piątek, 3 stycznia 2014

Father Christmas ( in green)

Father Christmas is the traditional British name for a figure associated with Christmas. The term is also used in many English-speaking countries outside the United States. A similar figure with the same name (in other languages) exists in several other countries, including Wales (Sion Corn), Canada and France (Père Noël), Spain (Papá Noel, Padre Noel), Azerbaijan (Şaxta Baba), almost all Hispanic South America (Papá Noel), Brazil (Papai Noel), Portugal (Pai Natal), Italy (Babbo Natale), Ireland (Daidí na Nollag), Armenia (Dzmer Papik), India (Christmas Father), Andorra (Pare Noel), Romania (Moş Crăciun) Turkey (Noel Baba), Hungary (Télapó) and Bulgaria (Dyado Koleda, Grandfather Christmas ).

Although he has a quite different origin, in the English-speaking world Father Christmas is now associated with the development in the United States of Santa Claus, and most people consider them to be different names for the same figure. In English Canada and French Canada, Santa Claus and Père Noël are the same character.



 

 

Father Christmas often appears as a large man, often around seventy years old. He is dressed in a red suit trimmed with white fur, often girdled with a wide black belt, a matching hat, often long and floppy in nature, and dark boots. Often he carries a large brown sack filled with toys on his back (rarely, images of him have a beard but with no moustache[citation needed]). Urban myth has it that the red suit only appeared after the Coca Cola company started an advertising campaign depicting a red suited Father Christmas in the 1930s. However, the red suit was used long before, including by American illustrator Thomas Nast.
Father Christmas comes down the chimney to put presents under the Christmas tree or in children's rooms, in their stockings. Some families leave a glass of sherry or mulled wine, mince pies, biscuits, or chocolate and a carrot for his reindeer near the stocking(s) as a present for him. In modern homes without chimneys he uses alternative means to enter the home, such as a magical key that unlocks all doors. In some homes children write Christmas lists (of wished-for presents) and send them up the chimney or post them. He is often said to live at the North Pole.

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