Ded Moroz brings presents to children. However, unlike the clandestine ways of Santa Claus, he often brings them in person, at the Celebrations of the New Year, at New Year parties for kids by the New Year Tree. The "in-person" gifts only occur at big organized Celebrations, where the gifts can be "standardized." The clandestine operations of placing the gifts under the New Year tree still occur while the children are young. Ded Moroz is accompanied by Snegurochka , or 'Snow Maiden', his granddaughter.The traditional appearance of Ded Moroz has a close resemblance to that of Santa Claus, with his red coat, boots and long white beard. Specifically, Ded Moroz wears a heel-long red fur coat, a semi-round fur hat, and white valenkior high boots (sapogi), silver or red with silver ornament. Unlike Santa Claus, he walks with a long magical staff, does not say "Ho, ho, ho," and drives no reindeer but a troika.The official residence of Ded Moroz in Russia is the town of Veliky Ustyug.

His roots are in pagan beliefs, but since the 19th century his attributes and legend have been shaped by literary influences. He, together with Snegurochka, were "fleshed out" from a kind of a winter sprite into what he is now. The Fairy tale play Snegurochka by the famous Russian playwright Alexander Ostrovsky was influential in this respect, followed by Rimsky-Korsakov's Snegurochka with libretto based on the play.
Only by the end of the 19th century did Ded Moroz win a "competition" between the various mythical figures who were in charge of New Year presents: including Grandfather Nicholas, Santa Claus, Ded Treskun, Morozko and simply Moroz. Ded Moroz perfectly fits the Russian traditions, so there is a widespread erroneous opinion that he has been known to Russians for centuries.In 1916, in Imperial Russia the Holy