#10
strana.ru
December 28, 2001
Father Frost Brings Happiness and Wealth
How Russian Father Frost differs from his foreign counterparts

According to Father Frost's official Internet site, he has at least 20 colleagues around the world. The best known are Santa Claus whose present image goes back to a 1931 campaign to promote Coca Cola, and Joulupukki who has lived near Rovaniemi, Finland, since 1950 when preparations were being made for a visit by Eleonore Roosevelt. All of them possess magic powers and are of a kindly disposition.

What distinguishes Russian Father Frost is a white beard and thick hair of the same color. Apart from anything else, these features also have symbolic significance - happiness, welfare and wealth.

Father Frost in his "canonical" form wears a red garment stretching down to his heels and embroidered with silver ornaments and trimmed with swan down. It is allowed to decorate the gown with white fur instead of down but the shirt and the trousers are supposed to be made of nothing but flax. And there is also a sash around his body. All that is a must in the opinion of Svetlana Zharnikova, a historian, ethnographer and art critic, who has studied Father Frost as a cultural phenomenon.

Father Frost wears a red cap embroidered with silver and pearls. Its shape is reminiscent of the headgear of Russian tsars, complete with a triangle-shaped cut in front. Father Frost also wears white mittens embroidered with silver. His red- or silver colored boots have upturned toes and slanted heels.

Father Frost holds a crystal staff with a twisted handle depicting the moon or the head of a bull.

Another unique feature is Snow-Maiden, Father Frost's granddaughter. None of his foreign counterparts walks about in such nice company.