‘Tis nearly the season for presents and stockings by the fire. The iconic figure of Santa Claus will come back once again. It is well known that the jolly man visits from the North Pole each year. But where on earth did this Yuletime figure first come from?

The original Saint Nicholas was the Bishop of Myra, now part of Turkey, in the fourth century. He was known for being kind and generous.

While commercialism and tradition have made the round, red form of Santa Claus popular in the United States, many cultures have other Christmas figures. The Dutch recognize the bearded toy-bringer as de Kerstman, or the Christmasman. In Sweden, however, the Christmas figure comes in an entirely different form. The Tomten, a shy, gnome-like creature, brings winter tidings to families who leave a bowl of porridge on their doorstep.

Santa Claus isn’t the only one who changes form around the globe—his convoy also gets a makeover. In the Netherlands, Saint Nicholas rides a white horse, while in France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland, his steed is a donkey. Austria and Southern Germany have a scarier tradition. Nicholas’s helper is the Krampus, a horned beast who acts as Saint Nicholas’ foil, scaring children in the streets with rusty chains and sticks. In other parts of Germany, Knecht Ruprecht, a sooty chimney sweep, becomes Nicholas’ servant. In the Netherlands, Nicholas’ helpers are called Zwarte Piet (“Black Peter”) and carry chimney-cleaning tools while assisting the saint. In Slovak and Czech communities, Saint Nicholas is accompanied by the devil, but closely followed by protective angels.