Мы уже до такой степени привыкли к таким featured New Year's holidays like Christmas trees, garlands, Russian salad, etc., which almost do not think about how they became traditional. But often we answer the question of our children about where Santa Claus came from. About this today and talk. So…
The image of Santa Claus - handsome stately old manwith a long lush beard, with a staff in his hand and a bag of gifts - is now familiar to every child and adult. He comes in the New Year, congratulates, wishes happiness and presents to everyone. It is not surprising that his appearance is especially awaited at children's matinees.
The story of Santa Claus begins withthe depths of the ages, from the mythology of the ancient Slavs. But the one who thinks that he was originally a good wizard who brings joy is mistaken. Quite the contrary. Slavic predecessor of Father Frost - Snow Father, Karachun, Studenets, Treskun, Zimnik, Frost - was harsh, trying to freeze those who meet on the way. And the attitude towards children was peculiar - to carry in a bag ... He did not give out gifts, but he needed to be cajolded to avoid trouble. That's where the fun is left - sculpt snowmen. In fact, for our ancestors, these were idols depicting the god of winter. With the advent of Christianity, this peculiar spirit of Winter has been preserved in folk tales.
Only in the 19th century, Morozko, Moroz Ivanovich and otherscharacters of fairy tales began to be presented though strict but fair creatures. Kindness and hard work were rewarded, and laziness and malice were punished. The tale of Odoyevsky about Frost Ivanovich - this is where Santa Claus came from!
In the 80s of the 19th century with the holiday of Christmas,the example of European countries, began to bind a person called Christmas grandfather (or Christmas Santa). Here he has already brought gifts to reward children for good behavior throughout the year. But, unlike Santa Claus, he was not holy and had nothing to do with religion at all. And in the countryside, they did not notice his appearance at all and continued to celebrate Holy Evenings, as before, with fortune telling and carols.
But the general public, Santa Claus became familiar with1910 And Christmas cards helped in this. At first he was painted in a blue or white coat to toe, the color of winter itself. On the head was depicted a hat of the same color, also Grandfather wore warm boots and mittens. The magic staff and the bag with gifts became indispensable attributes.
After coming to power, the Bolsheviks began to fightagainst "religious trash". In 1929, the celebration of Christmas was banned as a religious holiday. It is clear that Santa Claus with a Christmas tree also fell into disgrace. Even fairy tales were recognized as deceit, designed to obscure the heads of the masses.
И только в 1935 году с подачи Сталина вышло decree of the Komsomol to celebrate the New Year. It was ordered to organize Christmas trees for children instead of pre-revolutionary Christmas. It was noted that this is wonderful fun for the children of the workers and peasants, who previously could only look with envy at the entertainment of the rich offspring.
The symbolism of the Christmas tree has also changed.It was a secular, not a religious holiday. Instead of the Bethlehem star, a red five-pointed star was lit on the top of the forest beauty. Santa Claus remained the same kind grandfather who brought gifts. He traveled on a Russian troika accompanied by his beloved granddaughter Snow Maiden.
So, we figured out where Santa Claus came from. The Snow Maiden next to him appeared much later. In ancient Slavic folklore there is no indication of our grandfather's companion.
The image of the Snow Maiden was coined by the writer A. N.Ostrovsky. In his fairy tale, she was the daughter of Santa Claus, who came to people attracted by music. After the appearance of the opera by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, the Snow Maiden became very popular. Sometimes she appeared at the Christmas trees, but by itself, without Santa Claus.
In 1937 on Yolka in Moscow House of Unionsfor the first time the Snow Maiden performed with her Grandfather. Her transformation from a daughter into a granddaughter happened because a cheerful girl or a very young girl was closer to the children for whom the holiday was arranged.
Since then, the Snow Maiden accompanies Father Frost onany New Year's holiday, most often it is she who is his leading. However, after Gagarin’s flight, sometimes a cosmonaut appeared on Yolki instead of Snow Maiden.
The history of Santa Claus in recent timessupplemented with new pages. In addition to the Snow Maiden, new fairytale heroes take part in the good New Year's magic. For example, the Snowman, which appeared in the tales of the wonderful children's writer and multiplier Suteev. He then goes to the forest for a Christmas tree for a holiday, then drives a car with gifts. Forest animals mostly help Grandfather, and some sometimes try to prevent the onset of the New Year holidays. Often Old Men-Lesoviches, Months Brothers appear in the scenarios ...
Where Santa Claus appeared from, he movedwalking or snowstorm wings. Subsequently, he began to represent the dashing Russian troika. And now in Veliky Ustyug there are also reindeer - the real winter type of transport. But the kindest wizard of a country whose possessions extend to the North Pole cannot be behind Santa Claus!
Curious children want to find out how old the grandfatherFrost. Despite the ancient Slavic roots, Grandpa is still quite young. It is possible to consider the appearance of the fairy tale "Moroz Ivanovich" by Odoyevsky (1840) as the moment of his birth. It is in her first appears a good old man who bestows a diligent girl and punishes the lazy. According to this version, the grandfather of 174 years.
But in the mentioned fairy tale, Frost has no onecomes, gifts in connection with the holiday does not distribute. All this will be much later, towards the end of the 19th century. If you count from this point on, Santa Claus is not even 150 years old.
If we consider the date of his birth in 1935, when they again began to spend the New Year trees, then Santa will have a modest anniversary - he will be 80 years old.
This is another question that children perplex.After all, they, who received gifts for the New Year, often want to thank the good old man. This question can be answered for sure - November 18th. After all, the children themselves decided so, choosing the day of winter in the homeland of Santa Claus as their birthday. It happened in 2005.
And now every year this day is helda great holiday, on which his colleagues arrive. These are Santa Claus from the real Lapland, Pakkaine from Karelia, Mikulas from the Czech Republic and even Chishan from Yakutia ... Every year the scale of the celebration expands, all new guests come together. But most importantly, from its homeland, from Kostroma, the Snow Maiden is in a hurry to congratulate Grandpa.
Guests from other places are invited to the celebration.cities. These include Santa Claus’s deputies, who will come to the children on New Year’s Eve, and fabulous helpers. All of them are waiting for fun activities. In the evening, Santa Claus lights the lights on the very first Christmas tree and announces the start of preparation for the New Year. After that, he and his assistants set out on a journey around the country in time to congratulate all its inhabitants.
In March, Santa Claus hands over his dutySpring Krasne and returns to his home. In public, until the next birthday, he will appear again - in the summer, on City Day. Both holidays include folk festivals, an extensive program of events telling about the Russian North, including excursions to the patrimony of Father Frost.
And may we not say exactly how old Santa Claus is, but congratulating him, writing a letter of good wishes is quite possible.
Where can Santa Claus live? At the North Pole? Or in Lapland, next to Santa Claus? Or maybe in the well, like in the fairy tale "Moroz Ivanovich"?
Адрес Деда Мороза многим известен очень даже OK. The residence is located in the city of Veliky Ustyug, in the Vologda region. They built a magnificent tower for him, his mail works. Father Frost even received a passport from the hands of the governor of the Vologda region. And to the question of children "where did Santa Claus come from," you can safely answer: from Great Ustyug.
If your child wants to write a letter,congratulate the good old man on his birthday, make a wish for the New Year, do not be alarmed and do not get lost, for it is easy to do. Write down the address of Santa Claus: 162390, Russia, Vologda region, the city of Veliky Ustyug. Mail Santa Claus.
