The many faces of Santa Claus

Whether he arrives down the chimney or from under the sea, and whether he’s a fat man dressed in red or a kindly old witch - everyone is pleased to see Santa. Or are they?

German children leave their shoes outside the door on December 5 and the next day, the good children's footwear will be filled with presents courtesy of St Nicholas while there’ll be a rod (symbolising punishment) for the bad ones. But it’s the Christ Child who actually does the honours on Christmas Eve.

An old witch called Befana flies to Italy on her broomstick on January 6 and leaves presents for the children, who presumably haven’t read Snow White or wouldn’t be so enthusiastic about her visit.

As we know, British Santa is a jolly fat man dressed in Coca Cola red who ignores the doors and windows of the houses he visits and enters via the chimney instead. He then fills children’s stockings with presents; scoffs any spare mince pies and leaves via the chimney, staying pristine and rosy-cheeked throughout the whole process.

Santa doesn’t arrive from the North Pole at all for children who live in the Caribbean islands of Nevis and St Kitts. Instead he comes from under the sea.

The Dutch Santa has a dodgy sidekick called Black Pete who comes from Spain. Black Pete is the original Santa’s little helper and is depicted as a colourful character with a blacked-up face. The dodgy part comes when children have been bad. Black Pete’s job is to replace their presents with lumps of coal and he may even dump bad children into his sack and take them back to Spain, though for what purpose remains unclear.

Children in Puerto Rico don’t leave stockings at the end of their bed, but grass underneath it. They don’t do this on December 24, either, but on January 5. And Santa doesn’t come – the Three Kings do. Their camels are very thankful for the grass, and the kings are happy to replace it with gifts for the kids.