Christkind vs. Santa Claus

Is Christkind going to disappear because of Santa Claus? Will Austrian Christmas traditions be eradicated because of the heavy influence of the United States and Americanization processes? Questions and complaints concerning the issue “Christkind vs. Santa Claus” have become more prevalent and are increasinlgy discussed in the Austrian public discourse. Although most Christmas traditions originated elsewhere, the U.S. has been criticized for turning the festival into a commercial carnival and overriding other cultures with its powerful exports. By analyzing several Austrian magazines, American influences and their impact on the representation of Christmas have been investigated. The outcome of this study illustrates that a cultural event can be local and global at the same time, and that Americanisms co-exist with Austrian peculiarities. Although American symbols certainly do play an important role in present Austrian Christmas celebrations there is no sign of the substitution of Austrian symbols and traditions. This study demonstrates how Santa Claus and Christkind can co-exist and how new hybrid forms and meanings have evolved.