By today, Santa Claus should have received mountains of letters with New Year's wishes from children from all over the world. Whether there are fewer of them this year because of the pandemic or not, it is too early to say. It is possible that again most of them came from France - statistics say 1,7 million. Canadian children send him about 1,35 million letters, while young Americans send him just over a million. Little Mexicans don't send him letters by mail, but tie them to balloons filled with helium and release them into the air, a tradition that most of Latin America took from them.
It is interesting that a large number of those letters actually arrive at Santa's address. Letters from the United States addressed to a town with an intriguing name - Santa Claus (Santa Claus) in Indiana. The head of the local post office, Pet Koč, regularly collects all children's letters and, with the help of volunteers, answers them on behalf of Santa Claus. At least the ones that have a return address written on the back. This tradition was started by his father, who was engaged in the same business in this small town, and Koč is helped every year by hundreds of volunteers who are called elves on that occasion.
Two countries claim that Santa Claus lives with them. We are talking about Finland and Canada, two territories located in the far north, known for their icy expanses, so both fit into the frosty atmosphere. Finland has even given Santa the postal code of 99999, while the Canadians have gone a step further – their postal code for Santa is H0H0 0H0, an obvious homage to his famous announcement while delivering presents. Also, the North Pole (North Pole) in Alaska and Rovaniemi in Finland are considered to be the birthplace of Santa Claus. The Santa Claus Office is also open in the latter. Canada granted him an electronic passport in 2013, while in 1927 the US government issued a pilot's license in his name so he could more easily travel the world in a magical reindeer sleigh and hand out gifts.
Santa's nine magical flying reindeer, with whom he travels around the world every Christmas / New Year, were first mentioned in the song Twas the Night Before Christmas published in the New York "Troy Sentinel" on December 23, 1823. The poem came to the editors anonymously, and was only subsequently brought into contact with the writer and professor of literature Clement Clark Moore. Those who dispute Moore's authorship attribute this poem to Henry Livingston Jr.
It is estimated that Santa Claus carries around 400.000 tons of presents in his sleigh. Under real conditions and the laws of physics, he should hire about 360.000 reindeer for that venture, he should not even think about flying. In addition to flying sleighs, bringing gifts into children's homes through the chimney is also part of the holiday tradition. This tradition is known to be 12 years older than the nine reindeer, and originates from a short satirical story Knickerbocker's History of New York Washington Irving, the celebrated author Legends of Sleeping Beauty with the Headless Horseman and Halloween.
Santa's visual identity - a smiling chubby old man in a red and white suit - is the latest innovation in the legend about him, and probably the most famous. Before 1931, Santa Claus wore a uniform of various colors, depending on the climate and tradition. Even today, Russians most often imagine him in gold and white clothes, in Germany he is often described as an old man in a white or gray suit, while in some places he was dressed in green like elves. In 1931, the Coca-Cola Company launched a marketing campaign with today's recognizable red and white Santa Claus, and that iconography has become so ingrained in popular culture that it is difficult to imagine him otherwise.
It is known that Santa Claus is associated with St. Nicholas, the Mir bishop and miracle worker from the 4th century. Even the Anglophone name for Santa Claus - Santa clause – a corrupted form of saint nicholas. However, it is also a fact that numerous pagan and pre-Christian customs and beliefs crept into the iconography of Santa Claus and his association with the Christian miracle worker. Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of children and sailors, and he is known for the gold gifts he dropped through the windows of poor families with children. The reason for this is far darker than the festive mood. At that time, it was often practiced to sell children, especially girls, in times of scarcity and famine, so St. Nicholas secretly distributed his possessions to families in need by inserting a bag of money through the window, or into children's shoes.
Other Christianized pagan elements are also recognized in the story of Santa Claus. Krampus Nights are very popular in the regions of Austria, Bavaria and Tyrol. Officially, they are held on the night before St. Nicholas according to the Gregorian calendar, and in practice on the weekend before the saint's day. Customs differ in regions and cities, but the essence is the same. When evening falls, a procession of masked young men, draped in furs, with terrible devil-like masks, horns, chains and whips enters the city. There is a chase down the main street when krampus dressed like that pounce on the onlookers, knocking them to the floor, snarling at them, symbolically beating and harassing them. The procession thus arrives in front of the church, when St. Nicholas / Santa Claus appears from it and calms or disperses the krampus. In some places Saint Nicholas enters the city at the head of a procession of krampus, and in some places he even beats them with a stick. Everyone knows there will be no serious injuries. Even when the crampons go too far, everything ends up with a bruise or a welt.
Experts claim that Krampus have their origins in pagan beliefs in Pan, an ancient god of similar appearance, or even the Horned God or Cernun of Celtic beliefs. Krampus are dark alters of Santa Claus that in the Middle Ages were used to scare children: "If you are good, Santa Claus will reward you, and if you are not, Krampus will put you in a sack, whip you and stuff coal in your mouth." At some point During the Middle Ages, the pagan traditions of central Europe merged with Christian beliefs, Saint Nicholas, and Christmas customs, and the demonic figure Krampus became the dark side of Saint Nicholas. While the famous saint rewards good children and righteous persons, Krampus is there to punish miscreants because Saint Nicholas does not get his hands dirty with punishments, leaving it to his demonic companion. An example of paganism is also visible in the customs that are cultivated in Iceland, in which there is not one Santa Claus, but as many as thirteen. These are troll-like mini-versions of Santa Claus with funny names (Cup Licker, Sausage Thief, Spoon Licker...) that spread the Christmas spirit and more or less mimic the duties of Santa Claus with less mischief. Something like a combined version of krampus and the traditional Icelandic Santa Claus.
However, despite all the curiosities and traditions, one thing is certain: the real Santa Clauses and heroes of the New Year holidays are those who do not receive any credit for their work. These are parents who do everything to cheer up their little ones, give them moments of happiness and joy, and leave all the glory to an imaginary reveler in a red and white suit.
