Who brings gifts for Winter holidays in your country?

Question

5 Honorable mentions: 1. Julenissen / Jultomten (Christmas Gnome) 2. Saint Basil The Great / Basil of Caesarea 3. Christkind / Baby Jesus / Christ Child / El Niño Diós 4. Joulupukki / Yule Goat / Julbock / Christmas Goat 5. Saint Lucy / Lucia of Syracuse

BlueCoyote · Accepted Answer

I'm from Switzerland and here it's the Christkind. Like in other European countries, we traditionally celebrate Christmas on the Evening of the 24th.

Parents usually make their children leave the house for a while during the afternoon, so the Christkind can come and drop the gifts (it is supposedly very shy and it needs a calm atmosphere).
When I was a child, my dad used to take me and my siblings on a long winter walk in the forest. During this time, the Christkind (aka my mom who stayed home) laid the gifts under the Christmas tree.
I always loved coming home cold and tired from those walks to a warm, cozy living room with cookies on the table and lots of gifts underneath the tree. In Switzerland we use real tress (spruce-fir) and real candles. The Christkind also used to light the candles while we were gone, so it felt even more festive.

Fun fact:
We also have a Santa Claus in Switzerland (called Samichlaus) but he's quite different from the American dude.
First of all, he traditionally comes on the 6th of December, not Christmas. Secondly, he walks everywhere, he doesn't have a flying sled and no reindeers either, thirdly, he's got an assistant called Schmutzli ("Knecht Ruprecht" in Germany) who is completely dressed in brown clothing made of jute, which makes him look like a medieval peasant. Most importantly, however, the Swiss Santa isn't very nice. Most children are very scared of him and his assistant. Traditionally, Samichlaus and Schmutzli do bring nuts, chocolates, clementines and gingerbread but they are also responsible for punishing children who haven't behaved well throughout the year. In the old days, naughty children had to bend over and Schmutzli would birch them with a rod. Nowadays this isn't allowed/acceptable anymore, so Samichlaus and his assistant just yell at children who didn't behave and intimidate them.

curiousnorway · Accepted Answer

In my country Norway it's common to have a father Christmas/Santa Claus similar concept where a man dressed in red clothing, has a white beard and who are old looking gives presents. The Santa Claus we've nowadays gives presents to all the children and don't distinguish between nice and naughty children. It's not violent or mean either. People in modern time knows that every children may be wild at some points, because children are children and that's how child psychology works.

There are also a Nordic folklore that some people believed in the past. They believed in short old looking men with long gray beards and red hats sneaking into people's farm. They demanded food (especially in Christmas time) and their favorite meals were porridge. If they didn't get it, they would harm people and animals or ruin the farm. If they received food, they would help the farmer and be peaceful. They didn't give much gifts in Christmas time, but just behaved very nicely if they got their wishes granted and were more open for requests in winter time.

The real explanation on the "fjøsnisse" phenomena is that both farm animals and beggars could eat the food on the farm. It was more common at the pre-1800s time for poor beggars to wander from village to village. So if a beggar wanted food, s/he could just eat it at night inside people's barns.

Who brings gifts for Winter holidays in your country?

AlienParasite · Accepted Answer

DA KINGS

That's the tradition in Spain. Though English movies had spread English culture in other cultures, so for some families Santa Claus bring the all the presents, and some other families split presents and some presents are brought by Santa and the others by The Three Kings. But tradition was just The Kings.

Femdomina · Accepted Answer

In Montenegro we have both Đedo Koleda (Santa Claus for Orthodox Christian Montenegrins), and Đed Mraz (for atheist Montenegrins).

Catacious · Answer

Why isn't "the Capitalist market in Corporate America" an answer?

Bhragu · Answer

In my country, we get gifts only when we work hard in our lives. No freebies are there for kids or anyone else. If anyone is generous, I desire a watch.

HikerDude · Answer

The SJWs banned Christmas during the Obama Administration, so we just sit around and watch crappy "holiday" movies on Amazon Prime.

Zorax · Answer

Grandfather Frost - Djed Mraz in Croatia, but he brings presents only to Atheists like me ;)

Jager66 · Answer

Gee.. it's almost like maybe there is an even older origin story for all these?

NYCQuestions1976 · Answer

Can I sign up for all of the above? I could save so much money.

ImaginativeDreamer · Answer

I'm not religious, so I'm expecting Grandfather Frost to bring me gifts.

-Asca- · Answer

Both Christkind and Saint Nikolaus, they both have their own days.

Xawyx-2 · Answer

When we were in Yugoslavia, it was Djed Mraz (Grandfather Frost). Now, in Croatia, it's Djed Božićnjak (Santa Claus).

RIVERTAY888 · Answer

Fantastic take l get no gifts

Anonymous · Answer

My mum, brother and boyfriend!

omgjassy · Answer

Both sinterklaas and Santa Claus.

Canadaman99 · Answer

My parents aka santa/st nich

weirdoweirdo · Answer

My parents... No, but jultomten...

CaptainSmartass · Answer

Father Christmas brings them. Simples...

Anonymous · Answer

Originally the goat. But now Santa.

pizzalovershouse · Answer

Santa clause

Gedaria · Answer

No body its all a con...

Cookie8888 · Answer

Jultomten does.

Jansetta · Answer

Ayaz Ata.

tartaarsaus · Answer

Sinterklaas

Lgmswolf024 · Answer

Family!!

esotericstory · Answer

Saint Nikolaus.

Anonymous · Answer

My parents

Anonymous · Answer

Satan

Luck4Luck · Answer

None

red_knight · Answer

My dealer

PERSONANONGRATA · Answer

Nobody

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