List of Christmas and winter gift-bringers by country


This is a list of Christmas and winter/summer gift-bringer figures from around the world.
The history of mythical or folkloric gift-bringing figures who appear in winter, often at or around the Christmas period, is complex, and in many countries the gift-bringer – and the gift-bringer's date of arrival – has changed over time as native customs have been influenced by those in other countries. While many though not all gift-bringers originated as religious figures, gift-bringing is often now a non-religious custom and secular figures exist in many countries that have little or no tradition of celebrating Christmas as a religious festival. Some figures are entirely local, and some have been deliberately and more recently invented.
The main originating strands – all of which have their roots in Europe – are
Not all gift-bringers were or are specifically focused on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day: other common customs are 6 December, 1 January, New Year, and 6 January, Epiphany.
The international popularity of the figure of Santa Claus, originally from the United States, has transformed the older traditions of many countries.

List of gift-bringers

Given the overlapping nature of gift-bringers throughout the world in name, attributes, date of arrival, and religious versus secular identity, this list may include winter gift-bringers that are not specifically associated with Christmas. The list should however not include mythical or folkloric characters that do not bring gifts, such as Father Time.
NationOld manChildOtherNotes
AfghanistanPapa Noël ; Baba Chaghaloo
AlbaniaBabai i Krishtlindjeve
AndorraPare Noel Els Tres Reis
ArgentinaPapá Noel El Niño Diós Reyes Magos 6 January;
ArmeniaDzmer Papik Gaghant BabaGaghant Baba is a more traditional figure associated with the old Armenian new year, while Dzmer Papik is a more recent importation to the Republic of Armenia
AustraliaFather Christmas
AustriaSt Nikolaus or Nikolo 6 December.Christkind
AzerbaijanŞaxta Baba
BelarusДзед Мароз
BelgiumPère Noël and St Nicholas, 6 December, for French speakers; Kerstman and Sinterklaas, 6 December, for Dutch speakersLe Petit Jesus for French speakers
BoliviaPapá Noel El Niño Diós
BosniaDjed Božićnjak 1 January
BrazilPapai Noel, Bom Velhinho.
BulgariaДядо Коледа
CanadaSanta Claus, Père Noël for French speakers
ChileEl Viejito Pascuero, referring to him appearing at "Christmas Time", which in Chile is often called "Nativity's Easter" or simply "Easter", in contrast to "Resurrection Easter".
ChinaShengdan laoren
ColombiaPapá Noel El Niño Diós, El Niño Jesús
Costa RicaSanta Clós, San Nicolás or his nickname Colacho.El Niño Diós
CroatiaDjed Božićnjak, Djed Mraz, Sveti Nikola 6 December, Santa ClausMali Isus In Dalmatia and Slavonia, St Lucy arrives on the eve of her feast day, 13 December.
CyprusΆγιος Βασίλης 1 January
Czech RepublicAngel and devil accompanying Mikulas 6 DecemberJežíšek
DenmarkJulemanden
Dominican RepublicPapá Noel, Santa Clós Los Tres Reyes Magos 6 January, Vieja Belén
EcuadorPapá Noel El Niño Diós The Three Kings 6 January
EgyptPapa Noël
EnglandFather Christmas or synonymously Santa ClausBefore mid-Victorian times Father Christmas was a different folkloric figure representing good cheer, and did not bring gifts.
EstoniaJõuluvana
FinlandJoulupukki
FrancePère Noël Le Petit Jésus Tante Arie in Franche-ComtéSaint Nicolas in Alsace-Lorraine
Georgiaთოვლის ბაბუა 1 January
GermanyWeihnachtsmann in Protestant areas; Nikolaus, 6 December.Christkind in Catholic areasNikolaus is accompanied by Knecht Ruprecht, Krampus, Belsnickel or other servants in some regions of Germany. These servants should "punish" children, who didn't behave during the year.
GreeceΆγιος Βασίλης 1 January
HaitiTonton Nwèl
HondurasSanta ClausThe Three Kings
Hong Kong聖誕老人 , Santa Claus, St Nicholas, Father Christmas
HungaryTélapó ; Mikulás 6 DecemberJézuska" or "Kis Jézus" Angels accompanying the baby Jesus
IcelandJólasveinar In Icelandic folk tales there are numerous Jólasveinar, which come on different dates.
IndiaChristmas Father, Jingal Bell, Santa Claus; Santa Masi in Telugu; Thatha ; in Marathi Natal Bua ; in Tamil Christmas Thatha ; in southern India ಸಾ೦ಟಾ ಕ್ಲಾಸ್; in Malayalam, Christmas Pappa.
IndonesiaSanta Claus, Sinterklas
IranSanta Claus, Baba Noel ; Amu Nowruz, also known as Papa Nowruz, Spring Equinox.
IrelandSanta Claus, Father Christmas, Daidí na Nollag for Irish speakers
ItalyBabbo Natale ; in Trieste, St Nicholas 6 December.Gesù bambino La Befana 6 January. In Sicily, Udine, Bergamo, Brescia, Cremona, Lodi, Mantova, Piacenza, Parma, Reggio Emilia, Verona and Western Trentino, St Lucy arrives on the eve of her feast day, 13 December.
Japanサンタクロース is known, but is not a traditional visitorOn 2 Jan the Seven Lucky Gods bring metaphorical treasures in their treasure ship Takarabune
Korea산타 할아버지 , 산타 클로스
LatviaZiemassvētku vecītis
LiechtensteinChristkind
LithuaniaKalėdų Senelis
LuxembourgKleeschen Christkind
MaltaFather Christmas
MexicoSanta Clós El Niño Diós Los Tres Reyes Magos
NetherlandsKerstman, Sinterklaas 5 DecemberZwarte Piet, accompanies Sinterklaas
North MacedoniaDedo Mraz
New ZealandFather Christmas, known in Maori as Hana Koko.
NicaraguaEl Niño The Three Kings
NorwayJulenissen
PanamaSanta ClausChrist ChildThe Three Kings 6 January
ParaguayPapá Noel El Niño Diós
PeruPapá Noel, Santa Claus
PhilippinesSanta Claus, 24 December Los Tres Reyes Magos, Tatlóng Haring Mago, 5 January
PolandGwiazdor, Santa Claus, Święty Mikołaj 6 DecemberDzieciątko in Upper Silesia
PortugalPai Natal, Santa ClausMenino Jesus – now less common
Puerto RicoSanta Clós Previously The Three Kings
RomaniaMoş Crăciun, Moş Nicolae 6 DecemberJézuska or Kis Jézus Angyal Moş Gerilă during the previous Communist era
RussiaДед Мороз ; in Sakha Republic Чысхаан ; in Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug – Ямал Ири Snegurochka and the New Year BoyBefore 1917, during the pre-Communist era, the gift-bringers were St Nicholas, Baboushka and Kolyáda
ScotlandSanta Claus; Bodach na Nollaig
SerbiaNow Деда Мраз 1 January; previously Божић Бата
SloveniaMiklavž, Dedek Mraz, Božiček Jezušček Sveti trije kralji
South AfricaSinterklaas, Father Christmas, Santa Claus
SpainPapá Noel ; Olentzero in the Basque Country; Apalpador in some areas of Galicia,The Three Kings 6 January; Tió de Nadal in Catalonia; Anjanas in Cantabria; Anguleru in Asturias
Sri LankaNaththal Seeya
SwedenJultomten Julbock until the 19th century
SwitzerlandSt Nicholas, Père Noël for French-speakersChristkind in some areas, Gesù bambino in Italian-speaking areasLa Befana in Italian-speaking areas
SyriaPapa Noël
Taiwan聖誕老人 or 聖誕老公公
Thailandซานตาคลอส
TurkeyNoel Baba or Grandfather Gaxan 1 January
TurkmenistanAýaz baba
UkraineСвятий Миколай , Дід Мороз Christmas is celebrated according to the Gregorian calendar on 7 January
UruguayPapá Noel El Niño Diós
USASanta Claus; sometimes Kris Kringle
UzbekistanAyoz Bobo, Qor Bobo
VenezuelaSanta Clós El Niño Reyes Magos 6 January;
VietnamÔng Già Nô-en
WalesFather Christmas, Santa Claus; Siôn Corn'' in Welsh