WORK COLLEAGUES

New Year is the happiest holiday for everyone. And kind elves, fairies, grandfathers and sweet old ladies are the embodiment of magic in happy, good-old fairy stories. It is terrible to imagine what people would be like if they did not have fairy stories in their lives with their characters that teach children kindness and mercy, sometimes in homilies, at other times in deserved punishment and reward. In the adult world, New Year is a fairy tale, in which you very much want to believe and from which you always expect an unlikely miracle. And we try to encourage children to believe in New Year as long as possible, like belief in an almighty elder, who hears and sees absolutely everything, who is not subject to the limitations of time or distance and can do anything. The modern image of Grandfather Frost is a complex interweaving of legend and faith from different times and peoples.

In Azerbaijan Grandfather Frost is called Sahta Baba, a translation from the Russian for Grandfather Frost. He is dressed just like the Russian Grandfather Frost and gives children presents. The Azerbaijani Grandfather Frost is accompanied by Snegurochka or Qar qiz, which translates directly as the Snow Maiden or Girl. The image of the New Year old man in Azerbaijan has of course been borrowed, as we do not have that kind of Grandfather. Azerbaijan is a southern country whose culture and traditions entail greeting the New Year in spring at the Novruz holiday. This holiday has its elves - Kechal and Kosa - and Bahar Qizi or Spring Maiden in place of the Snow Maiden. Every country has its own name for the old man of the New Year, but this does not affect his main responsibilities, performing miracles.

Russia - Grandfather Frost, Grandfather Treskun, Frostie and Korochun all in one. He looks rather severe, wears a floor-length fur coat and tall hat and carries an ice staff and sack of presents. The character of Russian legend and Slavonic myth is the embodiment of winter frosts, a smith who forges water. He was initially a cruel and evil pagan god, the Great Elder of the North, the ruler of the icy cold and blizzards who freezes people. He is described in Nekrasov's poem "Frost - Red Nose", in which the Frost kills a poor young widowed peasant in the forest, leaving her young children as orphans. Grandfather Frost first appeared in Russia at Christmas in 1910, but was not widespread. During the Soviet period a new image was propagated: he appeared to children at New Year and gave them presents. The image was created by Soviet film-makers in the 1930s. In December 1935 Stalin's  comrade-in-arms and member of the USSR Central Committee, Pavel Postishev, published an article in Pravda in which he proposed organizing a New Year holiday for children and a children's New Year morning party was held in Kharkov. The writer Viktor Yerofeyev, describing his child's impressions from the 1950s, wrote ironically that Stalin was inconsistent in his fight against religion, as he did not destroy Grandfather Frost, the "children's god". Russia's Grandfather Frost comes to the holiday with his granddaughter, the Snow Maiden. His image is an amalgam of hagiography about St Nicholas and descriptions of the ancient Slav gods, Pozvizd, Zimnik (Winter) and Korochun.

Grandfather Frost's initial behaviour was the result of the nature of pagan gods - initially he collected sacrifices - stole children and took them away in a sack. However, in time, as often happens, things turned upside down and under the influence of Orthodox tradition Grandfather Frost mellowed and began himself to give presents to children. This image was finally formed in the USSR: Grandfather Frost became the symbol of the New Year holiday, replacing in atheist ideology the Christmas holiday, which had been a real favourite (especially for children) in pre-revolutionary Russia. The professional holiday of Grandfather Frosts is marked in Russia on the last Sunday in August. Russia's Grandfather Frost lives in Velikiy Ustyug. As for the Snow Maiden, her image is unique to Russian culture. There are no women in Western New Year and Christmas myths.

Australia, USA - Santa Claus. White-hair, bushy beard and moustache, red coat, trousers and night-cap style hat, a black leather belt encircles his bulky waist. This is basically an elf who loves life. He often wears spectacles and smokes a pipe. Recently attempts have been made not to dwell on this as part of the anti-tobacco policy in force in almost all developed countries. He travels in a sleigh pulled by reindeer and leaves presents in shoes and stockings left next to the chimney. The name Santa Claus first appeared in print in 1773. Under the name of Claus (Nicholas) is hidden St Nicholas of Myra (in Russian tradition Nicholas the Miracle Worker), who in the first half of the third century was bishop of Myra in Asia Minor (now the town of Demre in Turkey). Many legends are associated with Nicholas, including how he diverted to Myra grain intended for Rome and how he saved the children of Myra from sea pirates. Since the 17th century St Nicholas has been considered the protector of children. On his day, 6 December, children are given presents. Children leave their boots next to the door so that he can put his presents into them. However, only good children receive these presents.  Naughty rascals get punished with birch rods. William Gilley gave the first literary description in his poem Santeclaus published in 1821. A year later a whole report in verse on a visit by Santa Claus appeared from the pen of Clement Clark Moore, a dentist by profession. The current image of Santa Claus belongs to the brush of Haddon Sundblom, an American artist who drew a series of drawings in 1931 to advertise Coca-Cola. The Australian Grandfather Frost is the same, only in swimming trunks and riding a scooter. After all, it's hot at Christmas in the land of the kangaroo.

Belgium, Poland - St Nicholas (St Mikolaj). Legend has it that he left golden apples in a shoe next to the chimney to protect his family. This was a long time ago and St Nicholas is considered the very first Grandfather Frost. He rides a stallion, wearing a mitre and white Episcopal cloak. He is always accompanied by his servant, Black Peter, who carries over his shoulder a sack with presents for good children and in his hands a cane for the naughty ones.

Greece, Cyprus - St Vasilis (St Basil). This is the strangest name for the New Year character. Nevertheless, children on Cyprus write to their magician: "St Basil, come, bring us happiness and make all my wishes come true."

Italy - Babbo Natale. He leaves his sleigh on the roof and enters the house via the chimney, where a little milk and sweets are left to "fortify" him. The good fairy La Befana also comes to good children and brings them gifts. The wicked magician Befana leaves a piece of coal for naughty children. 

The Netherlands - Sinter Klaas, Sanderklass, Saite-Kaase (Kerstman). He sails up on a boat, accompanied by black-skinned servants. He gives presents. 

Sakha (Yakutia) - Grandfather Dil (Eheh Dil). This New Year character seems to have set himself up better than his other New Year counterparts. Judge for yourself: his wife Kihin Khotun is in charge of winter; his three daughters - Saaschaana, Sayiina and Kuhuuney - share the spring, summer and autumn responsibilities between themselves. It is not entirely clear exactly what Eheh Dil does, but it is clear that he has two grandchildren: the elder is his granddaughter Khaarchaana - the protector of snow - and the younger grandson Tyalchaan. Grandfather Dil has one bull. Every autumn the bull emerges from the icy ocean and grows his horns until the middle of winter. The higher the horns, the lower the temperature. From mid-January the bull's horns gradually fall away and in March the bull dies under the burning sun. Eheh Dil himself lives at the Cold Pole, near the villages of Oymyakon and Tomtor, where the temperature in winter falls to -71.2 degrees Celsius.

Turkey - St Nicholas, bishop of Merlichis (Noel Baba - Grandfather Noel). A prototype for all New Year characters. A kind miracle worker and persecutor of evil. The guardian of kidnapped and lost children. He lived in AD 300. 

Uzbekistan - Qorbobo and Korgiz (Snow Maiden). Grandfather Snow rides a donkey to Uzbek villages on New Year's Eve, wearing a striped coat. He is Qorbobo.

Finland - Joulupukki. His name has meaning - Joulu means Yule or Christmas and pukki is a goat. Many years ago Grandfather Frost wore a goatskin and distributed presents on a young goat. He has white hair, a bushy beard and moustache, a red coat, trousers and nightcap-style hat. He wears a black belt and must have spectacles. He lives on Mount Korvantunturi (Ear Mountain) either in a hut or on the mountain itself.  His wife Muori (Mary) lives with him as do gnomes. In years gone by he visited houses before Christmas, treating good children and punishing the naughty. The educational aspect of the image was later lost. The modern image and legend owe much to the American Santa Claus. He is popular in Finland and Scandinavian countries. The idea of a Santa park and "village" of Joulupukki were conceived in summer 1950 before a visit by Eleanor Roosevelt. The project was officially opened in 1985 and every year 250,000 tourists visit. 

France - Grandfather January, Father Christmas (Le Pere Noel). The French Grandfather January walks with a stick and wears a broad-brimmed hat.

The Czech Republic, Slovakia - Grandfather Mikulash comes on the night of 5-6 December, the eve of St Nicholas's Day. He looks like the Russian Grandfather Frost: the same long fur coat, hat, crozier, but he does not bring presents in a sack but in a basket on his shoulder and is accompanied not by the Snow Maiden but by an angel dressed in white and a hairy hobgoblin. Mikulash is always happy to give an orange, an apple and other sweets to good, obedient children. If a small potato or piece of coal is found in the Christmas shoe of a hooligan or good-for-nothing, this is definitely Mikulash. It's his work. It's not clear how he gets on with another New Year character, Jezishek! 

Jezishek - the Czech Republic, Slovakia. This is probably the world's humblest New Year character. When he throws presents into the homes of children, Jezisek is careful that nobody sees him. This is probably why no-one knows what he looks like. When the Christmas bell rings out on the Christmas tree, thousands of Czech and Slovak children try to see who has brought them presents. "Who brought this?" a young child asks. "Je???ek, of course," reply the happy parents.

Sweden - Kris Kringle, Julnissan, Jultomten, lives deep in a forest, surrounded by picturesque lakes and valleys. Dasti the Snowman, mice from the lake, a prince and princess, witches, the King and Snow Queen and of course the omnipresent elves help to work Christmas miracles. The elves in particular do not have it easy. In their little mine they are constantly digging for gold for Christmas tree decorations and presents. Whoever visits Jultomten is warned: "Look under your feet! Little trolleys are always being pushed along the paths. Don't step on them!"

All Grandfather Frosts bring presents but they all do it their own way:

Russian Grandfather Frost puts presents under the tree. English and Irish children find presents in their socks, while Mexicans find them in their boots. New Year presents are brought down the chimney in France and onto the balcony in Spain. In Sweden Grandfather Frost puts presents next to the stove and in Germany he leaves them on the window sill. 

Grandfather Frosts are not all the same. They look different - one is kind, another might frown. Each has his own way of entering a festive house. But whoever you may be, Grandfather Frost, you exist in order to bring greetings and presents!