Papá Noel or Father Christmas: This is what Santa is called in other countries

While Christmas isn’t celebrated everywhere, through popular culture, most people are, at least, familiar with the figure of Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas…

Even in the Western world, where Christianity is far more prevalent, Christmas and the traditions that accompany the holiday differ from country to country. Though in the United States, Santa Claus is Santa, in Costa Rica, Father Christmas is known as Colacho. Nevertheless, while Santa goes under different guises, his vocation is the same wherever he is - a gift giver, a personification of Christmas and generosity.

Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas

In England, the figure of Father Christmas has links to the Church and can be traced back at least to the 15th Century, though some scholars trace the history even further. However, it was not until the late 19th Century that Father Christmas became synonymous with the mythical figure of Santa Claus, which was already popularized in North America and Canada, as both are rooted in the story of Saint Nicholas.

The figure of Father Christmas/Santa Claus derives from Saint Nicholas of Myra, or Nicholas of Bari, a Greek-born bishop during the time of the Roman Empire who was renowned for being a secret gift giver - one folktale describes him leaving gold for underprivileged children. Long after his death in 343 AD, many Western countries celebrated the Feast of Saint Nicholas - traditionally on 6 December, the day of his passing. Until relatively recently, Father Christmas was a symbolic figure rather than the mythical being he is portrayed as in modern times.

During the 16th Century Reformation, when many countries broke away from Roman religious rule, the date of the Feast of Saint Nicholas was moved to the 24th and 25th of December. The myth of Santa Claus, as celebrated by millions of children in the United States, began to take shape. The mythical figure of Santa Claus, Sinterklaas, or Father Christmas, was said to visit the households of children on Christmas Eve, December 24, to leave gifts for children who had behaved well throughout the year.

There are several theories about how Santa Claus emerged in North America. The most popular and feasible theory ties his origins to Dutch immigrants who settled in an area that would later become New York sometime in the late 18th Century. These immigrants brought over their traditions, which included a legendary gift giver, though his garb would not have been the red suit that we recognize as Santa’s uniform today.

Santa’s many aliases

Across the world, Santa takes on different names, most of which are derived from Saint Nicholas (like San Nicolás, San Nicola, and São Nicolau). Even in places where Christmas isn’t widely celebrated, he’s still well-known.

For instance, in Japan, Christmas isn’t an official holiday, but the man in red is called Santa-Kurosu or simply Santa-san. In Chile, he goes by El Viejito Pascuero, which means The Old Man, while in some Eastern European regions, he is known as Father Frost.