweden and Denmark,

where he's known as Jultomte and Julemand, respectively.

Iceland: Jólasveinar

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Iceland is another county where Santa takes on the form of a gnome, but in this Nordic

nation, there are 13 of them! Called Jólasveinar, which is Icelandic for "Yule Lads," they're

a merry but mischievous band of trolls who might be compared to Snow White's seven

dwarves. Like the Disney princess' dutiful helpers, each Yule Lad has his own distinct

personality. There's Stubby, for example, who steals food from frying pans; Window

Peeper, who likes to peek in open windows; Door Slammer, who keeps people awake by

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slamming doors; and Sausage Swiper, who steals unguarded sausages. For the 13 days

leading up to Christmas, the Yule Lads take turns visiting children, who leave their shoes

on the windowsill in hopes they'll find them filled with treasures when they wake. Good

children receive candy, while naughty ones get rotting potatoes.

Finland: Joulupukki

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Instead of a gnome, Finland has a Christmas goat, or Joulupukki. Joulupukki, it is

believed, was borne out of the pagan mid-winter festival known as Yule, during which

young men dressed as goats—with fur jackets, masks, and horns—would travel from house

to house, terrorizing each home's occupants while demanding food and alcohol. Known as

Nuuttipukki, these young men would resort to scaring children if they didn't get what they

wanted.

When Christianity arrived in Finland during the Middle Ages, the legend of Saint Nicholas

somehow collided with Nuuttipukki lore. The result was Joulupukki, who is not actually a

goat, but rather a Finnish Santa Claus who travels door to door visiting children like the

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Nuuttipukki did, but giving them gifts instead of grief.

Greece: Agios Vasilios

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The Greek equivalent of Santa Claus is called Agios Vasilios. As in many other countries

besides the U.S., he comes on New Year's Eve instead of Christmas Eve, delivering gifts for

children to open on New Year's Day. But his schedule isn't the only thing that makes Agios

Vasilios different from Santa in the States; his lineage is also unique.

Agios Vasilios is Greek for "Saint Basil," who is a saint of the Greek Orthodox church,

unlike Catholicism's Saint Nicholas. According to church lore, Saint Basil began his career

as a lawyer, but eventually left law in order to devote his life to the church, ultimately

becoming a bishop. Upon joining the church, he gave away all of his possessions and

devoted his life to the poor, for whom he developed a number of charitable projects,

including a soup kitchen and the Basiliad, a shelter and clinic that is considered to be the

world's first hospital. And it's in that tradition of helping the poor that Agios Vasilios is said

to bring gifts to Greek children today!

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