Who Brings Holiday Presents?

Part 1 of this series on holiday gift-givers talked about Saints and Santas, Part 2 about The Three Kings. Part 3 will discuss

The Baby Jesus or Christkind as Gift-Giver

In European countries such as Austria, Germany, Slovakia and some South American countries such as Columbia, Christmas presents are brought by the Baby Jesus or the Christkind. In Hungry he is called Jezuska, or Little Jesus. Though the Christ Child is generally pictured as a young, blond child with angel wings, he is never actually seen delivering the gifts.

In Columbia the children write Carta al Niños Dios (letter to the baby Jesus) asking for presents. They put the letters in the manager of the nativity scene that forms part of every home's holiday decorations.

Attending Midnight Mass is an important part of the Christmas Eve tradition in Portugal. At the end of the service, each person kisses the figure of the Baby Jesus who is then placed in the manager of the church's nativity scene. Upon returning home, the children rush to see if Baby Jesus has appeared in their home nativity set, because he brings presents when he comes.

In Austria, the Christmas tree traditionally is not brought into the house and decorated until Christmas Eve. Sometimes it is the Christkind Himself who brings and decorates it. Among the decorations are chocolate candies, jelly rings and meringue confections made into stars and other shapes. The children cannot be in the room while the Christkind delivers the presents, so they wait anxiously outside the door until the tinkling of a bell signals the Baby Jesus has departed.

The conception of the Baby Jesus as a present giver has its origins in the Protestant Reformation. Prior to the Reformation, most European countries celebrated the Feast of St. Nicholas (Dec. 6) as the day children received presents. Since one of the tenets of the Reformation held that praying to the saints was a form of idol worship, Martin Luther felt an acceptable substitute was to have the Infant Jesus bring presents on the eve of his own birthday, Dec. 24. This custom was generally accepted, though the Infant gradually changed to a winged blond-haired child and from that to an actual angel, sometimes identified as the Angel Gabriel. In modern times the angel has morphed into a young girl with "Christ-like" qualities.

In Nürnberg, Germany, a teenage girl is chosen each year to be part of the Christmas parade and to be the Christmas Ambassador. Called the Christkind, she is attired in a white and gold gown that has the semblance of wings when her arms are spread wide. Always appearing with curly blonde hair and wearing a gold crown, the Christkind presides over the official opening of the city's famous Christkindlesmarkt (Christmas Market). From then until Christmas Eve she makes frequent visits to the market and to the Children's Christmas Market, as well as to kindergartens and numerous charitable institutions "to give hope, warmth and joy to children and the less fortunate," often taking time to listen to the children's requests for Christmas toys.

While Martin Luther reconfigured gift-giving from a saint's feast day celebration to center it on the Christ Child and Christmas Day, the Soviet Union sought to remove all religious connotations by reviving the ancient Slavic winter wizard figure, Ded Moroz (Old Man Frost or Grandfather Frost). Ded Moroz predates Christianity and was originally a demon figure, but has evolved into an elderly man with a long white beard. He wears a full-length fur coat and round fur hat and walks with a magic staff or rides in a troika, a sleigh drawn by three horses abreast. Accompanied by his granddaughter, the Snowmaiden, he brings presents to children on New Year's Eve.

When the Soviet Union broke apart and religious observances were no longer forbidden, some countries went back to celebrating St. Nicholas as the gift-giver, some celebrated the Baby Jesus and some retained the traditions of Grandfather Frost and Snowmaiden.

Next week, Part 4, the final of the series, will discuss Non-Christian Gift-Givers.