In the culture of the eastern Slavs the traditional character Ded Moroz (Russian: Дед Мороз) plays a role similar to that of Santa Claus. The literal translation of the name would be Grandfather Frost. However, English-speakers traditionally translate his name as Father Frost. The East Slavs are the ethnic group that evolved into the Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian peoples. ... A Santa Claus doll. ...

Ded Moroz brings presents to children. However, unlike the clandestine ways of Santa Claus, he often brings them in person, at the celebrations of the New Year, at New Year parties for kids by the New Year Tree. The "in-person" gifts only occur at big organized celebrations, where the gifts can be "standardized." The clandestine operations of placing the gifts under the New Year tree still occur while the children are young. Ded Moroz is accompanied by Snegurochka (Russian: Снегурочка), or 'Snow Maiden', his granddaughter. The New Year is an event that happens when a culture celebrates the end of one year and the beginning of the next. ... New Years Eve is December 31, the final day of the Gregorian year, and the day before New Years Day, New Years Eve is a separate observance from the observance of New Years Day. ... // Russian Tradition A New Year Tree is a Russian equivalent of Christmas Tree. ... Snegurochka (Russian: ), or the Snow Maiden, is a character in Russian fairy tales. ...

The traditional appearance of Ded Moroz has a close resemblance to that of Santa Claus, with his red coat, boots and long white beard. Specifically, Ded Moroz wears a heel-long red fur coat, a semi-round fur hat, and white valenki or high boots (sapogi), silver or red with silver ornament. Unlike Santa Claus, he walks with a long magical staff, does not say "Ho, ho, ho", and drives no reindeer. Fur clothing is clothing made entirely of, or partially of, the fur of animals. ... An unrubbered Russian valenok produced by the Condor group Valenki (rus. ... Binomial name Rangifer tarandus (Linnaeus, 1758) The reindeer, known as caribou when wild in North America, is an Arctic and Subarctic-dwelling deer (Rangifer tarandus). ...

The official residence of Ded Moroz in Russia is the town of Veliky Ustyug. The residence of the Belarusian Dzied Maroz is in Belavezhskaya Pushcha. Velikiy Ustyug, or Veliki Ustyug (Великий Устюг in Russian) is a city in the Vologda Oblast in Russia. ... Ded Moroz is the name of the person who plays the role of Santa Claus for Eastern Slavs. ... Białowieża Primaeval Forest, known as Belavezhskaya Pushcha (Белавеская пушча) in Belarus and Puszcza Białowieska in Poland, is an ancient virginal forest straddling the border between Belarus and Poland, located 70 km...

History

His roots are in pagan beliefs, but since 19th century his attributes and legend were shaped under literary influences. He, together with Snegurochka, were "fleshed out" from a kind of a winter sprite into what he is now. The fairy tale play Snegurochka by the famous Russian playwright Alexander Ostrovsky was influential in this respect, followed by Rimsky-Korsakov's Snegurochka with libretto based on the play. Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning a country dweller or civilian) is a term which, from a western perspective, has come to connote a broad set of spiritual or religious beliefs and practices of natural or polytheistic religions. ... The term sprite is a general term referring to a number of legendary creatures. ... Template:Unsourced A playwright, also known as a dramatist, is someone who writes dramatic literature or drama. ... Aleksandr Nicolaevich Ostrovsky (Александр Николаевич Островский) (April 12 (March 31, O.S.)1823— June 14 (June 2, O.S.)1886) was a Russian... Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov (Russian: , Nikolaj Andreevič Rimskij-Korsakov), also Nikolay, Nicolai, and Rimsky-Korsakoff, (March 6 (O.S. March 18), 1844 – June 8 (O.S. June 21) 1908) was a Russian composer, one of five Russian composers known as The Five, and was later a teacher of harmony and... The Snow Maiden (дипломник in Russian, Snegurochka in transliteration) is an opera in four acts by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov to a Russian libretto by the composer, based on the play by Alexandr Ostrovsky. ... A libretto is the complete body of words used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, sacred or secular oratorio and cantata, musical, and ballet. ...

Only by the end of the 19th century did Ded Moroz win a "competition" between the various mythical figures who were in charge of New Year presents: Grandfather Nicholas, Santa Claus, Ded Treskun, Morozko, simply Moroz, etc. He perfectly fits the Russian traditions, so that there was a widespread opinion that he has been known to Russians for centuries.

After the Russian Revolution, when in 1920s Bolsheviks started to wage a campaign against religion and superstitions, Ded Moroz and the New Year Tree were banned in 1928, and Ded Moroz was declared "an ally of the priest and kulak".^[1]. Joseph Stalin restored the tradition in 1935, after the recommendation of Pavel Postyshev, who had considered the traditions as a tool with which to fight both Christianity and to mobilize the workers.^[1] In 1937, Ded Moroz for the first time arrived at the Moscow Palace of Unions. Since this time, an invitation to the New Year Tree at the Palace of Unions became a matter of honor for Soviet children. Several times, the coat of Ded Moroz was changed to not be confused with Santa Claus; it was made blue. Joseph Stalin ordered Palace of Unions' Ded Morozes to wear only blue coats. The Russian Revolution of 1917 was a series of political events in Russia, involving first the overthrow of the system of autocracy, and then the overthrow of the liberal Provisional Government (Duma), resulting in the establishment of the Soviet power under the control of the Bolshevik party. ... Bolshevik Party Meeting. ... The number 13 is often avoided in public buildings, also floors, doors and this Santa Anita Park horse stall. ... // Russian Tradition A New Year Tree is a Russian equivalent of Christmas Tree. ... The collectivisation campaign in the USSR, 1930s. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... Postyshev, Pavel (Russian: ), (September 18, 1887 Ivanovo-Voznesensk - February 26, 1939, Kuibyshev). ... This article is becoming very long. ... Location Position of Moscow in Europe Government Country District Subdivision Russia Central Federal District Federal City Mayor Yuriy Luzhkov Geographical characteristics Area  - City 1,081 km² Population  - City (2005)    - Density 10,415,400   8537. ... // Russian Tradition A New Year Tree is a Russian equivalent of Christmas Tree. ... Motto: Пролетарии всех стран, соединяйтесь! (Transliterated: Proletarii vsekh stran, soedinyaytes!) (Russian: Workers of the world, unite!) Anthem: The Internationale (1922-1944) Hymn of the Soviet Union (1944-1991) Capital (and largest city) Moscow None; Russian de facto Government Federation of Soviet Republics  - Last President Mikhail Gorbachev  - Last Premier Ivan Silayev Establishment October Revolution   - Declared...

Regional differences

There are equivalents of Ded Moroz and Snegurochka all over the former USSR, as well as the countries once in the so-called Soviet bloc. During the Cold War, the Eastern Bloc (or Soviet Bloc) comprised the following Central and Eastern European countries: Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, East Germany, Poland, Albania (until the early 1960s, see below), the Soviet Union, and Czechoslovakia. ...

Belarus

Dzied Maroz (Belarusian: Дзед Мароз, Dzied Maróz, literally "Grandfather Frost") is the Belarusian analogue of Russian Ded Moroz. His official residence is located in Biełavieskaja Pušča. Bialowieza Primaeval Forest, known as Belaveskaya Pushcha (Белавеская пушча) or Belovezhskaya Pushcha in Belarus and Puszcza BiaÅ‚owieska in Poland, is an ancient virginal forest straddling the border between Belarus and Poland, located 70 km north of Brest. ...

Unlike in Russia, in Belarus dzied Maroz is not a traditional character and is never mentioned in national folklore. This character was introduced during Soviet times in order to replace the traditional Śviaty Mikałaj (Saint Nicholas), whom the anti-religious Soviet government considered inappropriate. Unlike Śviaty Mikałaj, who was coming on Christmas, Dzied Maroz was a New Year guest. All his habits and looks were borrowed from Russian traditions, with Belarusian ones being abandoned. Saint Nicholas (Greek: , Nikolaos, victory of the people) is the common name for Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, who had a reputation for secret gift-giving, but is now commonly identified with Santa Claus, Father Christmas or in the Netherlands and northern Belgium as Sint-Nicolaas or Sinterklaas. ...

Although some people are making attempts to bring Śviaty Mikałaj back, Dzied Maroz remains to be the popular winter holiday character, mainly because most people are familiar with Soviet customs, and know almost nothing about Belarusian national traditions.

Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the person who brings New Year's gifts to kids of all religions is called Djeda Mraz in Bosnian, much alike Деда Мраз (Deda Mraz) in Serbia or Дядо Мраз (Djado Mraz) in Bulgaria. In Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the name is Дедо Мраз (Dedo Mraz), and in Serbian part of Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Montenegro, the variation of this person's name is Ijekavian Serbian Дједа Мраз (Djeda Mraz), like in Bosnian. In Croati his name is Djed Mraz or Deda Mraz He wears red clothes, just like Father Christmas, but he's not always fat. Anthem: Bože pravde (English: God of Justice) Capital (and largest city) Belgrade Serbian written with the Cyrillic alphabet1 Government Republic  - Prime Minister Vojislav KoÅ¡tunica  - President Boris Tadić Establishment    - Formation 814   - First Serbian Uprising 1804   - Internationally recognized July 13, 1878   - Kingdom of SCS created December 1, 1918   - SCG dissolved... Anthem: (Macedonian for Today over Macedonia) Capital (and largest city) Skopje Macedonian, Albanian1 Government Parliamentary republic  - President Branko Crvenkovski  - Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski Independence from Yugoslavia   - Declared September 8, 1991  Area  - Total 25,333 km² (148th) 9,779 sq mi   - Water (%) 1. ... Anthem: Oj, svijetla majska zoro Oh, the bright dawn of May Capital (and largest city) Podgorica Serbian (Ijekavian dialect)1 Government Republic  - President Filip Vujanović  - Prime Minister Željko Å turanović Independence from Serbia and Montenegro   - Declared June 3, 2006   - Recognised June 8, 2006  Area  - Total 13. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... Excerpt from Josiah Kings The Examination and Tryal of Father Christmas (1686), published shortly after Christmas was reinstated as a holy day in England Father Christmas is a name used in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and several other Commonwealth Countries, for the gift-bringing figure of...

Slovenia

In Slovenia he is called Dedek Mraz (Grandpa Frost) and is quite different in appearance from the American Santa Claus. He is slim, wears a grey coat and a round fur cap.

Three good old guys

After the demise of the communist regime in the beginning of the 1990s, two other good old men reappeared in public: Miklavž (Saint Nicholas) brings presents on December 6, and Božiček (Father Christmas) on the Christmas Eve. Dedek Mraz is active during all of December and may top the gifts on the New Year's Eve. There are family preferences according to creed. In public the three good guys avoid conflict, they are even featured together, as friends. Dedek Mraz, due to his confessional neutrality, has retained a strong public presence. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Germans dancing on the Berlin Wall in late 1989, the symbol of the cold war divide falls down as the world unites in the 1990s. ... Saint Nicholas (Greek: , Nikolaos, victory of the people) is the common name for Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, who had a reputation for secret gift-giving, but is now commonly identified with Santa Claus, Father Christmas or in the Netherlands and northern Belgium as Sint-Nicolaas or Sinterklaas. ... December 6 is the 340th day (341st on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Excerpt from Josiah Kings The Examination and Tryal of Father Christmas (1686), published shortly after Christmas was reinstated as a holy day in England Father Christmas is a name used in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and several other Commonwealth Countries, for the gift-bringing figure of... The Christmas Eve (1904-05), watercolor painting by the Swedish painter Carl Larsson (1853-1919) Christmas Eve, the evening of December 24th, the preceding day or vigil before Christmas Day, is treated to a greater or a lesser extent in most Christian societies as part of the Christmas season. ... New Years Eve is December 31, the final day of the Gregorian year, and the day before New Years Day, New Years Eve is a separate observance from the observance of New Years Day. ... Confession of sins is an integral part of the Christian faith and practice. ...

Poland

While there is no traditional analog of Ded Moroz in Polish folklore, there was an attempt to introduce him as Dziadek Mróz during the communist period. In the People's Republic of Poland the figure Dziadek Mróz was used in propaganda, since the traditional Święty Mikołaj (Saint Nicholas, the Polish Santa Claus) was determined to be "ideologically hostile", as part of the campaign against religion, which included elimination of Christmas in favor of New Year. Often officials insisted on using the figure in Polish schools and preschools during celebrations and events for Polish children, instead of Santa Claus in order to give impression of traditional cultural links with Soviet Russia. Despite those efforts, Dziadek Mróz never gained any popular support among the Polish people, and after the fall of communism he disappeared from Poland.^[2] Dziadek Mróz (Polish: , Grandpa Frost) is the Polish translation of Russian Ded Moroz. ... The history of Poland from 1945 to 1989 spans the period of Soviet Communist dominance over the Peoples Republic of Poland in the decades following World War II. These years, while featuring many improvements in the standards of living in Poland, were marred by political instability, social unrest, and... The Peoples Republic of Poland or Polish Peoples Republic (Polish: Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa, PRL) was the official name of Poland from 1952 to 1989, during its period of rule by the Communist party, officially called the Polish United Workers Party (Polska Zjednoczona Partia Robotnicza, or PZPR). ... An Australian anti-conscription propaganda poster from World War One Propaganda is a certain type of message presentation directly aimed at manipulating the opinions or behavior of people, rather than impartially providing information. ... Saint Nicholas (Greek: , Nikolaos, victory of the people) is the common name for Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, who had a reputation for secret gift-giving, but is now commonly identified with Santa Claus, Father Christmas or in the Netherlands and northern Belgium as Sint-Nicolaas or Sinterklaas. ... A Santa Claus doll. ... Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday that marks the traditional birthdate of Jesus of Nazareth. ... The New Year is an event that happens when a culture celebrates the end of one year and the beginning of the next. ... Motto: Пролетарии всех стран, соединяйтесь! (Transliterated: Proletarii vsekh stran, soedinyaytes!) (Russian: Workers of the world, unite!) Anthem: The Internationale (1922-1944) Hymn of the Soviet Union (1944-1991) Capital (and largest city) Moscow None; Russian de facto Government Federation of Soviet Republics  - Last President Mikhail Gorbachev  - Last Premier Ivan Silayev Establishment October Revolution   - Declared... The rise of Gorbachev Although reform stalled between 1964–1982, the generational shift gave new momentum for reform. ...

Romania

Moş Gerilă was, in Communist Romania, a replacement of Father Christmas (Moş Crăciun), being part of the Communist offensive against religion. Its name is a Romanian language adaptation of Russian Ded Moroz. The Soviets pressed for inclusion of Romanias heretofore negligible Communist Party in the post-war government, while non-communist political leaders were steadily eliminated from political life. ... A Santa Claus doll. ... Romanian (limba română IPA ) is the fifth of the Romance languages in terms of number of speakers. ...

In 1948, after the Communists gained power in Romania, it was decided that Christmas should not be celebrated in Romania, 25 December and 26 December being working days and no official celebrations were to be held. As a replacement of Moş Crăciun, a new character was introduced, Moş Gerilă (literally "Old Man Frosty"), who brought gifts to children on 31 December. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday that marks the traditional birthdate of Jesus of Nazareth. ... December 25 is the 359th day of the year (360th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 6 days remaining for the year. ... December 26 is the 360th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, 361st in leap years. ... December 31 is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ...

Officially, the New Year's Day celebrations began on 30 December, which was named the Day of the Republic, since it was the day when King Mihai I of Romania abdicated in 1947. For the movie, New Years Day, see New Years Day (film). ... December 30 is the 364th day of the year (365th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 1 day remaining. ... King Michael and Queen Anne King Michael (Romanian Mihai) of Romania (born October 25, 1921) was the son of King Carol II and reigned from July 20, 1927 to June 8, 1930, and again from September 6, 1940 until December 30, 1947. ...

After the Romanian Revolution of 1989, Moş Gerilă lost his influence, being replaced with Moş Crăciun.^[3] The factual accuracy of this article is disputed. ...

Germany

The Väterchen Frost ("Old Father Frost") character of German folklore is also closely related to the tradition of Ded Moroz, some similarities Ded Moroz also shares with French Père Noël (Father Christmas). German folklore shares many characteristics with Scandinavian folklore due to origins in a common Germanic mythology. ... Père Noël is the French equivalent of the British Father Christmas and the American Santa Claus. ...

Tatar

In Tatar language he is known as Qış Babay/Кыш Бабай (Winter Grandfather) and is accompanied by Qar Qızı/Кар Кызы (Snow Girl). The Tatar language (Tatar tele, Tatarça, Татар теле, Татарча) is a Turkic language belonging to the Altaic branch of the Ural-Altaic family of languages. ...

See also

• Christmas in Eastern Europe

It has been suggested that Romanian Christmas traditions be merged into this article or section. ...

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Karen Petrone, Life Has Become More Joyous, Comrades: Celebrations in the Time of Stalin, Indiana University Press, 200, ISBN 0-253-33768-2, Google Print, p.85
2. ^ *(Polish) Dziadek Mróz against Saint Nicholas, last accessed on 11 May 2006
3. ^ Amintiri cu Moş Gerilă ("Memories with Moş Gerilă"), Evenimentul Zilei, 24 December 2005

Logo of Evenimentul Zilei Evenimentul Zilei is one of the leading newspapers in Romania. ... December 24 is the 358th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (359th in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Amintiri cu Moş Gerilă, Evenimentul Zilei, 24 December 2005