Goat, witch and kings: who replaces Santa Claus in other countries

Incredible New Year’s traditions from all over the planet. Rods, coal and water – long-awaited Christmas gifts or a misunderstanding under the tree? Who replaces Santa in different countries? And where is a goat expected to visit on Christmas Eve? Talks about this program “Incredibly interesting stories” on REN TV.

Christmas devil in Austria, Switzerland and Germany

Demonic horns, goat hooves, black hair, chains and rods – this is how residents of Austria, Switzerland and southern Germany imagine Santa Claus’s main assistant – Krampus. According to legend, he and his friends eat naughty children in advance so that Santa can save on gifts.

The Christmas devil gives sweets and rods to good kids. They stand in a prominent place all year and remind children of obedience.

“These holidays are also associated with the fact that in the world around people there are not only patron saints, but also those who can interfere, push them to bad deeds. Or punish those who spent a year of their life not in the best way,” – said religious scholar, candidate of philosophical sciences Larisa Mikhailova.

It’s hard to believe, but the Christmas Devil is a hero of pre-Christian folklore. This is what the children of the pagans were waiting for on New Year’s Eve. And then the evil demon was replaced by the ruddy and generous old man Saint Nicholas. Before the European crisis of 2008, Krampus was not even mentioned. But now parents, who do not have enough money for gifts, blame all the blame for the emptiness under the tree on the horned villain and the not-so-good behavior of their children. Didn’t study well all year and didn’t obey? Here’s the result: Krampus stole the gifts.

Kings and Magi – instead of the winter wizard

In Spain, unlike the rest of the world, there is no Santa Claus. There is no Santa Claus here. Instead, three kings or three wise men come to them at Christmas and New Year. The Magi are the same people who were present at the birth of Christ and were the first to bring him gifts. In the same way, they come here to Spain and give everyone candy. That is, they simply scatter candy to everyone.

Witch bringing candy in Italy

In neighboring Italy, instead of Father Frost, the terrible witch Befana comes to the children. On the night from the fifth to the sixth of January, she flies on a broom to every house and gives sweets and candies to obedient children. And the witch leaves coals for the hooligans.

“This kind of coal, carbon, is also sweet, in the form of burnt sugar. But you can break your teeth on it. It is mostly black in color. Sometimes it is red or yellow, but mostly black. It immediately turns your tongue black.”,” shared traveler Natalya Chernysheva.

Each country has its own New Year’s traditions, so Santa Clauses are also very different. In Finland, instead of Santa Claus, there is the Christmas goat Joulupukki, in Estonia – the old man Jouluvana, and in France, Brazil, Argentina and Egypt – Pere-Noel, or Father Christmas. But the most original winter wizard comes to children from Guatemala Chinautla.

Fireman Santa and other unusual winter wizards

Firefighter Santa rappels down to the kids from the 124-meter Las Vacas Bridge. He doesn’t give toys and candy, but drinking water, flour, medicine and vouchers for meals in social canteens. The fact is that Guatemala is the poorest country in Latin America. More than half of the people here do not live, but survive. One in five children goes hungry.

“I myself come from a very large family. Despite all the efforts of my parents, I know what hunger is. At Christmas, the best gift for us was food. On this day we went to church and they fed us there, but the children want more – real miracle”said firefighter Hector Chacon.

Hector Chacón is the chief officer of the municipal fire department of the Chinautla district. It was he who came up with the idea to dress up as Santa the fireman. And for more than 12 years, every year he delivers gifts to children from low-income families. Instead of a decorated Christmas tree there is a railway bridge. It is under this that families gather on Christmas morning to receive donations from charities.

“I like that we don’t just save the lives of these children – we save their smiles. We give them a little happiness and allow them to be children a little more, to believe in a fairy tale.”– shared Hector Chacon.

Santa races in underwear and hats

And the authorities of Budapest decided several years ago that not only children, but also their parents need a little magic at Christmas. And they organized an unusual marathon.

On the eve of the holiday, Santas gather on the central streets of the city, dressed only in underwear and hats. To everyone’s delight, the half-naked crowd runs through the city. The winner receives a gift voucher for sneakers and a bottle of alcohol. This competition has become so popular that last year nude races were held in the US and UK.

Even more incredible interesting stories, amazing discoveries and unique filming are in the “Incredibly Interesting Stories” program with Sergei Dolya and Alexey Korzin. Watch new episodes on REN TV.

Read also:

The story of Santa Claus: how a fairy-tale wizard appeared in Russia

New Year: history, traditions in different countries and how to celebrate