Collection: Belsnickels and Santas

Our collection of primitive Belsnickels and Santas are extremely well made. The clay faced Santas are especially detailed and have varied primitive outfits and accessories. The primitive Santas that we offer are perfect to display on your mantel or wherever you like to decorate for the holidays. Add in some of our primitive Christmas greenery and a candle and you have an inviting display.

A Belsnickel is the German companion of Saint Nicholas which is still in use as a Christmas figure in the Pennsylvania Dutch community. The folktale is that Belsnickel, dressed in fur, arrives just before Christmas and figures out which children have been naughty. He carries a switch and will beat the bad children, and so, the children are scared into behaving nicely in hopes that St. Nicholas will bring them presents.  If Belsnickel finds that the children are well behaved, he will throw them some candy. Although the traditional Belsnickel tends to be in tattered clothing and somewhat mean-looking, our Belsnickels are beautiful representations of this folktale, and take on the more friendly look of Santa Claus.