Pancho Claus is a Mexican version of Santa Claus popular in parts of the United States, particularly Texas. [1] Pancho Claus is sometimes referred to as a "Pachuco" version of Santa. [1] [2] Growing out of the Hispanic civil rights movement of the 1970s, [1] the Pancho Claus tradition incorporates a strong element of charity, with gift-giving and events run for the benefit of disadvantaged children.
Academic Lorenzo Cano, a Mexican-American studies scholar at the University of Houston, believes that Pancho Claus was originally conceived "north of the border" (i.e., in the United States) [1] and arose from a desire of Mexican Americans to "build a place and a space for themselves" [1] in the 1970s. It coincided with the growing interest in other events celebrating Hispanic culture, such as Cinco de Mayo and Mexican Independence Day. [1]
According to the tradition, Pancho Claus hails from the South Pole rather than the North Pole, [1] and is sometimes described as Santa's southern "cousin". [2] Pancho Claus differs from Santa Claus principally by attire, wearing outfits commonly associated with Hispanic culture such as a sombrero and poncho or serape, and often favoring a black or salt-and-pepper beard rather than the white beard of Santa. [1] Instead of reindeer pulling his sled, Pancho is sometimes depicted with a cart and a draft team of burros. [1] In West Texas, Pancho Claus is sometimes referred to as Pancho Clos to further distinguish him from his North Pole counterpart. [1]
The Pancho Claus figure is strongly associated with notions of charity for disadvantaged children. In Lubbock, Texas, where the tradition has been maintained since 1971, Pancho visits schools, churches and supermarkets, the main event being a large party held annually at Roger's Park the Sunday before Christmas, where food and gifts are distributed free to children. Lubbock's resident Pancho is 71-year-old Julian Perez, who has played the role locally for over 30 years. In San Antonio, the role is acted by Rudy Martinez, who visits schools and churches and distributes gifts and "turkeys with all the trimmings" to 50 disadvantaged families. [1]
One of the best-known Panchos is Richard Reyes, who has maintained the tradition in Houston, Texas, since 1981. Reyes, who wears an atypical outfit for the role consisting of a red zoot suit and fedora, has raised as much as $40,000 annually from corporate sponsors in support of his activities. [1] Reyes and his "army" [2] of volunteers hold a Christmas Eve party for some of the most disadvantaged children of the city, giving them each a free meal and seven presents. [3] On Christmas morning, Reyes and his team take part in a procession of vehicles featuring lowriders, from one of which Reyes distributes gifts to children. An estimated 10,000 gifts are distributed by Reyes and his team each Christmas. [2] [3] Throughout the rest of the year he runs programs to assist teenagers in detention, helping them return to school, or find jobs or even a home. [3] In 2018, Reyes was hospitalized with a health condition, but reported that he had recovered well and, after reducing his schedule, expected to participate in the usual festivities. [3]
Father Christmas is the traditional English name for the personification of Christmas. Although now known as a Christmas gift-bringer, and typically considered to be synonymous with Santa Claus, he was originally part of a much older and unrelated English folkloric tradition. The recognisably modern figure of the English Father Christmas developed in the late Victorian period, but Christmas had been personified for centuries before then.
"The Night of the Meek" is episode 47 of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone. It originally aired on December 23, 1960, on CBS. It was one of six episodes shot on videotape in a short-lived experiment aimed at cutting costs.
Las Posadas is a novenario. It is celebrated chiefly in Latin America, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Cuba, and by Hispanics in the United States. It is typically celebrated each year between December 16 and December 24. Latin American countries have continued to celebrate the holiday, with very few changes to the tradition.
Santa Claus parades, also called Christmas parades, are parades held in some countries to celebrate the official opening of the Christmas season with the arrival of Santa Claus who always appears in the last float. The parades usually include themed floats, dancing or marching groups and bands playing Christmas songs. They are moving pageants that typically end near the centre of a city. Often sponsored by department stores, they may reinforce the store's brand recognition during the important Christmas shopping season.
The companions of Saint Nicholas are a group of closely related figures who accompany Saint Nicholas throughout the territories formerly in the Holy Roman Empire or the countries that it influenced culturally. These characters act as a foil to the benevolent Christmas gift-bringer, threatening to thrash or abduct disobedient children. Jacob Grimm associated this character with the pre-Christian house spirit which could be benevolent or malicious, but whose mischievous side was emphasized after Christianization. The association of the Christmas gift-bringer with elves has parallels in English and Scandinavian folklore, and is ultimately and remotely connected to the Christmas elf in modern American folklore.
Saint Nicholas Day, also called the Feast of Saint Nicholas, observed on 5 December or on 6 December in Western Christian countries, and on 19 December in Eastern Christian countries using the old church Calendar, is the feast day of Saint Nicholas of Myra; it falls within the season of Advent. It is celebrated as a Christian festival with particular regard to Saint Nicholas' reputation as a bringer of gifts, as well as through the attendance of church services.
A Christmas stocking is an empty sock or sock-shaped bag that is hung on Saint Nicholas Day or Christmas Eve so that Saint Nicholas can fill it with small toys, candy, fruit, coins or other small gifts when he arrives. These small items are often referred to as stocking stuffers or stocking fillers. The tradition of the Christmas stocking is thought to originate from the life of Saint Nicholas. In some Christmas stories, the contents of the Christmas stocking are the only toys the child receives at Christmas from Santa Claus; in other stories, some presents are also wrapped up in wrapping paper and placed under the Christmas tree. Tradition in Western culture threatens that a child who behaves badly during the year will receive only a piece or pile of coal. Some people even put their Christmas stocking by their bedposts so Santa Claus can fill it by the bed while they sleep.
Mrs. Claus is the legendary wife of Santa Claus, the Christmas gift-bringer in Western Christmas tradition. She is known for making cookies with the elves, caring for the reindeer, and preparing toys with her husband.
The observance of Christmas around the world varies by country. The day of Christmas, and in some cases the day before and the day after, are recognized by many national governments and cultures worldwide, including in areas where Christianity is a minority religion. In some non-Christian areas, periods of former colonial rule introduced the celebration ; in others, Christian minorities or foreign cultural influences have led populations to observe the holiday.
Père Noël, "Father Christmas", sometimes called 'Papa Noël', 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/Lapland, and team of reindeer.
Ded Moroz or Morozko is a legendary figure similar to Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas, and Santa Claus who has his roots in Slavic mythology. The tradition of Ded Moroz is mostly spread in East Slavic countries and is an important part of Russian culture. At the beginning of the Soviet era, communist authorities banned Ded Moroz. Nevertheless, he soon became an important part of the Soviet culture. The literal translation of Ded Moroz is Grandfather Frost.
Santa's Workshop is the legendary workshop where Santa Claus and his elves are said to live and make the toys and presents given out at Christmas. The exact "location" of Santa's workshop varies depending upon local culture. There are at least eight claimed locations for his workshop. For example, children in Canada send letters to Santa's Workshop at his North Pole location in Canada with the unique postal code of "H0H 0H0". Children in the United States believe the workshop is a sprawling commune located at the North Pole. Some children in the United Kingdom and Finland tend to believe that Father Christmas' Workshop is located in Finland in Lapland. In addition to housing the factory where toys are either manufactured or distributed by the elves, the complex also houses the residence of Santa, his wife, companions, and all of the reindeer.
Motion pictures featuring Santa Claus constitute their own subgenre of the Christmas film genre. Early films of Santa revolve around similar simple plots of Santa's Christmas Eve visit to children. In 1897, in a short film called Santa Claus Filling Stockings, Santa Claus is simply filling stockings from his pack of toys. Another film called Santa Claus and the Children was made in 1898. A year later, a film directed by George Albert Smith titled Santa Claus was created. In this picture, Santa Claus enters the room from the fireplace and proceeds to trim the tree. He then fills the stockings that were previously hung on the mantle by the children. After walking backward and surveying his work, he suddenly darts at the fireplace and disappears up the chimney.
Belsnickel is a crotchety, fur-clad Christmas gift-bringer figure in the folklore of the Palatinate region of southwestern Germany along the Rhine, the Saarland, and the Odenwald area of Baden-Württemberg. The figure is also preserved in Pennsylvania Dutch communities and Brazilian-German communities.
Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary character originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnight hours on Christmas Eve of toys and candy or coal or nothing, depending on whether they are "naughty or nice". He supposedly accomplishes this with the aid of Christmas elves, who make the toys in his workshop, often said to be at the North Pole, and flying reindeer who pull his sleigh through the air.
In English-speaking cultures, a Christmas elf is a diminutive elf that lives with Santa Claus at the North Pole and acts as his helper. Christmas elves are usually depicted as green- or red-clad, with large, pointy ears and wearing pointy hats. They are most often depicted as humanoids, but sometimes as furry mammals with tails. Santa's elves are often said to make the toys in Santa's workshop and take care of his reindeer, among other tasks.
A number of Midwinter or Christmas traditions in European folklore involve gift-bringers. Mostly involving the figure of a bearded old man, the traditions have mutually influenced one another, and have adopted aspects from Christian hagiography, even before the modern period. In Eastern Slavic countries, the figure is Father Frost. In Scandinavia, it is an elf-like figure or tomten who comes at Yule. In German-speaking Europe and Latin Europe, it became associated with the Christian Saint Nicholas. In some parts of Central Europe, there is a separate tradition of a young child or fairy-like being bringing presents, known as Christkind. Early modern England had Father Christmas, a character initially associated with feasting and good cheer, though he was not originally a gift bringer.
Christmas in Mexico is observed from December 12 to January 6, with one additional celebration on February 2. Traditional decorations displayed on this holiday include nativity scenes, poinsettias, and Christmas trees. The season begins with celebrations related to the Virgin of Guadalupe, the Patroness of Mexico, followed by traditions such as Las Posadas and Pastorelas.
Krampus is a horned, anthropomorphic figure in Central and Eastern Alpine folklore who, during the Christmas season, scares children who have misbehaved. Assisting Saint Nicholas, or Santa Claus, the pair visit children on the night of December 5th, with Saint Nicholas rewarding the well-behaved children with modest gifts such as oranges, dried fruit, walnuts and chocolate, while the badly behaved ones only receive punishment from Krampus with birch rods.
Christmas traditions include a variety of customs, religious practices, rituals, and folklore associated with the celebration of Christmas. Many of these traditions vary by country or region, while others are practiced in a virtually identical manner across the world.