"Santa Claus Is a Stinker Santa Claus Is a Stinker or Le père Noël est une ordure is a cult French comedy play created in 1979 by the troupe Le Splendid and turned into a film directed by Jean-Marie Poiré in 1982. Pierre a stuffy, self-righteous volunteer at a telephone helpline for depressed people and his well-meaning but naïve co-worker Thérèse, are stuck with the Christmas Eve shift in the Paris office, much to their displeasure. The building's lift is malfunctioning, and they receive visits from unwanted callers: Katia, a depressed transvestite who tries to hit on Pierre, M. Preskovic"
"Père Noël Père Noël (), ""Father Christmas"", sometimes called Papa Noël (""Daddy Christmas""), is a legendary gift-bringer at Christmas in France and other French-speaking areas, identified with the Father Christmas and/or Santa Claus of English-speaking territories. Though they were traditionally different, all of them are now the same character, with different names, and the shared characteristics of a red outfit, workshop at the North Pole, and team of reindeer. According to tradition, on Christmas Eve children leave their shoes by the fireplace filled with carrots and treats for Père Noël's donkey, Gui (French for ""Mistletoe"") before they go to bed."
"and carols. Children do not hang Christmas stockings but put their shoes by the fireplace or under the Christmas tree so ""Père Noël"" (Father Christmas or Santa Claus) can give them gifts (a practice also among French-speaking Switzerland). Some families also attend midnight mass and decorate their homes with Nativity Scenes depicting the birth of Jesus. Additional ""Santons"" (little saints) may be added in the nativity scenes. In France and in other French-speaking areas (see French Canada), a long family dinner, called a ""réveillon"", is held on Christmas Eve. The name of this dinner is based on the word ""réveil"""
"church service. Popular activities also include walking in a park or the countryside and sharing a meal with family and close friends. Père Noël (), ""Father Christmas"", sometimes called Papa Noël (""Daddy Christmas""), is a legendary gift-bringer at Christmas in France and other French-speaking areas, identified with the Father Christmas or Santa Claus of English-speaking territories. According to tradition, on Christmas Eve children leave their shoes by the fireplace filled with carrots and treats for Père Noël's donkey, Gui (French for ""Mistletoe"") before they go to bed. Père Noël takes the offerings and, if the child has been good, leaves"
"faces of all the kids he made smile. The Secret World of Santa Claus The Secret World of Santa Claus (original title ""Le Monde secret du Père Noël"", German title ""Weihnachtsmann & Co. KG"") is a French and Canadian children's animated television show. It is syndicated to several countries worldwide, including Teletoon in Canada, and is generally seen every December during the holiday season. On December 25, 1999, Christmas Day, ""The Secret World of Santa Claus"" marathon took place from 6:00am to 7:00pm. The show has been put back on air and will be shown every Christmas season on Teletoon."
"Santa Claus Santa Claus, also known as Saint Nicholas, Kris Kringle, Father Christmas, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring gifts to the homes of well-behaved (""good"" or ""nice"") children on Christmas Eve (24 December) and the early morning hours of Christmas Day (25 December). The modern Santa Claus grew out of traditions surrounding the historical Saint Nicholas (a fourth-century Greek bishop and gift-giver of Myra), the British figure of Father Christmas and the Dutch figure of ""Sinterklaas"" (himself also based on Saint Nicholas). Some maintain Santa Claus also absorbed"
"in French). ""Le Père Fouettard"" is a sinister figure dressed in black who accompanies ""Saint Nicolas"" and spanks children who have behaved badly. In Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil, due to the influence of French culture in the 19th century, the name of / was adopted, opposing for example the name of in Portugal. In Louisiana Cajun culture, a version of Papa Noël is modeled after Santa Claus, in which he arrives at homes in a pirogue towed by eight alligators. Père Noël Père Noël (), ""Father Christmas"", sometimes called Papa Noël (""Daddy Christmas""), is a legendary gift-bringer at Christmas in"
"The Secret World of Santa Claus The Secret World of Santa Claus (original title ""Le Monde secret du Père Noël"", German title ""Weihnachtsmann & Co. KG"") is a French and Canadian children's animated television show. It is syndicated to several countries worldwide, including Teletoon in Canada, and is generally seen every December during the holiday season. On December 25, 1999, Christmas Day, ""The Secret World of Santa Claus"" marathon took place from 6:00am to 7:00pm. The show has been put back on air and will be shown every Christmas season on Teletoon. As of 2013, it has been released on"
"ones, have nativity scenes. Also known as the crèche, it is kept in the living room and can be elaborate or simple, depending on individual preference. Christmas in France Christmas in France is a major annual celebration, as in most countries of the Christian world. Christmas is celebrated as a public holiday in France being celebrated on December 25, same as the United States and other countries. Public life on Christmas Day is generally very quiet. Post offices, banks, stores, restaurants, cafes and other businesses are closed. Many people in France put up a Christmas tree, visit a special church"
"encourage imagination, and it’s equivalent to bribing your kids for good behavior.” Notes Bibliography Santa Claus Santa Claus, also known as Saint Nicholas, Kris Kringle, Father Christmas, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring gifts to the homes of well-behaved (""good"" or ""nice"") children on Christmas Eve (24 December) and the early morning hours of Christmas Day (25 December). The modern Santa Claus grew out of traditions surrounding the historical Saint Nicholas (a fourth-century Greek bishop and gift-giver of Myra), the British figure of Father Christmas and the Dutch figure"
"of eleven thousand volunteers, mostly current or former postal workers, at multiple locations across Canada devoting an average twenty-one hours to this seasonal task. Approximately one million letters are addressed to Santa Claus each Christmas, including some originating outside Canada, and all of them are answered in the same language in which they are written. Canada Post introduced a special address for mail to Santa Claus, complete with its own postal code: In French, Santa's name Père Noël translates as ""Father Christmas"", addressed as: The postal code H0H 0H0 was chosen for this special seasonal use as it reads as"
"Santa's presumed progenitor. Santa Claus is known as ""de Kerstman"" in Dutch (""the Christmas man"") and ""Père Noël"" (""Father Christmas"") in French. But for children in the Netherlands Sinterklaas remains the predominant gift-giver in December; 36% of the Dutch only give presents on Sinterklaas evening or the day itself (December 6), whereas Christmas (December 25) is used by another 21% to give presents. Some 26% of the Dutch population gives presents on both days. In Belgium, Sinterklaas day presents are offered exclusively to children, whereas on Christmas Day, all ages may receive presents. Sinterklaas' assistants are called ""Zwarte Pieten"" (in"
"Christmas in France Christmas in France is a major annual celebration, as in most countries of the Christian world. Christmas is celebrated as a public holiday in France being celebrated on December 25, same as the United States and other countries. Public life on Christmas Day is generally very quiet. Post offices, banks, stores, restaurants, cafes and other businesses are closed. Many people in France put up a Christmas tree, visit a special church service, eat an elaborate meal and open Christmas presents on Christmas Eve (Réveillon de Noël). Many people spend Christmas Day quietly and some attend a special"
"through man's renewed participation in the divine life."" A number of figures are associated with Christmas and the seasonal giving of gifts. Among these are Father Christmas, also known as Santa Claus (derived from the Dutch for Saint Nicholas), Père Noël, and the Weihnachtsmann; Saint Nicholas or Sinterklaas; the Christkind; Kris Kringle; Joulupukki; tomte/nisse; Babbo Natale; Saint Basil; and Ded Moroz. The Scandinavian tomte (also called nisse) is sometimes depicted as a gnome instead of Santa Claus. The best known of these figures today is red-dressed Santa Claus, of diverse origins. The name Santa Claus can be traced back to"
"Le Petit Bonhomme Janvier 'Tit Bonhomme Janvier (""Good Little January Man""), usually spelled Te Bonhomme Janvier in English, is a character in the folklore of the Cajun people of Louisiana, said to be the poor, younger brother of Santa Claus. Cajun children do not get their stockings filled on Christmas Eve, but are instead visited by Te Bonhomme on New Year’s Eve, who fills their stockings with fruits, candy, and other special gifts if the children have been well behaved during the year, especially during the week between Christmas and New Year's. If the children have been naughty, Te Bonhomme"
"Australia; as ""Secret Santa"", ""Kris Kringle"", or ""Manita-Manito"" in the Philippines; as ""Angelito"" in the Dominican Republic; and as ""Wichteln"" or ""Julklapp"" in Germany. ""Wichteln"" is what a ""Wichtel"", a wight, does, a good deed. In Poland, the tradition is celebrated on the day of 6 December (Mikołajki), in Ukraine — on December, 19th (Mykolay). All of these names derive from traditional Christmas gift-bringers: the American custom is named after Santa Claus, or St Nicholas (Poland and Ukraine), while ""Chris Kindle"" and ""Kris Kringle"" are both corruptions of the original name of the Austrian gift-bringer ""Christkindl"", which means the ""Christ"
"to match that of Santa. The French Père Noël evolved along similar lines, eventually adopting the Santa image. In Italy, Babbo Natale acts as Santa Claus, while La Befana is the bringer of gifts and arrives on the eve of the Epiphany. It is said that La Befana set out to bring the baby Jesus gifts, but got lost along the way. Now, she brings gifts to all children. In some cultures Santa Claus is accompanied by Knecht Ruprecht, or Black Peter. In other versions, elves make the toys. His wife is referred to as Mrs. Claus. There has been"
"by the ""čert"" (Devil) and ""anděl"" (Angel). In France, Saint Nicholas' companion is called ""Rubbels"" in German-speaking Lorraine and ""Hanstrapp"" (in Alsace, East of France) and the ""Père Fouettard"" (Wallonia, Northern and Eastern France). Often the subject of winter poems and tales, the Companions travel with Saint Nicholas carrying with them a rod (sometimes a stick and in modern times often a broom) and a sack. They are sometimes dressed in black rags, bearing a black face and unruly black hair. In many contemporary portrayals the companions look like dark, sinister, or rustic versions of Nicholas himself, with a similar"
"""Santa Claus"" is known as ""tovlis papa"" (or ""tovlis babua"" in western Georgian dialects), literally meaning a ""Grandfather snow"", and is traditionally portrayed with long white beard, dressed in national costume ""chokha"" and wearing a fur cloak ""nabadi"". As in some other Eastern Orthodox countries, and due to the 13-day difference between the newer Gregorian, and older Julian Calendars, Christmas is celebrated on January 7. Unlike its Western counterparts, Christmas is mainly a religious event in Russia. On Christmas Eve (January 6), there are several long services, including the Royal Hours and Vespers combined with the Divine Liturgy. The family"
"Angelus time (and often toll the hours). By tradition, they do not toll during Holy Week preceding Easter. Instead, the children of the villages play ratchets and announce, ""C'est l'Angélus!"" (It's the Angelus). After Easter, the children go from house to house and receive small presents for their service. Sinterklaas is celebrated in Lorraine, where he is called ""Saint Nicolas"". Each year, more than 150,000 people gather in the streets of Nancy to celebrate Sinterklaas. A total of that number gather in other areas across the region. Except for dispersed settlement in the Vosges mountains, traditional farms display linked houses,"
"Sinterklaas Sinterklaas () or ""Sint-Nicolaas"" () is a legendary figure based on Saint Nicholas, patron saint of children. Other names for the figure include ""De Sint"" (""The Saint""), ""De Goede Sint"" (""The Good Saint""), and ""De Goedheiligman"" (""The Good Holy Man"") in Dutch; ""Saint Nicolas"" in French; ""Sinteklaas"" in West Frisian; ""Sinterklaos"" in Limburgs; ""Saint-Nikloi"" in West Flemish; and ""Kleeschen"" and ""Zinniklos"" in Luxembourgish. The feast of ""Sinterklaas"" celebrates the name day of Saint Nicholas on 6 December. The feast is celebrated annually with the giving of gifts on St. Nicholas' Eve (5 December) in the Netherlands and on the"
"Père Noël takes the offerings and, if the child has been good, leaves presents in their place. Presents are traditionally small enough to fit in the shoes; candy, money or small toys. Père Noël is sometimes confused with another character. In Eastern France (Alsace and Lorraine regions), in Belgium, in Switzerland, and in Eastern Europe there is a parallel tradition to celebrate ""Saint Nicolas"" on December 6. He is followed by ""Le Père Fouettard"", who exists also in different parts of Germany (""Knecht Ruprecht"" or ""Belsnickel""), Austria (""Krampus""), the Netherlands , and Belgium (""Zwarte Piet"" in Dutch, ""Le Père Fouettard"""
"French, ""Papa Noël"". Gifts are either dropped off at church or ""Papa Noël"" makes a personal appearance at the home. Christmas is observed widely on December 25. Governments recognizing the holiday include those of: the United States, where it is a federal holiday for federal employees and a legal holiday in the respective States; Canada, where it is a nationwide statutory holiday; Mexico, where it is also a nationwide statutory holiday; and several others. In the Canadian provinces where English is the predominant language, Christmas traditions are largely similar to those of the United States, with some lingering influences from"
"Nicholas Day. Sinterklaas Sinterklaas () or ""Sint-Nicolaas"" () is a legendary figure based on Saint Nicholas, patron saint of children. Other names for the figure include ""De Sint"" (""The Saint""), ""De Goede Sint"" (""The Good Saint""), and ""De Goedheiligman"" (""The Good Holy Man"") in Dutch; ""Saint Nicolas"" in French; ""Sinteklaas"" in West Frisian; ""Sinterklaos"" in Limburgs; ""Saint-Nikloi"" in West Flemish; and ""Kleeschen"" and ""Zinniklos"" in Luxembourgish. The feast of ""Sinterklaas"" celebrates the name day of Saint Nicholas on 6 December. The feast is celebrated annually with the giving of gifts on St. Nicholas' Eve (5 December) in the Netherlands and"
"about mid November, with presents being given on December 5 or 6. This is a separate holiday from Christmas, Bishop Saint Nick (Sinterklaas) and Santa Claus (Kerstman) being different people. Netherlands and Belgium often do not start the Christmas season until December 6 or 7, i.e. after Sinterklaas has finished. In France, the January sales are restricted by legislation to no more than four weeks in Paris, and no more than six weeks for the rest of the country, usually beginning on the first Wednesday in January, and are one of only two periods of the year when retailers are"
"will instead take away all of their Christmas presents and leave them coal or other undesirable things. Te Bonhomme even visits adults bringing ""sacks of treats filled with oranges, pecans, candy, coloring books and crayons."" Le Petit Bonhomme Janvier 'Tit Bonhomme Janvier (""Good Little January Man""), usually spelled Te Bonhomme Janvier in English, is a character in the folklore of the Cajun people of Louisiana, said to be the poor, younger brother of Santa Claus. Cajun children do not get their stockings filled on Christmas Eve, but are instead visited by Te Bonhomme on New Year’s Eve, who fills their"
"has also been adopted by the other Scandinavian countries. Because of the high concentration of holidays at the end of December, it is possible to have a vacation between Christmas and New Year without taking a lot of days off from work. This holiday is usually named ""Juleferie"" or Yule Vacation, and is usually considered to be in the date range from December 24 until approximately January 1. In Denmark, Santa Claus is known as Julemanden (literally ""the Yule Man"") and is said to arrive on a sleigh drawn by reindeer, with presents for the children. He is assisted with"
"much to Odin, the old blue-hooded, cloaked, white-bearded Giftbringer of the north, who rode the midwinter sky on his eight-footed steed Sleipnir, visiting his people with gifts. […] Odin, transformed into Father Christmas, then Santa Claus, prospered with St Nicholas and the Christchild, became a leading player on the Christmas stage."" In Finland Santa Claus is called Joulupukki (direct translation 'Christmas Goat'). Pre-modern representations of the gift-giver from Church history and folklore, notably St Nicholas (known in Dutch as Sinterklaas), merged with the English character Father Christmas to create the character known to Americans and the rest of the English-speaking"
"Le Petit Noël Noël, or Le Petit Noël, is the main character of an eponymous Belgian comics series, and a secondary character of ""Spirou et Fantasio"". His name means ""Christmas"" in French. The series ""Noël"" was created in 1957 by André Franquin and Jidéhem and published in the Franco-Belgian comics magazine ""Spirou"", while Franquin created the following work alone or together with Will. Noël lives in the little village of Champignac. As Christmas Day approaches, he is more sad and unhappy than ever because he has no friends and his parents are poor and can't afford gifts for him. However,"
"called ""Operation Santa"" to ensure that letters to Santa are adopted by charitable organizations, major corporations, local businesses and individuals in order to make children's holiday dreams come true from coast to coast. Those seeking a North Pole holiday postmark through the USPS, are told to send their letter from Santa or a holiday greeting card by 10 December to: North Pole Holiday Postmark, Postmaster, 4141 Postmark Dr, Anchorage, AK 99530-9998. In 2006, according to the UPU's 2007 study and survey of national postal operations, France's Postal Service received the most letters for Santa Claus or ""Père Noël"" with 1,220,000"
"Dutch, ""Pères Fouettard"" in French), so they are not elves. In Switzerland, Pères Fouettard accompanies Père Noël in the French speaking region, while the sinister Schmutzli accompanies Samichlaus in the Swiss German region. Schmutzli carries a twig broom to spank the naughty children. Prior to Christianization, the Germanic peoples (including the English) celebrated a midwinter event called Yule (Old English ""geola"" or ""giuli""). With the Christianization of Germanic Europe, numerous traditions were absorbed from Yuletide celebrations into modern Christmas. During this period, supernatural and ghostly occurrences were said to increase in frequency, such as the Wild Hunt, a ghostly procession"
"Mrs. Claus Mrs. Claus (also known as Mrs Santa Claus or Amelia Kringle) is the wife of Santa Claus, the Christmas gift-bringer in American and European Christmas tradition. She is known for making cookies with the elves, caring for the reindeer, and preparing toys with her husband. The wife of Santa Claus is first mentioned in the short story ""A Christmas Legend"" (1849), by James Rees, a Philadelphia-based Christian missionary. In the story, an old man and woman, both carrying a bundle on the back, are given shelter in a home on Christmas Eve as weary travelers. The next morning,"
"(19th edn, 2012), Father Christmas is considered to be ""[a] British rather than a US name for Santa Claus, associating him specifically with Christmas. The name carries a somewhat socially superior cachet and is thus preferred by certain advertisers."" Father Christmas Father Christmas is the traditional English name for the personification of Christmas. Although now known as a Christmas gift-bringer, and normally considered to be synonymous with American culture's Santa Claus which is now known worldwide, he was originally part of an unrelated and much older English folkloric tradition. The recognisably modern figure of the English Father Christmas developed in"