Santa goes by a few names in South Africa, including Sinterklaas (St Nicholas) and Kersvader (Father Christmas) for those who speak Afrikaans.
Of those countries in Africa and the Middle East that celebrate Christmas, Papá Noel is the most common name for Santa Claus.
In Afrikaans (one the languages spoken in South Africa) Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Geseënde Kersfees'; in Zulu it's 'UKhisimusi omuhle', in Sesotho it's 'Le be le keresemese e monate' and in Xhosa it's 'Krismesi emnandi'.
Santa isn't a continent-wide African Christmas tradition. Some countries just don't believe in a red-suited jolly man arriving on his sleigh to leave presents for the kids.
This is one of the most-loved Christmas traditions in South Africa. Christmas Eve is a time for carols, flaming fruit pudding, and waiting for Santa. Midnight church services and special shows like Carols by Candlelight are hosted in many cities.
Santa is known as 'Sheng dan Lao ren' in Mandarin, which translates as 'Christmas Old Man', and he is seen as a non-religious figure who lives in a fairytale Arctic Christmas Village in China's North Pole.
Santa or Christmas parades take place throughout New Zealand in November or December each year. They began in the main centres in the early 1900s.
Even amongst other religions, Christmas is a really popular holiday in December within the South African rainbow nation and is a holiday that is well-celebrated overall.
Does Africa believe in Santa? Some countries in Africa don't believe in a fat guy in a red costume, riding on his sleigh and crawling up openings in your house to leave you presents. In Liberia, Santa is replaced by Old Man Bayka, who is also known to be a devil.
Then when July finally rolls around, this is when Australians celebrate Christmas in the traditional sense since it's colder. Although we know it as Christmas in July, Australians call this second celebration Yuletide or Yulefest.
Spanish: Papa Noel (lit.
In South America, a family member often dresses up as Papa Noel and give gifts to the children while they try and guess who the family member is! While in countries like Mexico and Venezuela, presents might also be brought by El Niñito Dios (baby Jesus) or Santo Clós (Santa Claus).
In the Māori language, Santa Claus is called Hana Kōkō! One popular present for Christmas in New Zealand are 'jandals'.
What is Santa Claus called in Australia? Some call him Father Christmas and then others will address him as Santa. Australia has always had a very close cultural association with traditions thought to be very British.
In China, he is called Shengdan Laoren. In England, his name is Father Christmas. In France, he's known as Pere Noel. In Germany, children get presents from Christindl, the Christ Child.
Christmas is a well-populated holiday that orthodox churches throughout the geographical scale of South Africa celebrate. It can be contended that Christmas celebration culture is synonymous internationally. The culture of gift-giving and family gatherings are the main mandates for Christmas celebrations.
December in South Africa is the busiest month of the year, peaking during Christmas and New Year when prices are highest, and Cape Town's hotels and beaches are at their most crowded. Still, the festive season spirit is reason enough to visit Cape Town, where the weather is hot and clear.
Nicholas: The Real Santa Claus. The legend of Santa Claus can be traced back hundreds of years to a monk named St. Nicholas. It is believed that Nicholas was born sometime around A.D. 280 in Patara, near Myra in modern-day Turkey.
The children in Australia believe in Santa Claus. However, since it is summer, it would not be unusual to see Santa dressed in a lighter, cooler version of his red and white suit. Shorts can even be seen! Santa does use reindeer to pull his sleigh when delivering gifts to children in Australia.
Christmas decorations
Families put the presents under the trees, and some children also hang up their stockings for Santa to fill with gifts and goodies. Santa goes by a few names in South Africa, including Sinterklaas (St Nicholas) and Kersvader (Father Christmas) for those who speak Afrikaans.
How did this St. Nicholas turn into the North Pole-dwelling bringer of Christmas gifts? The original saint was a Greek born in the late third century, around 280 A.D. He became bishop of Myra, a small Roman town in modern Turkey.
Gaadha Gayaa! (Happy Christmas)
Our video with the Winanga-Li staff (2020) includes the meaning of the word 'Gaadha'.
In China, Christmas has not always been a publicly celebrated religious holiday. However, as China becomes more global, it has started to welcome a commercialized version of Christmas, known as "Sheng Dan Jieh" or the "Holy Birth Festival," with both religious and secular Chinese Christmas traditions.
Though the majority of Indians are Hindu, millions of people still celebrate Christmas in India (called Bada Din, meaning “big day”).