It’s officially the holiday season! As we in America start decorating with lights and reindeer, nations around the world are clinging to different traditions. During December, we are going to highlight three different countries and how they have a different view of Santa than we do.
Monday, December 8th: The original Santa, Sinterklaas of the Netherlands, has a completely different style. Get ready to discover why this stately figure wears a bishop’s attire, travels from Spain by steamboat, and rides a white horse over the rooftops. We’ll explore his unique, ancient traditions, his controversial but changing helper Zwarte Piet, and why the main night for gift-giving falls on December 5th—not Christmas Eve. Don’t miss this look at the European figure who inspired your favorite holiday hero.
Monday, December 15th: Step into a Russian winter wonderland and meet the country’s beloved holiday figure: Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost). Forget the classic sleigh and reindeer—this majestic, slender man wears a flowing, icy blue or silver coat and travels by a three-horse troika to deliver gifts on New Year’s Eve. Learn why his unique companion, his beautiful granddaughter Snegurochka (The Snow Maiden), makes the Russian tradition unlike any other, and discover the deep mythological roots that make Ded Moroz the ultimate figure of the Slavic winter.
Monday, December 22nd: Why do German children get gifts from an angelic figure, a punishing devil, and a jolly old man? Get ready to untangle the festive confusion of the German holiday season! We’ll explore the distinct roles of Sankt Nikolaus (the Bishop) on December 6th, and the main Christmas Eve gift-bringers: the winged Das Christkind (The Christ Child) and the secular Weihnachtsmann. Discover how religious history created this complex cast, and learn about the fearsome companion who makes sure German children are extra good!
Unwarp a new blog each Monday at our Divine Marketing Group website! You won’t look at the holiday season the same ever again.