Father Christmas comes from the jungle to visit Christian families in the African Republic of Ghana.

Aussie Santa wears the traditional clothing of Australian cattlemen. The kangaroos pull Santa’s sleigh. The Joey, as the baby kangaroos are called, lives in the mother’s pouch and helps the mother carry out her Christmas duties.

In the 1930s, Brazil's bringer of gifts was known as Vovo Indio or Grandpa Indian and comes from the rain forest.

Christmas Old Man comes during the Holy Birth Festival (Sheng Dan Jieh). He fills stockings with gifts from his wicker basket.

The English gift giver is called Father Christmas. Father Christmas delivers gifts during the night before Christmas. The children leave an empty stocking or pillowcase hanging at the end of the bed. In the morning, they hope it will be full of presents.

Pere Noel left gifts in wooden shoes left out by good children. His little companion, Pere Fouchette, left switches for the bad children.

On December 6th, the German holiday season begins with the celebration of Saint Nicholas' Day. On Christmas Eve. St. Nicholas brings gifts and pleasant rewards to all good children leaving them in their shoes.

The Icelandic folk believe that one of these characters arrives each day for the 13 days before Christmas and each one bears a little gift for every child in the household.

La Befana comes down the chimney with gifts and firewood on Epiphany Eve., January 5th. She carries a hand bell and waves a cane to warn bad children.

Since Christianity took hold in Korea, Christmas has been a growing holiday. It is a little different than in the West because many young people will use Christmas as a day to go out and party and then will spend New Year’s with family, which is just the opposite of many western families.

Old Man Christmas is the central figure in the Latin Christmas celebration.

The people of Lapland (Samis) are nomads who have lived there for thousands of years. Their entire existence is connected to the reindeer herds, which they follow through migrations. 

Father Christmas scatters grain into the corner of honor behind the table (krikstasuolis) and brings gifts for the children. The children are required to earn their gifts by reciting a poem, singing a song, dancing or playing an instrument.

The Holy Man is an ancient King who bears gifts.

Tsai Sen Yeh is the Mongol/Chinese version of St. Nick. Tsai Sen Yeh was a Chinese God who showered children with money and gifts each Herdsman’s Day which was celebrated at the end of each year and featured gift exchanging and a rodeo among the nomads.

Star Man visits Polish homes after Christmas Eve supper with small gifts for children.

Black Pete has a role in St. Nicholas’ decisions as to what Dutch children receive for Christmas. The naughty children would be taken away by Black Pete or be punished.

Jules Venn (gift bringer’ of Norse Mythology) comes during mid-winter festivities of “Jul” to hide lucky barley stalks around the house.

Grandfather Frost travels from house to house bringing gifts on the non-religious holiday of New Years, often appearing in a bishop’s robe.

The Abbot of Unreason was elected at the end of the year festival to lead festivities.

Each Christmas, Swiss children receive a visit from Samichlaus who consults his big book of sins (provided by parents) and asks the children to earn forgiveness by reciting a poem. He provides treats such as tangerines, nuts, gingerbread, etc.

Contemporary Santa Claus was born in the United States thanks to a myriad of artists, writers, legends and the evolving nature of our country at the time. It is thought that the name is derived from the Dutch word for St. Nicholas, Sinterklass.

American Santa Claus, which comes from the Dutch Sinterklass was a Christian leader from Myra (in modern-day Turkey in the 4th Century AD) he was very shy and wanted to give money to poor people without them knowing about it. He would drop money from the roof which landed in a stocking, this is how the belief of him coming down the chimney came to be.

For unto us a child Is born, unto us a son is given