In places where the seasons are well defined and the winter months are cold, December often brings a celebration that revolves around a particular character who brings the festive spirit along with a bag of presents for children. Mostly they focus on the figure of a kind old man. In the USA and Canada, he is known as Santa Claus. In Europe, many countries celebrate his prototype, Saint Nicholas. In Slavic countries, people wait for Father Frost, who also looks and behaves like Santa Claus. In Scandinavia, the gifts are brought by a gnome, and in Iceland, there is a jolly gang of trolls. But the list doesn’t end here. There are plenty of other unique gift-bringers, and you can meet them in this set of Christmas around the world paper dolls!

Get to know nineteen gift-bringers from around the world! You will get to know Santa Claus (USA, Canada, Australia, Great Britain), Christmas Elf (USA, Canada, Australia, Great Britain), Befana (Italy), Christkind (Austria, Switzerland, Germany and many other countries of Europe and South America), Three Kings (Spain, Mexico), Julenisse (Scandinavia), Knecht Ruprecht (Germany), Krampus (Austria, Germany, Croatia), Sooty Piet (Netherlands), Olentzero (parts of Spain and France), Tió de Nadal (parts of Spain), Tante Arie (parts of France), Saint Lucia (Scandinavia and Italy), Saint Nicholas or Sinterklaas (Belgium, Netherlands, Germany and many other European countries), Grandfather Frost (Russia), Snegurochka (Russia), Chyskhaan (Russia), Tovlis Papa (Georgia), Uvlin Uvgun (Mongolia), and Yule Lads (Iceland).

Christmas Around the World Pack Features

• four paper dolls, two boys and two girls, both in colour and black-and-white to colour your own
• nineteen costumes (hats, wigs, and clothes), also both in colour and in black-and-white if you wish to colour your own
• information cards about nineteen different characters associated with winter holidays around the world
• each character wishes “Merry Christmas” in his own language (except Krampus whose customary greeting is Gruß vom Krampus)
• postcards to print and colour
• PNG archive of all the paper doll designs that you can use if you have a Cricut/Silhouette machine

58 printable PDF pages!

FAQ

Here are a few questions that may need answering before you decide how suitable this pack is for your family!

Can I use this pack if my children still believe in Santa Claus?

Yes, as long as they are allright with the knowledge that children in other countries get gifts from different characters. While some articles on gift-bringing characters briefly discuss their roots, the fact that parents play their roles in the modern world has been tactfully omitted. If your children already know that, they will understand. If they don’t, the articles shouldn’t reveal any secrets.

Is this pack secular?

It is secular. However, this pack includes mentions of some Christian religious traditions. In general, it strives to present the traditions of different cultures objectively, without examination of the belief systems behind them. Many gift-bringers came from Christian traditions (Christkind, Saint Nicholas, Saint Lucia, and, surprisingly, Befana), while others have pagan or secular origins (Yule Lad, Julnisse, Snow Maiden).

Do all these characters come at Christmas time? 

Thereabouts. As you meet different characters, you will find out that not all of them come on Christmas day, though. Sinterklaas comes on his own day, December 6, but for those countries who celebrate him, this is the beginning of the seasonal winter celebrations. Tovlis Papa, from Georgia, behaves in many ways like Santa Claus and brings gifts for children, but he actually comes on New Year’s Eve. Befana is even known to sneak into houses through a chimney to leave her gifts, but she comes on the day of Epiphany (January 6), which concludes the holiday celebrations in Italy.

Whenever these characters come though, they add to the festive spirit of winter celebrations. And if you get into the spirit of Christmas around the world, you can hold your own celebrations of different characters. Have Krampus visit on December 6 or dress like Saint Lucia, with candles in your hair, on December 13.

You can buy this as a part of the Christmas Around the World bundle!