Grandfather Frost And Snow Maiden Bring Gifts On New Year’s Eve

A. Sutherland  - AncientPages.com - Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost) is originally a character from the tradition of the East Slavs, including the Belarusian, Russian, and Ukrainian people.

In old Christmas stories, his means of transportation was a sleigh drawn by three white horses.

Assisted by his granddaughter, the Snow Maiden ('Snegurochka'), he brings gifts on New Year's Eve.

His name literally means Grandfather Frost and this very popular fictional figure is very similar to Father Christmas and Santa Claus. He is usually depicted as a gray-haired and sturdy older man with a long beard and a magical staff in his hand. He is dressed in a red coat, but he is sometimes seen in blue and occasionally in white. His head covering is a fur hat.

In old Christmas stories, his transportation means (the so-called ‘troika’) was a sleigh drawn by three white horses. Today, Ded Moroz uses other modes of transportation, including helicopters, cars, and trams, and he is not climbing down chimneys, as ancient stories tell. He must deliver many gifts to children so it’s much more comfortable for him to enter the houses through the door.

In this tradition, he comes with gifts personally or leaves them under the Christmas tree.

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