We are so accustomed to such signs of the New Year holidays as a Christmas tree, garlands, Olivier salad, etc., that we hardly think about how they became traditional. But often we answer the question of our children about where Santa Claus came from. We’ll talk about this today. So…
The story of Santa Claus
The image of Santa Claus - a stately good-natured old man with a long magnificent beard, with a staff in his hand and a bag of gifts - is now familiar to every child and adult. He comes in the New Year, congratulates, wishes happiness and gives everyone. Not surprisingly, his appearance is especially awaited at children's mornings.
The history of the appearance of Santa Claus begins with the depth of centuries, with the mythology of the ancient Slavs. But the one who thinks that he was originally a good wizard, bringing joy, is mistaken. Rather, the opposite. The Slavic predecessor of Santa Claus - Snow Grandfather, Karachun, Studenets, Treskun, Zimnik, Morozko - was severe, tried to freeze those who meet on the way. And the attitude towards the children was peculiar - to carry away in a bag … He did not give out gifts, but he had to be appeased to avoid troubles. That's where the fun is left - to sculpt snowmen. In fact, for our ancestors, these were idols depicting the god of winter. With the advent of Christianity, this peculiar spirit of Winter has been preserved in folk tales.
Only in the 19th century Morozko, Moroz Ivanovich and other characters of fairy tales began to appear, though strict, but fair creatures. Kindness and industriousness were rewarded, and laziness and malice were punished. Tale of Odoevsky about Moroz Ivanovich - that's where Santa Claus came from!
Christmas Santa Claus
In the 80s of the 19th century, with the holiday of Christmas, following the example of European countries, they began to associate a person called Christmas Grandfather (or Holy Father). So he already brought gifts to reward children for good behavior throughout the year. But, unlike Santa Claus, he was not a saint and had nothing to do with religion at all. And in the countryside they did not notice its appearance at all and continued to celebrate the Holy evenings, as before - with fortune telling and carols.
But the general public, Santa Claus has become familiar since 1910. And Christmas cards helped with this. First, he was painted in a blue or white fur coat to the heels, the color of the winter itself. A hat of the same color was depicted on the head, and Grandfather also wore warm felt boots and mittens. Indispensable attributes were a magic staff and a bag with gifts.
The story of Santa Claus in Soviet times
After coming to power, the Bolsheviks began the struggle against "religious trash." In 1929, the celebration of Christmas as a religious holiday was banned. It is clear that Santa Claus and the Christmas tree also fell out of favor. Even fairy tales were recognized as fraud, designed to obscure the heads of the masses.
And only in 1935, with the submission of Stalin, the Komsomol issued a decree on the celebration of the New Year. It was ordered to organize Christmas trees for children instead of pre-revolutionary Christmas trees. It was noted that this is great fun for the kids of workers and peasants, who previously could only look enviously at the entertainment of the offspring of the rich.
The symbolism of the Christmas tree has also changed. It was a secular, not a religious holiday. Instead of the Star of Bethlehem, at the top of the forest beauty, a red five-pointed star was lit. Santa Claus remained the same kind grandfather, bringing gifts. He rode the Russian troika, accompanied by his beloved granddaughter of the Snow Maiden.
How Santa Claus became a grandfather
So, we figured out where Santa Claus came from. The Snow Maiden appeared next to him much later. In ancient Slavic folklore there is no indication of the companion of our Grandfather.
The image of the Snow Maiden was invented by the writer A. N. Ostrovsky. In his tale, she was the daughter of Santa Claus, who came to people attracted by music. After the appearance of the opera by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, the Snow Maiden became very popular. Sometimes she appeared on Christmas trees, but on her own, without Santa Claus.
In 1937, on the Christmas tree in the Moscow House of Unions for the first time, the Snow Maiden performed with her Grandfather. Her transformation from daughter to granddaughter happened because a cheerful girl or a very young girl was closer to the children for whom the holiday was arranged.
Since then, the Snow Maiden has been accompanying Santa Claus at any New Year's holiday, most often it is she who is his host. True, after Gagarin’s flight, sometimes an astronaut appeared instead of the Snow Maiden on Yolki.
Helpers of Santa Claus
The history of the appearance of Santa Claus in recent years is supplemented by new pages. In addition to the Snow Maiden, new fairy-tale heroes also take part in good New Year's magic. For example, the Snowman, who appeared in the tales of a wonderful children's writer and animator Suteev. He either goes into the woods for the Christmas tree for a holiday, or drives a car with gifts. Forest animals mostly help Grandfather, and some sometimes try to prevent the onset of the New Year holidays. Often in the scripts appear Old men-Lesovichki, Brothers-Months …
Where Santa Claus came from, he moved on foot or on the wings of a blizzard. Subsequently, they began to represent him on the dashing Russian troika. And now Veliky Ustyug also contains reindeers - a real winter mode of transport. But the kindest wizard of a country whose possessions extend to the North Pole cannot lag behind Santa Claus!
When was Santa Claus born?
Curious children want to find out how old Santa Claus is. Despite the ancient Slavic roots, Grandfather is still quite young. One can consider the appearance of the tale "Moroz Ivanovich" by Odoevsky (1840) to be the moment of his birth. It is in her that the good old man first appears who presents a diligent girl and punishes the lazy. According to this version, Grandfather is 174 years old.
But in the mentioned fairy tale, Frost does not come to anyone; he does not give gifts in connection with the holiday. All this will be much later, towards the end of the 19th century. If you count from this moment, Santa Claus is not even 150 years old.
If we consider the date of his birth in 1935, when the Christmas trees began to be celebrated again, then Grandfather will have a modest anniversary - he will turn 80 years old.
When is Santa Claus's birthday?
This is another question that puzzles us children. After all, they, who received gifts for the New Year, often want to thank the good old man. This question can be answered exactly - November 18th. After all, the children themselves decided so, choosing as the birthday the day of the onset of winter in the homeland of Santa Claus. It happened in 2005.
And now every year on this day a big holiday is held, to which his colleagues arrive. This is Santa Claus from the real Lapland, Pakkain from Karelia, Mikulash from the Czech Republic and even Chishan from Yakutia … Every year the scope of the celebration expands, more and more new guests come. But most importantly, from his homeland, from Kostroma, the Snow Maiden hurries to congratulate Grandfather.
Guests from other cities are also invited to the celebration. These are the deputies of Santa Claus who will be coming to the children for the New Year, and fabulous helpers characters. All of them are waiting for fun events. In the evening, Santa Claus lights up the lights on the very first Christmas tree and announces the beginning of preparations for the New Year. After that, he and his assistants go on a trip around the country in time to congratulate all its inhabitants.
In March, Santa Claus surrenders his duty to Spring-Krasne and returns to his home. In public, before the next birthday, he will appear again - in the summer, on City Day. Both holidays include festivities, an extensive program of events telling about the Russian North, including excursions around the estate of Santa Claus.
And let us not say exactly how old Santa Claus is, but to congratulate him, write a letter with good wishes is quite possible.
