New Year is the brightest, favorite and expected holiday. People all over the world celebrate it with pleasure, but few people know the history of the New Year in Russia and in Rus'.

Due to traditions, customs and religion, different nations celebrate the New Year in their own way. The process of preparing for the holiday, as well as the memories associated with it, evokes a feeling of joy, care, happiness, love and pleasure.

On the eve of the New Year holidays in each house, work is in full swing. Someone decorates the Christmas tree, someone cleans the house or apartment, someone makes a festive menu, and someone decides together where you can celebrate the New Year.

The history of the New Year in Rus'

New Year is the favorite holiday of the people of our country. They prepare for it, wait with great impatience, meet it cheerfully and leave it in their memory for a long time in the form of pleasant pictures, vivid emotions and positive feelings.

History is of interest to few. And in vain, I tell you, dear readers. It is very interesting and lengthy.

History before 1700

In 998 Kiev Prince Vladimir introduced Christianity to Rus'. After that, the change of years took place on March 1. In some cases, the event fell on the day of Holy Pascha. This chronology lasted until the end of the 15th century.

At the beginning of 1492, by order of Tsar Ivan III, September 1 began to be considered the beginning of the year. In order for the people to respect the "September change of years", the tsar allowed peasants and noble nobles to visit the Kremlin on this day in search of sovereign favor. However, the people could not abandon the church chronology. For two hundred years there were two calendars in the country and constant confusion about dates.

History after 1700

Peter the Great decided to correct the situation. At the end of December 1699, he promulgated an imperial decree, according to which the change of years began to be celebrated on the first of January. Thanks to Peter the Great, confusion appeared in Russia in the change of eras. He threw back one year and ordered that the year 1700 be considered the beginning of the new century. In other countries, the countdown of the new century began in 1701. The Russian Tsar was mistaken for 12 months, so in Rus' the change of eras was celebrated a year earlier.

Peter the Great sought to introduce the European way of life in Russia. Therefore, he ordered to celebrate the New Year according to the European model. The tradition of decorating a Christmas tree for the New Year holidays was borrowed from the Germans, for whom an evergreen tree symbolized fidelity, longevity, immortality and youth.

Peter issued a decree according to which, on New Year's holidays, decorated pine and juniper branches should be displayed in front of every courtyard. The rich population was obliged to decorate whole trees.

Initially, vegetables, fruits, nuts and sweets were used to decorate coniferous trees. Lanterns, toys and decorative things appeared on the Christmas tree much later. The Christmas tree first sparkled with lights only in 1852. It was installed at the Ekaterininsky railway station in St. Petersburg.

Until the end of his days, Peter the Great made sure that the New Year was celebrated in Russia as solemnly as in European states. On the eve of the holiday, the tsar congratulated people, handed gifts from his hands to the nobles, presented expensive souvenirs to favorites, actively participated in fun and festivities at the court.

The emperor arranged chic masquerades in the palace and ordered fireworks and cannon fire on New Year's Eve. Thanks to the efforts of Peter I in Russia, the celebration of the New Year became secular, not religious.

The Russian people had to go through many changes until the date of the New Year stopped on the first of January.

History of Santa Claus

The Christmas tree is not the only desirable attribute of the New Year. There is also a character who brings New Year's gifts. As you guessed, this is Santa Claus.

The age of this kind fairy-tale grandfather exceeds 1000 years, and the history of the appearance of Santa Claus is a mystery to many.

It is not known exactly where Santa Claus came from. Each country has its own opinion. Some peoples consider Santa Claus to be a descendant of gnomes, others are sure that his ancestors were wandering jugglers from the Middle Ages, others consider him to be St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.

Video story

The prototype of Santa Claus - St. Nicholas

At the end of the 10th century, the Eastern peoples created the cult of Nicholas of Mir, the patron saint of thieves, brides, sailors and children. He was known for his asceticism and good deeds. After his death, Nikolai Mirsky was given the status of a saint.

The remains of Nikolai Mirsky were kept in the eastern church for many years, but in the 11th century it was robbed by Italian pirates. They transported the relics of the saint to Italy. The parishioners of the church left to pray for the preservation of the ashes of St. Nicholas.

After some time, the cult of the miracle worker began to spread in the countries of Western and Central Europe. In European countries, it was called differently. In Germany - Nikalaus, in Holland - Klaas, in England - Klaus. In the form of a white-bearded old man, he moved through the streets on a donkey or a horse and distributed New Year's gifts to children from a bag.

A little later, Santa Claus began to appear at Christmas. Not all churchmen liked it, because the holiday is dedicated to Christ. Therefore, Christ began to distribute gifts, in the form of young girls in white clothes. By that time, people got used to the image of Nicholas the Wonderworker and could not imagine the New Year holidays without him. As a result, grandfather received a young companion.

The attire of this fabulous old man also changed significantly. Initially, he wore a raincoat, but in the 19th century in Holland he was dressed up as a chimney sweep. He cleaned the chimneys and lowered gifts into them. By the end of the 19th century, Santa Claus was awarded a red coat with a fur collar. The outfit stuck with him for a long time.

Santa Claus in Russia

Admirers of holiday symbols considered that the domestic Santa Claus should have a homeland. At the end of 1998, the city of Veliky Ustyug, which is located in the northern part of the Vologda region, was declared his residence.

Some believe that Santa Claus is a descendant of the spirit of cold Frost. Over time, the image of this character has changed. Initially, it was a white-bearded old man in felt boots with a long staff and a bag. He gave gifts to obedient children, and brought up the negligent ones with a stick.

Later, Santa Claus became a kinder old man. He was not engaged in educational activities, but simply told scary stories to the children. Still later, he also abandoned horror stories. As a result, the image became only good.

Santa Claus is a guarantee of fun, dancing and gifts, which turns an ordinary day into a true holiday.

The history of the appearance of the Snow Maiden

Who is the Snow Maiden? This is a young girl with a long braid in a beautiful fur coat and warm boots. She is a companion of Santa Claus and helps him distribute New Year's gifts.

Folklore

The history of the appearance of the Snow Maiden is not as long as that of Grandfather Frost. The appearance of the Snow Maiden is due to ancient Russian folklore traditions. Everyone knows this folk tale.

To his own delight, an old man and an old woman made a Snow Maiden out of white snow. The snow girl came to life, received the gift of speech and began to live with the old people at home.

The girl was kind, sweet and beautiful. She had long blonde hair and blue eyes. Upon the arrival of spring with sunny days, the Snow Maiden began to feel sad. She was invited to take a walk and jump over a large fire. After the jump, she was gone, as the hot flame melted her.

Regarding the appearance of the Snow Maiden, we can say that its authors are three artists - Roerich, Vrubel and Vasentsov. In their paintings, they depicted the Snow Maiden in a snow-white sundress and a bandage on her head.

Celebrating the New Year started a long time ago. Every year something changed and added, but the main traditions have passed through the centuries. People, regardless of social status and financial capabilities, have fun on New Year's holidays. They decorate the house, cook, buy gifts.

It turns out that he was not always like this: a few centuries ago, Frost wore a cloak, had only three fingers on his hands, and beat children who were objectionable to him with a staff. the site traced how the image of Santa Claus in Rus' changed from the ancient Slavs to our times.

Evil spirit of winter

No one knows exactly where and when Santa Claus was born. The first mention of an old man who causes severe frosts is seen among the Eastern Slavs. Initially, the wizard was not called Santa Claus, but Morok - the name of the god of cold and winter. There is a version according to which the word "frost" subsequently came from the name of the ancient Slavic spirit. Morok was an evil being. The Slavs represented him as a hunched, disheveled old man who walked through the forests in a linen shirt and bast shoes. Everything in its path, he covered with snow or turned into ice - trees, rivers, land. The Slavs believed that when meeting with Morok, a person would turn into an ice statue, so they were very afraid of an evil spirit. Since that time, the expressions “faint” and “confuse the head” have gone.

Later, our ancestors learned to use the spirit of winter for their own purposes. The Slavs believed: if the winter is snowy and cold, then in the summer there will definitely be a lot of harvest. They began to lure the god of cold, on Christmas time and Maundy Thursday, inviting him to their place with pancakes or kutya. Food for the spirit was left on the porch or on the window. The next morning the food disappeared, and on Christmas or Christmas time frosts hit, so strong that the snow literally cracked under the gons. From here, more affectionate names for the god of winter appeared - Treskunets and Studenets. The image of the wizard has also changed.

The shirt and bast shoes were replaced by a long fur coat and a hat. The staff of the progenitor of Santa Claus was decorated with a bull's head - a symbol of fertility and happiness. Treskunets had warm three-fingered gloves on his hands: it was believed that all deities had fewer fingers than a person. Despite the fact that such Santa Claus has become kinder, modern children would hardly like him: the Student was still portrayed as a ferocious, shaggy old man.

Moroz Ivanovich

After the Baptism of Rus', Studenets was forgotten, and no one came to replace him. Santa Claus was reborn only in the 19th century in the form of Nicholas the Wonderworker, or Nicholas the Pleasant. This saint was chosen for the image of a good old man with gifts for children, since during his lifetime he helped people a lot and was very generous. Under Emperor Alexander II, the image of St. Nicholas was first associated with the New Year and Christmas. Nikolai the Ugodnik went from house to house and gave gifts to children, but this image did not become close to the children themselves, and at the end of the 19th century, Santa Claus, familiar to us, replaced the saint.

Everyone liked the new image of Santa Claus. Photo: Collage AiF

He was dressed in a long fur coat of blue or red color with fur, a hat and felt boots. The entire outfit of the wizard was painted with patterns. On the staff, instead of a bull's head, a star-shaped tip appeared. At that time, Santa Claus lived in a large ice palace and slept on featherbeds made of snow. No one knew where the elder's house was. The wizard's parents were also unknown, but, according to Russian tradition, elders should be called by name -

patronymic. With the light hand of the writer Vladimir Odoevsky, Santa Claus became Moroz Ivanovich. The new image appealed to both children and adults, but the location of Santa Claus then had to be earned. For children who behaved well all year, Grandfather gave sweets - sweets, candies and gingerbread. Lazy people and sluts received an icicle as gifts, and bad and evil children who grimaced and teased Santa Claus received a staff on their foreheads.

After the revolution, Santa Claus was persecuted. The magician returned only on the eve of 1936, and not alone, but with his granddaughter Snegurochka. After the next revival, Santa Claus again became even kinder. Now he began to give gifts to all children, in exchange for a poem or a song. The staff turned from a tool for cuffs into a magical device, with the help of which Santa Claus began to light the New Year trees with colorful lights.

In the late 80s, Santa Claus settled in his residence in Arkhangelsk, and in the late 90s he moved to Veliky Ustyug, where he lives to this day. Children from all over Russia write letters to the good wizard throughout the year, telling them what they want to receive as a gift for the New Year. Santa Claus fulfills the wishes of all the children without exception, bringing them as a gift not just toys or treats, but a real fairy tale and magic.

Santa Claus has been with us for a very long time. This is a real-life spirit, alive, by the way, to this day.

Once upon a time, even before the advent of Christianity in Rus', our ancestors believed that the spirits of the dead guard their family, take care of the offspring of livestock and good weather. Therefore, in order to reward them for their care, every winter people gave them gifts. On the eve of the holiday, the village youth put on masks, turned out sheepskin coats and went from house to house, caroling. (However, different regions had their own peculiarities of caroling.) The hosts presented the carolers with food.

The meaning was precisely that the carolers were the spirits of their ancestors, who received a reward for their tireless care of the living. Among the carolers there was often one "man" dressed the worst of all. As a rule, he was forbidden to speak. It was the oldest and most formidable spirit, he was often called simply Grandfather. It is possible that this is the prototype of the modern Santa Claus. Only today, of course, he has become kinder and does not come for gifts, but brings them himself. With the adoption of Christianity, pagan rites were, of course, "abolished", and therefore exist to this day. The carolers depict not the spirits of ancestors, but heavenly messengers, which, you see, is practically the same thing. It is already difficult to say who to consider as Grandfather, but there is an "older" even now.

According to another version, the "great-great-grandfather" of the modern Russian Santa Claus was the hero of Russian folk tales Morozko or Frost the red nose, the master of weather, winter and frost. Initially, he was called Grandfather Treskun and was represented as a little old man with a long beard and a disposition as harsh as Russian frosts. From November to March, Grandfather Cracker was the sovereign master of the earth. Even the sun was afraid of him! He was married to a despising person - Zima. Grandfather Treskun or Father Frost was also identified with the first month of the year - the middle of winter - January. The first month of the year is cold and cold - the king of frosts, the root of winter, its sovereign. It is strict, icy, icy, it's time for snowstorms. People say about January like this: fireman and jelly, snowman and cracker, fierce and fierce.

In Russian fairy tales, Santa Claus is portrayed as an eccentric, strict, but fair spirit of winter. Remember, for example, the fairy tale "Morozko". Good hardworking girl Morozko froze, froze, and then bestowed, and evil and lazy - he froze to death. Therefore, in order to avoid trouble, some northern peoples are still coaxing old man Frost - on solemn nights they throw cakes, meat, pour wine over the threshold of their dwellings so that the spirit does not get angry, does not interfere with hunting, does not destroy crops.

Santa Claus was represented as a gray-haired old man with a beard to the floor in a long thick fur coat, felt boots, a hat, mittens, and with a staff with which he froze people.

FATHER FROST (Morozko) - a mighty Russian pagan God, a character of Russian legends, in Slavic legends - the personification of Russian winter frosts, a blacksmith who freezes water, generously showering winter nature with sparkling snowy silver, giving the joy of a winter festival, and, if necessary, in heavy for a year protecting the Russians from advancing enemies with hitherto unprecedented winter cold freezing into the ice, from which iron begins to break.

Under the influence of Christianity, which brutally and bloodily fought Slavic paganism (a battle with religious competitors for profits), the original image of the Snow Grandfather was distorted (like all other Slavic gods), and Morozko began to be represented as an evil and cruel pagan deity, the Great Elder of the North, the ruler icy cold and blizzards that froze people. This was also reflected in Nekrasov's poem "Frost - Red Nose", where Frost kills a poor young peasant widow in the forest, leaving her young children orphans.

With the weakening of the influence of Christianity in Russia in the late XIX - early XX century, the image of Morozko began to soften. Santa Claus first appeared at Christmas in 1910, but did not become widespread.

In Soviet times, after the rejection of the ideas of Christianity, a new image of Santa Claus was spread: he appeared to children on New Year's Eve and gave gifts; this image was created by Soviet filmmakers in the 1930s.

In December 1935, Stalin's comrade-in-arms, member of the Presidium of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR Pavel Postyshev published an article in the Pravda newspaper, where he proposed organizing a New Year celebration for children. A children's New Year's party was organized in Kharkov. Some modern illiterate students of history accuse Stalin of inconsistency for not destroying Santa Claus, since Santa Claus, in their opinion, is a "children's god."

He comes to the holiday with his divine granddaughter - the Snow Maiden.

The modern collective image of Santa Claus is based on the hagiography of St. Nicholas, as well as descriptions of the ancient Slavic deities Pozvizd (God of the wind), Zimnik and Karachun.

Unfortunately, all the ancient myths and legends of the Slavs were destroyed after forced Christianization, therefore we know practically nothing about the ancient Slavic beliefs and traditions (see "Problems of studying paganism in Rus'").

The peculiar nature of the interpretation in Christianity of pagan deities (religious competitors of Christianity, albeit beloved by the people, whom the clergy certainly represented as extremely evil and cruel) determined the behavior of Santa Claus inspired by the clergy - after the introduction of Christianity in Rus', he began to collect sacrifices - to steal naughty children and take them to bag. Such a church interpretation made it possible to inspire rejection of pagan gods from childhood.

However, over time, after the introduction of restrictions on the irreconcilable ideology of Christianity and the spread of later post-Christian humanistic traditions, especially after the final ban on Christians burning people at the stake (in the first quarter of the 19th century), Father Frost, in the opinion of Russians, became kinder and began to give gifts to children.

This image was finally formalized in the USSR: the ancient Slavic God Santa Claus became a symbol of the most beloved national holiday - the New Year, which replaced the holiday of the Nativity of Christ (allegedly the birthday of the god of a foreign people from the Sinai Desert), hitherto, with the full support of the authorities, imposed by the church on the people of Tsarist Russia almost for a whole millennium.

The professional holiday of Santa Clauses is celebrated every last Sunday of August.

Recently, the birthday of the Russian Santa Claus was announced November 18th- According to the data of long-term meteorological observations, a stable snow cover falls on most of Russia on this day. But this is nothing more than the current Russian commercial amateur performance based on the Christian tradition of the Nativity of Christ. Of course, the great Slavic Gods do not and cannot have "birthdays", because they are eternal and arose in the minds and beliefs of people back in the early Paleolithic at the very beginning of the post-glacial period, and possibly even earlier.

About the ancient beliefs of the Slavs, about their four great solar holidays, incl. about the great two-week pagan New Year's Yule-Solstice, which marked the beginning of our modern New Year's holiday (which is simply a truncated Yule, from which now only the last and most magical 12th Yule Night remains - our New Year's Eve), about the forced Christianization of the Slavs by the Varangian invaders-enslavers , about the destruction of Slavic mythology (because now the Slavs do not have their own mythology), see on page Shrovetide and in the accompanying articles on page Pantheon of Slavic Gods, given after the "Dictionary of Slavic Gods".

Santa Claus and the Russian Orthodox Church

The attitude of the Russian Orthodox Church towards Santa Claus is ambiguous, on the one hand, as a pagan deity and magician (God of a different religion, which means a religious competitor that contradicts Christian teachings), and on the other hand, as an invincible Russian cultural tradition, with which to fight - only embarrass yourself and expose your weakness.

It is difficult to say unequivocally where the Russian Santa Claus lives, since there are a lot of legends. Some say that Santa Claus comes from the North Pole, others say - from Lapland. Only one thing is clear, Santa Claus lives somewhere in the Far North, where it is winter all year round. Although in the fairy tale of VF Odoevsky "Moroz Ivanovich" Frost's red nose in the spring moves to the well, where "it is cold even in summer."

Veliky Ustyug is the current "business homeland of Father Frost"

On the initiative of the former mayor of Moscow, Yuri Luzhkov, since 1999, the tourist business project "Veliky Ustyug - Father Frost's birthplace" has been operating in the Vologda Oblast. Tourist trains from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Vologda go to Veliky Ustyug, specialized bus trips have been developed.

During the first three years (from 1999 to 2002) the number of tourists visiting Veliky Ustyug grew from 2,000 to 32,000. According to the Governor of the Vologda Oblast Vyacheslav Pozgalev, since the beginning of the project, more than a million letters from children from various countries have been sent to Santa Claus, and the turnover in the city has increased 15 times and unemployment has decreased.

Origin of Santa Claus

Imagine that local gnomes are considered the ancestors of Santa Claus in some countries. In others, medieval itinerant jugglers who sang Christmas carols, or itinerant sellers of children's toys. There is an opinion that among the relatives of Santa Claus is the East Slavic spirit of cold Treskun, he is Studenets, Frost. The image of Santa Claus has evolved over the centuries, and each nation has contributed something of its own to its history. But among the ancestors of the elder, it turns out, there was a very real person. In the 4th century, Archbishop Nicholas lived in the Turkish city of Mira. According to legend, he was a very kind person. So, once he saved the three daughters of a distressed family by throwing bundles of gold into the window of their house. After the death of Nicholas, he was declared a saint. In the 11th century, the church where he was buried was robbed by Italian pirates. They stole the remains of the saint and took them to their homeland. The parishioners of the church of St. Nicholas were outraged. An international scandal erupted. This story made so much noise that Nicholas became the object of reverence and worship of Christians from around the world.

In the Middle Ages, the custom was firmly established on Nicholas Day, December 19, to give gifts to children, because the saint himself did this. After the introduction of the new calendar, the saint began to come to the children at Christmas, and then on the New Year. Everywhere the good old man is called differently, in England and America - Santa Claus, and in our country - Santa Claus.

Who is he - our old friend and good wizard Russian Santa Claus? Our Frost is a character of Slavic folklore. For many generations, the Eastern Slavs created and kept a kind of "oral chronicle": prose legends, epic tales, ritual songs, legends and tales about the past of their native land.

The Eastern Slavs have a fabulous image of Frost - a hero, a blacksmith who binds water with "iron frosts". The Frosts themselves were often identified with violent winter winds. Several folk tales are known, where the North Wind (or Frost) helps lost travelers, showing the way.

Our Santa Claus is a special image. It is reflected in ancient Slavic legends (Karachun, Pozvizd, Zimnik), Russian folk tales, folklore, Russian literature (A.N. Ostrovsky's play "The Snow Maiden", N.A. Nekrasov's poem "Frost, Red Nose", a poem by V.Ya. Bryusov "To the King of the North Pole", the Karelian-Finnish epic "Kalevala").

Pozvizd - Slavic god of storms and bad weather. As soon as he shook his head, a large hail fell on the ground. Instead of a cloak, the winds dragged behind him, snow flakes fell from the hems of his clothes. Pozvizd rushed swiftly through the heavens, accompanied by a retinue of storms and hurricanes.

In the legends of the ancient Slavs, there was another character - Zimnik. He, like Frost, was presented as an old man of small stature, with white hair and a long gray beard, with an uncovered head, in warm white clothes and with an iron mace in his hands. Where he passes - there expect a cruel cold.

Among the Slavic deities, Karachun stood out for his ferocity - an evil spirit that shortens life. The ancient Slavs considered him an underground god who commanded frost.

But over time, Frost changed. Stern, in the company of the Sun and Wind, walking around the earth and freezing to death the peasants who met on the way (in the Belarusian fairy tale "Frost, Sun and Wind), he gradually turns from a formidable into a fair and kind grandfather.

The Santa Claus costume did not appear immediately either. At first he was depicted in a raincoat. By the beginning of the 19th century, the Dutch depicted him as a slender pipe smoker, skillfully cleaning the chimneys through which he threw gifts to children. At the end of the same century, he was dressed in a red fur coat trimmed with fur. In 1860, the American artist Thomas Knight adorned Santa Claus with a beard, and soon the Englishman Tenniel created the image of a good-natured fat man. With such Santa Claus, we are all well acquainted.

And yet, let's try to determine the main features of the appearance of the Russian Santa Claus, corresponding to both historical and modern ideas about this fairy-tale wizard. According to one of the researchers of the image of Santa Claus - candidate of historical sciences, art critic and ethnologist Svetlana Vasilievna Zharnikova - the traditional image of Santa Claus, according to ancient mythology and color symbolism, suggests:

Beard and hair- thick, gray (silver). These details of appearance, in addition to their "physiological" meaning (the old man - gray-haired), also carry a huge symbolic character denoting power, happiness, prosperity and wealth. Surprisingly, it is the hair that is the only detail of the appearance that has not undergone any significant changes over the millennia.

Shirt and trousers- white, linen, decorated with white geometric patterns (a symbol of purity). This detail is almost lost in the modern idea of ​​a costume. The performers of the role of Santa Claus and dressers prefer to cover the neck of the performer with a white scarf (which is acceptable). As a rule, they do not pay attention to trousers or they are sewn in red to match the color of the fur coat (a terrible mistake!)

Fur coat- long (up to the ankle or shin), always red, embroidered with silver (eight-pointed stars, geese, crosses and other traditional ornaments), trimmed with swan down. Some modern theatrical costumes, alas, sin with experiments in the field of colors and substitution of materials. Surely many have seen a gray-haired wizard in a blue or green fur coat. If so, know that this is not Santa Claus, but one of his many "younger brothers". If the fur coat is short (the shin is open) or has pronounced buttons, then you have a suit of Santa Claus, Per Noel or one of the foreign brothers of Santa Claus. But the replacement of swan down with white fur, although not desirable, is still acceptable.

A cap- red, embroidered with silver and pearls. Trimming (hall) with swan down (white fur) with a triangular cutout made on the front part (stylized horns). The shape of the hat is semi-oval (the round shape of the hat is traditional for Russian tsars, it is enough to recall the headdress of Ivan the Terrible). In addition to the imposing attitude to color described above, theatrical costume designers of our time tried to diversify the decoration and shape of Santa Claus's headdress. The following "inaccuracies" are characteristic: replacing pearls with glass diamonds and gems (permissible), the absence of a cutout behind the rim (not desirable, but very common), a hat of the correct semicircular shape (this is Vladimir Monomakh) or a cap (Santa Claus), a pompom (he same).

Three-fingered gloves or mittens- white, embroidered with silver - a symbol of purity and holiness of everything that he gives from his hands. Three-fingeredness has been a symbol of belonging to the highest divine principle since the Neolithic. It is not known what symbolic meaning modern red mittens carry.

Belt- white with a red ornament (a symbol of the connection between ancestors and descendants). Nowadays, it has been preserved as an element of the costume, having completely lost its symbolic meaning and the corresponding color scheme. It's a pity …

Shoes- silver or red, silver-embroidered boots with a raised toe. The heel is beveled, small or completely absent. On a frosty day, Santa Claus puts on white felt boots embroidered with silver. White color and silver are symbols of the moon, holiness, north, water and purity. It is by shoes that you can distinguish the real Santa Claus from the "fake". A more or less professional performer of the role of Santa Claus will never go out to the public in boots or black boots! As a last resort, he will try to find red dancing boots or ordinary black felt boots (which is certainly not desirable).

Staff- crystal or silver "under the crystal". The handle is twisted, also in a silver-white color scheme. The staff is completed by a lunnitsa (a stylized image of the month) or a bull's head (a symbol of power, fertility and happiness). It is difficult to find a staff that matches these descriptions these days. The fantasy of decorators and props almost completely changed its shape.

And some more features of Santa Claus

The external features of Santa Claus and his invariable attributes are as follows:

1. Santa Claus wears a very warm hat with fur trim. Attention: no bombs and brushes!

2. Santa's nose is usually red. (No bad analogies! It's just VERY cold in the far north!) But a blue nose is also allowed due to Grandfather's snow and ice origin.

3. Santa Claus has a beard to the floor. White and fluffy like snow.

4. Santa Claus wears a long thick fur coat. Initially, quite a long time ago, the color of the fur coat was blue, cold, but under the influence of the red coats of the "European brothers" it changed to red. Although both options are currently allowed.

5. Santa Claus hides his hands in huge mittens. (see also point 7)

6. Santa Claus does not wear belts, but ties his fur coat with a sash (belt). Last but not least, fasten with buttons.

7. Santa Claus prefers only felt boots. And it is not surprising, because at - 50? C (usual northern air temperature) in boots, even the Snow Master's feet will freeze.

8. Santa Claus always carries a staff with him. Firstly, to make it easier to wade through the snowdrifts. And secondly, according to legend, Santa Claus, while still being "wild Frost", with this very staff "froze" the people.

9. A bag of gifts - a later attribute of the Master of Winter. Many children believe that he is bottomless. In any case, Santa Claus never lets anyone near the bag, but he himself takes out gifts from it. He does this without looking, but he always guesses who is waiting for what gift.

10. Santa Claus moves on foot, through the air or on a sleigh pulled by a troika. He also likes to cross his native expanses by skiing. No cases of deer use have been reported.

11. The most important difference between the Russian Santa Claus is his constant companion, the granddaughter of the Snow Maiden. It is understandable: alone and in the far north, you can die of longing! And with the granddaughter it is more fun. P.S. And Santa Claus never wears glasses and never smokes a pipe!

Snow Maiden, granddaughter of Santa Claus

Later, Grandfather Frost had a granddaughter Snegurka or Snegurochka, the heroine of many Russian fairy tales, a snow girl. Yes, and Santa Claus himself has changed: he began to bring gifts to children on New Year's Eve and fulfill innermost desires.

As you can see, the origin of the Russian Santa Claus is fundamentally different from the European Santa Claus. If Santa Claus was a real historical figure who was elevated to the rank of saints for good deeds, then the Russian Santa Claus is rather a pagan spirit, a character of folk beliefs and fairy tales. Despite the fact that the modern image of Santa Claus was already formed under the influence of the European New Year's character, most of the characteristic Russian features remained. To this day, Russian Grandfather Frost walks in a long fur coat, felt boots and with a staff. He prefers to move on foot, by air, or on a sleigh drawn by a frisky troika. His constant companion is the granddaughter of the Snow Maiden. Santa Claus plays the game "I'll Freeze" with children and hides gifts under the Christmas tree on New Year's Eve.

The Snow Maiden, the granddaughter of Father Frost, accompanies her Grandfather everywhere. The image of the Snow Maiden is a symbol of frozen waters. This is a girl dressed only in white clothes (or colors resembling frozen water). The headdress of Grandfather Frost's granddaughter is an eight-pointed crown embroidered with silver and pearls.

From the story of Santa Claus

The creation of Santa Claus as an obligatory character of the New Year's ritual is attributed to the Soviet authorities and is dated to the end of the 1930s, when after several years of the ban, the Christmas tree was again allowed.

The rapid process of developing this image as an indispensable participant in the children's holiday of the Christmas tree became possible in the pre-war years only when relying on the literary tradition and everyday practice, which in its main features had developed long before October.

This image is already recognizable: “good Moroz Ivanovich” - a “gray-haired-gray-haired” old man who, as he “shakes his head, frost falls from his hair”; he lives in an ice house, and sleeps on a featherbed made of fluffy snow.

On the one hand, according to Nekrasov's poem "Frost, Red Nose" (1863), he is portrayed as a harmful atmospheric spirit, which is credited with the ability to have a detrimental effect on a person.

On the other hand (mainly in poetry for children), its positive counterpart is born, the main function of which is the formation of "healthy" weather and the creation of winter "magic".

Nekrasov’s “Frost, Red Nose” also begins to “work” to create this image, from which only the fragment “It’s not the wind that rages over the forest ...” is taken for children’s use, where the main character, torn out of the context of the poem, acts as a “voivode”, unlimited the ruler of the winter forest and a magician who puts his "kingdom" into "diamonds, pearls, silver."

At the same time and regardless of the literary image of Frost, a mythological character arises and develops in the urban environment, "managing" the Christmas tree and, like the Christmas tree itself, originally borrowed from the West. In the course of the reorientation of the Christmas tree "on domestic soil" and the creation of pseudo-folklore Christmas tree mythology, the design of Santa Claus took place. This character was formed in the process of searching for answers to children's questions: where does the Christmas tree come from in the house, who brings it, who gives gifts?

The process of name unification stretches over several decades: old Ruprecht (1861) - isolated cases pointing to the German tradition; St. Nikolai or Grandfather Nikolai (1870) - the option is discarded early, since among the Russians, as already noted, Nikola never acted as a donor; Santa Claus (1914) - only when depicting Western Christmas trees; just an old man living in the woods in winter (1894); kind Morozko (1886); Moroz Yolkich (1890s).

In the struggle for the name, Santa Claus turned out to be the winner. There is no analogue to this name in any Western Christmas tree character. In East Slavic mythology, Frost is a respected creature, but also dangerous: in order not to arouse his anger, he had to be handled with care; asking not to destroy the harvest, he was cajoled; they scared the kids. But along with this, he also acted as the Grandfather (deceased parent, ancestor) coming on Christmas Eve.

On Christmas tree holidays, Santa Claus does not appear immediately, but in the middle or even towards the end of the celebration. According to popular notions, any guest is always welcome and should be an object of veneration as a representative of a foreign world. So Santa Claus becomes welcome on the Christmas tree, and he should be invited, which is quite consistent with the ritual of inviting mythological characters - ancestors or the same folklore Frost. Santa Claus, in essence, becomes the ancestor-giver. Therefore, they call him not an old man or an old man, but a grandfather or grandfather. By the beginning of the 20th century, the image of Santa Claus had finally taken shape: he functions as a toy on the Christmas tree, the main figure standing under the Christmas tree, an advertising doll in the windows, a character in children's literature, a masquerade mask, a giver of the Christmas tree and gifts.

At this time, the opinion about the “original”, antiquity of this image is affirmed: “Grandfather Frost ... suddenly appears in the hall and, just like a hundred or two hundred years ago, and maybe a thousand years ago, together with the children, dances around Christmas trees, singing an old song in chorus, after which gifts begin to pour out of his bag for children. When an anti-religious campaign began in the USSR in the mid-1920s, not only the Christmas tree, but also Santa Claus turned into “religious trash” and began to be regarded as “a product of the anti-people activities of the capitalists.”

The anti-Christmas campaign was attended by poets who were in the service of the Soviet government, such as Demyan Bedny, who wrote:

Under "Christmas" at lunchtime

Old-fashioned Christmas grandfather

With such a long, long beard

Poured fabulous "Santa Claus"

With a Christmas tree under his arm, he carried a sleigh,

Sledge with a five-year-old child.

There is nothing Soviet here!

Together with the rehabilitation of the Christmas tree at the end of 1935, the denunciations of Father Frost also ceased, after some doubts, he was completely restored in his rights. Organizers of children's trees got the opportunity to take the initiative, compilers of books - recommendations on the arrangement of Christmas trees wrote scripts, which eventually led to the development of a standard ritual of a public children's tree.

If earlier children received various gifts that differed both in quality and material value, now Santa Claus brought the same packages for all children, which he took out of his bag in a row.

Download:

Preview:

Father Frost. Origin story

Many people think that Santa Claus is of Russian origin, and his family tree goes back to the image of a frosty old man from Russian folk tales. This is not entirely true, or rather, not at all. It is sometimes mistakenly believed that Father Frost and the Snow Maiden have been companions of festive New Year trees since ancient times, but this happened only at the end of the 19th century.

In the legends of our ancestors, from ancient times there was Frost - the lord of the winter cold. His image reflects the ideas of the ancient Slavs about Karachun, the god of the winter cold. Frost was represented as a short old man with a long gray beard. From November to March, Frost always has a lot of work. Frost runs through the forests and thumps with his staff, which causes bitter frosts. Frost rushes through the streets and paints the windowpanes with the mi pattern. Frost freezes the surface of lakes and rivers. Frost pinches the nose, gives us a blush, amuses us with fluffy snowfalls.

This image of the winter ruler is artistically developed and embodied in Russian fairy tales in the images of Grandfather Student, Grandfather Treskun, Moroz Ivanovich, Morozko. However, although these frosty grandfathers were not devoid of a sense of justice and compassion and sometimes gave gifts to kind and hardworking people wandering into their domain, they were not associated with the coming of the New Year and handing out gifts was not their main concern.

The prototype of the modern Santa Claus is considered a real person named Nikolai, who was born in the 3rd century in Asia Minor (on the Mediterranean coast) in a wealthy family and later became a bishop. Having inherited a considerable fortune, Nicholas helped the poor, the needy, the unfortunate, and especially took care of the children.

In Russia, Saint Nicholas, nicknamed Nicholas the Wonderworker or Nicholas of Myra, also gained fame and worship, becoming one of the most revered saints. Sailors and fishermen considered him their patron and intercessor, but this saint did especially a lot of good and wonderful things for children.

There are many traditions and legends about the mercy and intercession of St. Nicholas in relation to children, which are common in Western Europe. One of these stories tells that a certain poor father of a family could not find the means to feed his three daughters, and, in despair, was going to give them into the wrong hands. Having heard about this, St. Nicholas, having made his way into the house, put a bag of coins into the chimney. At that time, the old, worn-out shoes of the sisters were drying in the stove (according to another version, their stockings were drying by the fireplace). In the morning, the amazed girls took out their old shoes (stockings) filled with gold. Is it necessary to say that their happiness and exultation knew no bounds? Kind-hearted Christians tenderly retold this story to many generations of their children and grandchildren, which led to the emergence of a custom: children put their boots on the threshold at night and hang their stockings by the bed with the expectation of receiving gifts from St. Nicholas in the morning. The tradition of giving gifts to children on St. Nicholas Day has existed in Europe since the 14th century, gradually this custom moved to Christmas night.

In the 19th century, together with European emigrants, the image of St. Nicholas became known in America. The Dutch Saint Nicholas, who was called Sinter Klaas in his homeland, reincarnated as the American Santa Claus. This was facilitated by the book by Clement Clark Moore, The Coming of St. Nicholas, which appeared in 1822 in America. It tells about the Christmas meeting of a boy with St. Nicholas, who lives in the cold North and drives around on a fast reindeer team with a bag of toys, giving them away to children.

Naturally, it was not difficult for a Christmas grandfather to take root in Russia, since a similar image has been present in Slavic folklore since ancient times, developed in Russian folk tales and fiction (N.A. Nekrasov’s poem “Frost, Red Nose”). The appearance of the Russian frosty grandfather absorbed both ancient Slavic ideas (an old man of short stature with a long gray beard and a staff in his hand), and features of the Santa Claus costume (a red fur coat trimmed with white fur).

This is a brief background of the appearance on the Christmas holidays, and later on the New Year trees, of the Russian Santa Claus. And it is all the more pleasant that only our Santa Claus has granddaughter Snow Maiden and she was born in Russia.

Where did Santa Claus come from? The answer to this question interests not only children, but also adults. On the eve of the New Year, the history of the emergence of this fabulous image will be informative for all readers.

pagan traditions

Our ancestors in ancient times worshiped many gods at once. Each image was responsible for a certain element or action. For example, Perun was considered the main deity and was called the Thunderer in another way.

According to legend, Svarog was responsible for all the gods who led the natural forces. Morozko was a similar character in those days. He was in charge of the weather in winter. It was believed that this deity gave the Slavs sparkling snow and a festival with the onset of cold weather.

People firmly believed that during the attack of enemy troops, it was he who did not allow them to advance further, freezing everything around. According to legend, this deity created such ice that it was impossible to cut even with iron axes.

Fight against paganism

After the arrival of Christianity in the Russian lands, active propaganda of the new faith began. All forces fought against paganism. In those days, the image of Morozko was drastically changed, making him a negative hero.

According to an invented legend, he turned into the Great Elder of the North, who came to different settlements and brutally froze people. One of these tragedies is described in the work "Frost - a Red Nose", which belongs to Nekrasov's pen.

In the poem, the Great Old Man froze his lonely mother in the forest without regret. Due to this tragedy, several children were left orphans, they had to overcome many difficulties in order to survive on their own.

The uneducated villagers began to believe in this legend. With the advent of winter, they were terribly afraid that this deity would come to their house.

Did Santa Claus pick up children

In the days of ancient Rus', in every village, the guys were afraid of this hero. They waited in horror for his arrival. It was believed that it was he who brought severe frosts and winds to the villages in order to "pick up" the children.

Often in poor houses during a strong snowstorm it was very cold, because such shacks were not heated in any way. Weak guys sometimes froze to death. Such a misfortune in the family was associated with the arrival of this by no means kind and long-awaited character. For those families, it did not matter where Santa Claus came from. The story, unfortunately, is not very pleasant. But she also had a place.

In those days, it was believed that this deity took the children to him. Unlike modern children, the children of ancient Rus' never expected this hero and were very afraid of him. Everyone didn’t even want to pronounce his name aloud, and no one was interested in the question of where Santa Claus came from.

Crucial moment

In 1910, for the first time, cartoon postcards began to depict this character in a more attractive way. Artists in this way tried to eradicate pagan traditions and overcome fear among children.

A character appeared on the cards who smiled and came to the children with a large bag of gifts. Artists knew for sure that kids are very easy to bribe even with small surprises, because kids are so gullible.

With the help of new fairy tales and stories, they and their parents were offered a good version of where Santa Claus came from in Russia.

During the Soviet period, belief in any deity was strictly prohibited. In those days, Christianity was also actively oppressed. In order to further increase the patriotism of children, they turned into a kind old man who brings gifts to good children, a little forgotten Santa Claus. Where this character came from, no one knew. His legend at that time had not yet been invented.

Santa Claus, as well as his wonderful granddaughter Snegurochka, became the most beloved and desired characters. They came to kindergartens and schools for New Year's parties, entertained the kids near the Christmas trees, which in those days were organized in every park and in every club. In Soviet times, many wonderful cartoons and films were shot about these kind fairy-tale heroes, which today's children also enjoy watching. Perhaps because there was not even a hint of violence in such tapes, wonderful human qualities, such as honesty, mutual assistance, friendship, were unobtrusively instilled in children. Santa Claus in these tapes has always been fair, cheerful and infinitely kind.

Truth and speculation

Those who were children during the Soviet era will probably be very surprised to learn that some modern historians are trying to connect the image of Santa Claus with communist propaganda. In those days, this hero was sincerely loved and believed that he was "the real one." And the statement that he comes only to obedient children hardly needs to be given a negative connotation, because not only in the Soviet Union they tried to influence the behavior of children in this way. Andersen's fairy-tale character Ole Lukoye also opens colored umbrellas only over obedient children.

For the first time, a children's matinee with the participation of Santa Claus was held in 1935 in Kharkov. The event was a huge success. The good red-cheeked grandfather in a red coat was loved not only by children, but also by adults, he carried so much positive with him, created a festive mood.

Image Development

Gradually, this character entered the lives of people so firmly that few people were interested in the question of where Santa Claus came from. It was enough for the children to know that he brings gifts for the New Year, and they were very much looking forward to his arrival.

With the help of cinematography, an approximately identical image of the character emerged. He was required to have:

• Gray hair and long beard.
• Cheerful smile.
• Red cheeks.
• Staff.
• Red or blue sheepskin coat and the same hat.
• Big bag with gifts.
• Kind eyes.

Gradually, this hero acquired incredible stories and legends.

Snow Maiden: daughter or granddaughter?

Over time, the writers decided to diversify the character and added an assistant to him. Where did Ded Moroz and Snegurochka come from? For the first time, people learned about this heroine from the work of Ostrovsky.

The fairy tale told that the Snow Maiden appeared in the forest in front of the walkers, who was attracted by the songs and dances of the youth. According to the plot, the girl was the daughter of Santa Claus and helped him to live.

Over time, her image passed into the status of a granddaughter. There is an easy explanation for this. By age, a small girl approached the children, with whom communication at matinees became more pleasant and liberated.

Where did Santa Claus come from in Russia, and where does he live? There is no single answer to the question. This hero has repeatedly changed his place of residence during his existence. Even in ancient times, it was believed that the deity lives in a dense forest.

With the advent of Soviet power, this hero was relocated to Arkhangelsk. Children were taken there on excursions and showed his residence. Now Veliky Ustyug is considered the official place of residence. Here the architects built a large residence of Father Frost with all winter attributes.

Thousands of children come here during the New Year holidays to get acquainted with their favorite character and plunge into his life. Many adults, in order to return at least for a while to their childhood, are also happy to walk around the possessions of their favorite fairy-tale hero.

Santa Claus has a full-fledged family. Winter is considered his wife, and the well-known Snegurochka is his granddaughter. Together they reread the children's letters and collect gifts in a big bag.

Santa Claus has several animals on his farm. It has long been customary that this hero travels in a sleigh pulled by three horses. But in the residence of the character there is also a beautiful deer Leshka.

In the penates of Frost, there is a room for a wardrobe. It contains a large number of elegant fur coats of the character. Also here you can find a ski suit and summer outfits. Thus, the Russian Santa Claus is a "fashionista" in comparison with similar characters from other countries.

November 18 is considered to be the birthday of our fairy-tale hero. Around this period of the year, colds set in and frosts intensify in Russia. Father Frost celebrates his holiday first in Veliky Ustyug, and a few days later he arrives in the capital. Here, hundreds of children are also waiting for him with gifts and congratulations.

The main Santa Claus of the country is 37-year-old Andrei Balin. He has been in charge of the household at the residence for 15 years. The livestock specialist, at the age of 22, signed an agreement with the local authorities and makes the kids happy every year during the winter holidays.

Prototypes in other countries

Almost every state has its own characters who play the role of donors for the New Year. So, in Cyprus and Greece, Santa Claus is called Agios Vasilis. In these countries, January 1 is considered not only the New Year, but also a holiday named after all Vasilyev and Vasilis.

Where did Santa Claus come from in France? Peer Noel - this is the name of this character in this European country. Its history of appearance is connected with religion. Per Noel is considered the prototype of St. Nicholas, who gave sweets to children from poor families on Christmas holidays.

American Santa Claus is increasingly appearing in commercials in our country. The story of the appearance of the hero is connected with Nikolai Ugodnik. This saint was a real character and experienced many trials in his life. Despite this, he always remained the patron of children.

Initially, Santa Claus had the appearance of an elf and was dressed in dark green clothes. But in 1930, the famous Coca-Cola company came up with a publicity stunt and depicted the character in the red and white colors used for their products.

Since that time, Santa Claus has become a large old man with a beard and mustache. He travels everywhere in a sleigh pulled by 12 deer. The favorite of them is Rudolf. The American prototype does not have a Snow Maiden. Little elves help him in everything. They go through the kids' letters and collect gifts.

Where did Santa Claus come from in Africa? Does he exist there? Of course yes. Here, too, there is such a character. His name is Papa Noel. Of all the characters, he is the most secretive, does not like to be in public. No one knows exactly what he looks like, where he lives.

The most interesting and unusual name has a character from Finland. Here it is called Joulupukki. Finnish Santa Claus comes to the children on a goat. Gnomes work for him as assistants. He lives with his wife in a small house on the mountain.

It probably doesn’t matter what this hero is called, how tall he is, what he is wearing. The question of where Santa Claus came from, let adults worry. It is enough for children to simply believe in his existence and wait for his arrival every New Year. After all, the feeling of a fairy tale and a miracle is preserved in a person throughout his life.