Дед Мороз и Снегурочка....

My Wednesday classes  taught about Father Frost  and his granddaughter tonight.  I really enjoyed their stories and comparative information to Santa Claus.  I thought all of you would enjoy the story and some pictures.

Дед Мороз, Ded Moroz is a fictional character who in some Slavic cultures plays a role similar to that of Santa Claus. The literal translation of the name is Grandfather Frost, although the name is often translated as Father Frost. Ded Moroz is said to bring presents to children, however, unlike the secretive Santa Claus, the gifts are often delivered "in person", at New Year's Eve parties and other New Year celebrations.  The "in-person" gifts usually occur at organized celebrations at kindergartens or schools and at circus performances around New Year time where the gifts can be standardized. At my office Father Frost will be visiting kids of employees at the Center during a New Year celebration on December 29^th. 

Ded Moroz usually accompanied by Снегурочка, Snegurochka, or Snow Maiden, his granddaughter. She is a unique attribute of Ded Moroz, no traditional gift-givers from other cultures are portrayed with a similar companion.

The traditional appearance of Ded Moroz resembles that of Santa Claus, with his coat, boots and long white beard. Specifically, Ded Moroz is often shown wearing a heel-length fur coat, a semi-round fur hat, and valenki or jackboots on his feet. Unlike Santa Claus, he is often depicted as walking with a long magical staff.

The official residence of Ded Moroz in Russia is considered to be the town of Veliky Ustyug. Ded Moroz is very popular in modern Russia. 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.