Ded Moroz,[a] orMorozko (Russian:Морозко,romanized: Morozko), is alegendary figure similar toFather Christmas andSanta Claus, who has his roots inSlavic mythology. The tradition of Ded Moroz is mostly spread inEast Slavic countries and is a significant part ofRussian culture. At the beginning of theSoviet era,communist authorities banned Ded Moroz. However, the ban was lifted and he soon became a significant part ofSoviet culture. The literal translation ofDedMoroz isGrandfather Frost orOld Man Frost, but traditionally the name is translated asFatherFrost.
Ded Moroz wears a heel-lengthfur coat, in red or blue, a semi-round fur hat, andvalenki on his feet. He has a long white beard. He walks with a longmagic stick[1] and often rides atroika. He is often depicted bringing presents to well-mannered children, often delivering them in person in the days of December and secretly under the New Year Tree[2] over night onNew Year's Eve.
Since the 19th century the attributes and legend of Ded Moroz have been shaped by literary influences, which were also influenced by the Western tradition ofSanta Claus.[4] The playThe Snow Maiden (namedSnegurochka in Russian) byAleksandr Ostrovsky was influential in this respect, as wasRimsky-Korsakov'sThe Snow Maiden withlibretto based on the play.[1][5] By the end of the 19th century Ded Moroz became a popular character.[citation needed] The children's tradition of writing letters to Ded Moroz has been known since the end of the 19th century.[6]
Following theRussian Revolution, Christmas traditions were actively discouraged because they were considered to be "bourgeois and religious".[7] Similarly, in 1928 Ded Moroz was declared "an ally of the priest andkulak".[8] Nevertheless, the image of Ded Moroz took its current form duringSoviet times, becoming the main symbol of the New Year's holiday (Novy God) that replaced Christmas. Some Christmas traditions were revived following the famous letter byPavel Postyshev, published inPravda on 28 December 1935.[7] Postyshev believed that the origins of the holiday, which were pre-Christian, were less important than the benefits it could bring to Soviet children.[8]
Ded Moroz is very popular in modern Russia.[9] In 1998, the town ofVeliky Ustyug inVologda Oblast, Russia was declared the home of the Russian Ded Moroz byYury Luzhkov, thenMayor of Moscow.[10] Between 2003 and 2010, the post office in Veliky Ustyug received approximately 2,000,000 letters from within Russia and from all over the world for Ded Moroz.[10][11][12][13][14] On 7 January 2008, then PresidentPutin of theRussian Federation visited Ded Moroz' residence in the town of Veliky Ustyug as part of theRussian OrthodoxChristmas Eve celebration.[15]
The westernSanta Claus made inroads in the Russian Federation during the "turbulent" 1990s when Western culture increased its penetration into thepost-Soviet Russia.[16][17] The resurgence of Russia in the early 21st century brought about a renewed emphasis on the basicSlavic character of Ded Moroz. This included the Russian Federation and subordinate governments sponsoring courses about Ded Moroz every December, with the aim of establishing appropriate Slavic norms for Ded Moroz andSnegurochka ("Snow Maiden" – Ded Moroz' granddaughter) roles for the New Year holiday.[17][18] People playing Ded Moroz and Snegurochka now typically make appearances at children's parties during the winter holiday season, distributing presents and fighting off the wicked witch,Baba Yaga, who children are told wants to steal the gifts.[19]
In November and December 2010, Ded Moroz was one of the candidates in the running for consideration as amascot for the2014 Winter Olympics inSochi, Russia.[10]
Variations of Ded Moroz in ethnic minority groups of Russia
Many ethnic minorities have for linguistic reasons other names for Ded Moroz or even have their own culture-equivalent counterparts to Ded Moroz. For example, inBashkir Ded Moroz is known asҠыш бабай,Qïš babay,lit.'Winter Old Man'), inTatar it has the similar spellingКыш бабай,Qış Babay with the same meaning. InNenets he is known asYamal Iri ("Grandfather of Yamal").[20] TheYakut indigenous people have their own counterpart to Ded Moroz, which is calledChys Khaan ("Master of Cold").[21]
Ded Moroz, and on occasion the BelarusianDzied Maroz, are presented in the media as being in on-goingdétente with various counterparts from other cultures, such as the Estonian Santa Claus (Jõuluvana or "Old man of Yule"), the Finnish Santa Claus (Joulupukki or "Yule Goat"), and otherSanta Claus,Father Christmas, andSaint Nicholas figures.[22][23][24][25] The détente efforts portrayed have included one-on-one meetings, group meetings and friendly competitions, such as the annual November Santa Claus championships ofCelle, Germany.[26][27]
In November 2009, for the first time, the Russian Federation offered competition toNORAD Tracks Santa with GLONASS Tracks Ded Moroz, which purports to useGLONASS (the Russian satellite navigation system, comparable to GPS) to track Ded Moroz onNew Year's Eve (according to theGregorian calendar).[28]
The Russian-language website provides "real-time tracking" of Ded Moroz, "news" of Ded Moroz throughout the year, a form to send e-mail to Ded Moroz, photos, videos, streaming audio of Russian songs, poems and verses from children's letters to Ded Moroz, information onVeliky Ustyug inVologda Oblast (considered to be Ded Moroz's hometown) and opportunities to enter competitions and win prizes.[29]
There are equivalents of Ded Moroz and Snegurochka all over theformer USSR, as well as the countries once in theEastern bloc and in the formerYugoslavia. After thedissolution of the Soviet Union, some of these countries made efforts to move away from Soviet and Russian heritage toward their own ancient traditions.
The Armenian name for Ded Moroz is Dzmer Pap (Armenian:Ձմեռ Պապ), literally Grandfather Winter. His loyal granddaughter Dzyunanushik (Armenian:Ձյունանուշիկ), whose name means Snow Sweetie, or Snow Anush (a popular Armenian female name), is another counterpart ofSnegurochka. The tradition was set throughout the times of theRussian Empire after theRusso-Persian War (1826–1828), whenEastern Armenia was joined to Russia according to the 1828Treaty of Turkmenchay.[30]
For almost 160 years of influence Dzmer Pap and Dzyunanushik have hardly changed their appearance or behavior: they come in red, blue or white winter fur coats and, bringing presents to children, expect them to sing songs or recite poems. They are parts of New Year andEpiphany[verification needed] matinées and shows in Armenia. In recent decades well-off parents have developed a tradition to invite Dzmer Pap and Dzyunanushik to their children.
InAzerbaijan, Ded Moroz is known asŞaxtaBaba and Snegurochka asQar Qızı, with whom Şaxta Baba brings gifts to children atNew Year's Eve. Every December, actors playing Şaxta Baba and Qar Qızı stand next to a Christmas tree (Azerbaijani:Yolka orYeni ilağacı) at Baku Boulevard and other attractions in Baku, giving away presents to and taking pictures with children. Since 2014 however, every actor needs a license costing up to $75.[31][32] In the predominantly Muslim butsecular country, where Christians are a small minority,[33] these traditions and celebrations remain very popular, however the Christian origin is barely to not known at all and they're rather cultural. Şaxta Baba is also an Azerbaijani version ofAyaz Ata, the Ded Moroz ofTurkic mythology.
Ded Moroz isDzied Maroz (Belarusian:Дзед Мароз) in theBelarusian language. He is not a historical folkloric Belarusian character,[34][35] but was a replacement forSaint Nicholas, known locally asŚviaty Mikałaj, whom Soviet authorities disapproved of because of his Christian origin.
The official residence ofDzied Maroz in Belarus is declared to be in theBiałowieża Forest.[36]
The Bulgarian name of Santa Claus isДядо Коледа,Dyado Koleda (GrandfatherKoleda), withДядо Мраз,Dyado Mraz ("Grandfather Frost") being a similar Russian-imported character lacking the Christian connotations and thus popular during Communist rule. However, he has been largely forgotten since 1989, whenDyado Koleda again returned as the more popular figure.[37]
In Croatia, after thebreakup of Yugoslavia,Djed Mraz was promulgated byChristian democraticright-wing media as an example of a "communist creation", thereforeDjed Božićnjak (literally: "Grandfather Christmas") was introduced in its stead. Attempts were made in the mass media and advertising to replaceDjed Mraz withDjed Božićnjak, despite the two characters not being associated with the same holiday. After 1999 the names ofDjed Mraz andDjed Božićnjak became more or less synonymous, including in their use on public television. In some familiesDjed Mraz is still said to bring gifts at New Year.[41] In Croatia, children also get presents on 6 December. Due to the historical influence ofAustrian culture in parts of Croatia, presents are also said to be brought by a traditional figure calledSveti Nikola (Saint Nicholas) who closely resemblesDjed Mraz orDjed Božićnjak, except for the fact that he is accompanied byKrampus who takes misbehaving children away, another character fromCentral European folklore.[42] In some religious families, little Jesus (Isusek, Mali Isus,Kriskindl) is said to brings gifts at Christmas instead ofDjed Božićnjak.[42] Also, in some parts ofDalmatia the gifts are brought bySaint Lucy (Sveta Lucija).
InSlovenia, the nameDed Moroz was translated from Russian asDedek Mraz (literally, "Grandpa Frost").Dedek Mraz is depicted as a slim man wearing a grey leather coat, which has fur inside and is decorated outside, and a rounddormouse fur cap. This version of the character is based on traditional imagery, especially as depicted by Maksim Gaspari in images commissioned in 1952.[43] Although the name was translated literally from the Soviet figure, other names for the character were also considered:Sneženi mož ("the Snow Man") andoca Triglav ("Daddy Triglav").[43] A female figure namedbabica Zima (Grandma Winter) was also proposed.[43] Initially he was said to live inSiberia, but with theInformbiro crisis and the schism between Yugoslavia and theSoviet Union his home was relocated to Mt.Triglav, Slovenia's (and also Yugoslavia's) highest peak. Public processions featuring the character began in Ljubljana in 1953.[43] The notion of Grandpa Frost was ideologically useful because it served to reorient the December/January holidays away from religion (Saint Nicholas Day andChristmas) and towards the secularNew Year.[43] After the ousting of Communism at the beginning of the 1990s, two other "good old men" (as they are currently styled in Slovenian) reappeared in public:Miklavž ("Saint Nicholas") is said to bring presents on 6 December, andBožiček ("Christmas man"; usually depicted as Santa Claus) onChristmas Eve. St. Nicholas has had a strong traditional presence in Slovenian ethnic territory and his feast day remained celebrated in family circles throughout the Communist period. Until the late 1940s it was also said in some areas of Slovenia thatChristkind (calledJezušček ("little Jesus") orBožiček) brought gifts on Christmas Eve. Slovenian families have different preferences regarding their gift-giver of choice, according to political or religious persuasion. Slovenian popular culture depicts Grandpa Frost, Saint Nicholas and Santa Claus as friends[44] and has also started blending attributes of the characters, for example, mention of Santa's reindeer is sometimes mingled into the Grandpa Frost narrative at public appearances. Due to his non-religious character and strong institutionalization, Grandpa Frost continues to retain a public presence.[45]
Since the introduction and familiarization of Russian culture during thesocialist era, Mongolia has been celebrating the New Year's festivities as a formal holiday.Өвлийн өвгөн,Övliin Övgön (Grandfather Winter) is the Mongolian equivalent of Ded Moroz, who brings children and adult alike gifts on New Year's Eve.[46]
In 1948, after the Communists gained power in Romania, it was decided thatChristmas should not be celebrated. 25 and 26 December became working days and no official celebrations were to be held. As a replacement forMoş Crăciun (Father Christmas), a new character was introduced,Moş Gerilă (literally "Old Man Frosty", aRomanian language adaptation of the Russian Ded Moroz).[47] He was said to bring gifts to children on 31 December.
Officially, theNew Year's Day celebrations began on 30 December, which was named the Day of the Republic, since it was the day when KingMihai I of Romania abdicated in 1947.
Chyskhaan (Yakut:Чысхаан,romanized: Çısxân) is known as the master of cold, accompanied by the Yakut version of Snegurochka,Kharchaana (Yakut:Харчаана,romanized: Xarçâna). He is very similar to Ded Moroz, however a more "East Asian" version of him.[20][50][51]
In Tajikistan the tradition of Ded Moroz has continued. In Tajik, Ded Moroz is known asBoboi Barfi ("Grandfather Snow"), and Snegurochka is calledBarfak ("Snowball").
In 2012, a young man dressed as Ded Moroz was stabbed to death inDushanbe by a crowd shouting "You infidel!". The murder was motivated by religious hatred, according to the Tajik police.[52]
On 11 December 2013, Saidali Siddiqov, the first deputy head of the Committee for TV and Radio-broadcasting under the Government of Tajikistan, announced in an interview that "Father Frost, his maiden sidekickSnegurochka (Maiden Snow), and New Year's tree will not appear on the state television this year, because these personages and attributes bear no direct relation to our national traditions, though there is no harm in them".[53] However next day this was denounced, and planned celebrations did include these despite objections of some religious figures.[54]
Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, and especially in recent years, there has been a shift from Ded Moroz (Ukrainian:Дід Мороз), who came to be associated with the Soviet-era heritage, toSaint Nicholas (Ukrainian:Святий Миколай,romanized: Sviatyi Mykolai), who is more popular inWestern Ukraine.[55] With the onset of theRussian invasion there were rumors that Ded Moroz imagery was being discouraged by the authorities; however, theUkrainian Ministry of Culture had denied this.[56]
In 2012 it was reported thatUzbekistan, a largely Muslim nation, moved away from celebrating Christmas. While the celebration of theNew Year still remains a notable family event, it is no longer celebrated on a wide national scale, as it was during the times of theSoviet Union, and Ded Moroz, while not being banned, was removed from Uzbek TV channels. This decision was met with mixed reception. Some say that traditions are not for the government to decide upon, whereas more orthodox Muslims want the New Year and Ded Moroz banned altogether, as was done withValentine's Day.[57]
^abKaren Petrone,Life Has Become More Joyous, Comrades: Celebrations in the Time of Stalin, Indiana University Press, 200,ISBN0-253-33768-2,Google Print, p.85
^Klobčar, Marija (2009). "Christmas Songs and Constructing Identities".Traditiones.38 (1):173–188.doi:10.3986/Traditio2009380112.
^Tivodar, Blanka; Vezovnik, Andreja (2010). "Cooking in Socialist Slovenia: Housewives on the Road from a Bright Future to an Idyllic Past". In Luthar, Breda; Pušnik, Maruša (eds.).Remembering Utopia: The Culture of Everyday Life in Socialist Yugoslavia. Washington, DC: New Academia. p. 396.
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