Germany's original Christmas gift-bearer St. Nicholas — Sankt Nikolaus in German — makes his tour through town a few weeks earlier in Germany than in America.
6 December: Nikolaus explained
6 December is Saint Nicholas Day, better known as Nikolaus in Germany. While the day may not receive the full religious celebration it does in Southern Germany and other traditionally Catholic regions, children across Europe look forward to this day each year.
Christmas Day is called 'Erster Feiertag' Unlike Christmas Day celebrations in England, the Germans know 25th December as 'Erster Feiertag', which means first celebration day.
Saint Nicholas was a 4th-century Greek Christian bishop of Myra (now Demre) in the region of Lycia in the Roman Empire, today in Turkey.
The legend of the Krampus dates back centuries, originating as a German Christmas tradition during the 12th century. Beginning in early December, the children of Germany would begin to hear whispers of a dark haired creature bearing horns and fangs, carrying a bundle of birch sticks used to swat naughty children.
Frequently Asked Questions About Christmas In Australia
What is Santa Claus called in Australia? These days most Australians call Atnas (his real name) “Santa”. At “Australia Post” he is officially called “Santa”.
Schmutzli: The Swiss German name for Krampus or Knecht Ruprecht.
Unlike the bloated, red-coated father Christmas of the West, Russia's Santa Claus, known as Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost), is slender with a wizard-like flowing beard and he wears a long robe that comes in different colors, such as blue and white.
Santa is known as 'Sheng dan Lao ren' in Mandarin, which translates as 'Christmas Old Man', and he is seen as a non-religious figure who lives in a fairytale Arctic Christmas Village in China's North Pole.
In Japan Santa is known as サンタさん、サンタクロース / Santa-san (Mr Santa) or サンタクロース / Santa-Kurosu (Santa Claus). (Another Japanese gift bringer is Hoteiosho, a Japanese god of good fortune from Buddhism. But he is NOT related to Christmas.)
Then when July finally rolls around, this is when Australians celebrate Christmas in the traditional sense since it's colder. Although we know it as Christmas in July, Australians call this second celebration Yuletide or Yulefest.
“frohe Weihnachten!”
December 24th: Heiligabend, Christmas Eve
However, while Christmas Eve is the main event of the German Christmas calendar, the 25th and 26th are still designated “Feiertage” (celebration days/holidays) with their own festive traditions.
Krampusnacht. The Feast of St. Nicholas is celebrated in parts of Europe on 6 December. On the preceding evening of 5 December, Krampus Night or Krampusnacht, the wicked hairy devil appears on the streets.
Santa Claus is called Père Noël in French or Father Christmas.
Nick and Santa different? While St. Nick is based on the legend of St. Nicholas, Santa Claus is an amalgamation of several ethnic holiday traditions and became popular in the United States in the 19th century.
In Hong Kong, /Santa is most commonly called Santa Claus or Father Christmas. In Cantonese he is known as "Sing Daan Lou Yan" (Christmas Old Man) although most people use English to refer to him.
Spanish: Papa Noel (lit.
In South America, a family member often dresses up as Papa Noel and give gifts to the children while they try and guess who the family member is! While in countries like Mexico and Venezuela, presents might also be brought by El Niñito Dios (baby Jesus) or Santo Clós (Santa Claus).
Nicholas: The Real Santa Claus. The legend of Santa Claus can be traced back hundreds of years to a monk named St. Nicholas. It is believed that Nicholas was born sometime around A.D. 280 in Patara, near Myra in modern-day Turkey.
Santa Claus or Tomte
When Father Christmas appears in shops in Sweden he is normally wearing a Santa costume, but he is called Jultomte or, more usually, just Tomte.
Santa is known as Papai Noel and Bom Velhinho (Good Old Man) in Brazil, and while he is delivering presents in the southern hemisphere he changes into his lighter weight Santa suit.
Many European cultures have some version of Saint Nicholas or Santa Claus, and the Hungarian version, Mikulás was introduced in the 1850s.
Krampus, and Krampusnacht, originated in Germany centuries ago, and his name derives from the word “krampen”, which means claw. He is considered to be a cruel counterpart to the kind St Nicholas character. While St Nicholas would reward children for being good, Krampus would punish children for being bad.
Krampus, in central European popular legend, a half-goat, half-demon monster that punishes misbehaving children at Christmastime. He is the devilish companion of St. Nicholas. Krampus is believed to have originated in Germany, and his name derives from the German word Krampen, which means “claw.”
Although it is the Christian festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, Christmas is also celebrated by Germans who do not profess any faith – by 78% in all. Celebrating Christmas is an important family tradition for most people. Roughly one in four Germans go to church at Christmas.