Christmas
Christmas is a popular real-world holiday that has appeared several times in the Super Mario franchise, often as the subject of an episode's plot.
Description[edit]
The celebration of Christmas often happens weeks in advance of the actual holiday, with the day before Christmas, Christmas Eve, being a potent moment of anticipation for many children. The climax of the holiday happens every year on December 25th, where Santa Claus is said to leave his workshop and fly across the world to bring presents to good children, and coal to bad children. While this is a fictional performance in real life, with parents often pretending to be Santa bringing presents while their children sleep, Santa's existence is confirmed in many pieces of Mario media, with him often showing up in person to deliver presents or needing help from the protagonists to foil plots to ruin Christmas.
The "spirit of Christmas" is often said to consist of embracing generosity and a love for family and friends. Selfish and greedy behavior is often considered against the spirit of Christmas. For example, Mario, Luigi, and Princess Toadstool criticize Toad's selfish behavior such as preferring to save the presents instead of Santa's life in in "Koopa Klaus", and the Ghosts of Christmas appear to Wario in "Warios Weihnachtsmärchen" when he . Villainous characters often take pleasure in spoiling the holiday for others, such as King Koopa wanting to use Ice Bombs to freeze Santa's workshop so that he and the elves cannot deliver presents to the children of the world in "Koopa Klaus", or stealing the Cave People's presents to give to his own children in "The Night Before Cave Christmas".
Appearances[edit]
Saturday Supercade[edit]
In the Saturday Supercade episode "A Christmas Story", Buzz and Waldo steal a toy-making machine from Mr. Anderson's toy shop after hearing a rumor that Mr. Anderson is one of Santa Claus' assistants in toy-making. Donkey Kong Jr. and Bones Bailey rescue the machine and save the crooks' lives after an escape attempt gone awry, redeeming them. Buzz and Waldo then help Donkey Kong Jr., Bones, and Mr. Anderson wrap presents for Santa to pick up.
The Super Mario Bros. Super Show![edit]
Koopa Klaus[edit]
The The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! episode "Koopa Klaus" takes place on Christmas Eve, with Toad diverting a planned trip to Hawaii Land so that he can visit Santa's workshop. King Koopa tries to ruin the holiday by freezing Santa's workshop so that Santa and his elves cannot deliver the presents. Toad gets criticized by Mario, Luigi, and Princess Toadstool for his selfish behavior that displays a lack of the spirit of Christmas, including the inciting diversion, not telling Princess Toadstool thank you for his early Christmas present of a snowboard, worrying about his snowboard getting damaged by the Ice Bombs instead of his friends, and considering it more important to rescue the presents than Santa himself. However, Toad comes around at the end of the episode when it seems that the occasion for giving is lost because Santa's workshop is still frozen and he cannot deliver the presents. Toad gives Santa his snowboard so that at least one person can have recieved a Christmas present; this warm display of the spirit of Christmas melts the ice around the workshop and saves the holiday.
Santa Claus is Coming to Flatbush[edit]
In the live-action segment "Santa Claus is Coming to Flatbush", a stranger identifying himself as "Nick" requests the hospitality of the Mario brothers on Christmas Eve due to his "transportation" being stolen. Mario and Luigi, not having the heart to turn down someone in need on the occasion, invite him into Mario Brothers Plumbing and give him their meals and presents, with Nick remarking that he's glad to be the one receiving presents on Christmas for once. Once the brothers go to sleep and wake up on Christmas morning, they discover that Santa has given them replacement presents.
Super Mario World television series[edit]
The Night Before Cave Christmas[edit]
In the Super Mario World episode "The Night Before Cave Christmas", Mario is inspired to bring Christmas to Dinosaur World by the Cave People and Yoshi displaying a lack of brotherhood and generosity. Despite it being August, Mario is undeterred, because the Cave People's lack of knowledge means that they won't know better. He decorates Dome City with Christmas trees and candy canes. Oogtar tries to steal the presents from Mario's toy workshop, but is inadvertently stolen himself by King Koopa, who wants to give the presents to his own children. Oogtar tries to stop the theft, but is tied up above a pit with a hungry dinosaur in it, requiring Mario and Yoshi to rescue both. After the rescue, Mario dresses up as Santa Claus to go deliver the presents to the Cave People. Oogtar, touched by Mario's heroism, puts his own present under Mario's tree while he delivers presents, mistakenly believing that "Santa" had forgotten to give Mario a present.
Club Nintendo[edit]
Super Mario: Die Bescherung[edit]
In the German Club Nintendo comic "Super Mario: Die Bescherung", Mario and his friends throw a Christmas party. Santa Claus makes a surprise appearance in person while Mario is gone, with Luigi and Link thinking that it is a trick by Mario until he returns, revealing the real presence of Santa.
Warios Weihnachtsmärchen[edit]
In "Warios Weihnachtsmärchen", Wario displays a lack of care for the sentimental aspects of Christmas, treating his customers poorly and firing his clerk Bomberman from his bomb shop when the latter asks for some days off to celebrate the holiday at home. In retribution for Wario's selfishness, the Ghosts of Christmas come to give him visions of how his selfish deeds have made people suffer throughout his life, with the Ghost of Present showing Wario that he has ruined the holiday for Bomberman by leaving him with no money to buy presents for his friends. After the fearsome experience, Wario decides to change his ways and goes to Mario's Christmas party to apologize for mistreating him in school; Mario displays the spirit of Christmas and invites Wario in.
Donkey Kong in: Banana Day 24[edit]
"Donkey Kong in: Banana Day 24" starts with the Kongs preparing to celebrate Christmas. After the Kongs save the planet Earth from aliens, Santa Claus thanks them by giving them presents.
Super Mario (Kodansha manga)[edit]
Super Mario: Wario no Mori[edit]
Super Mario: Wario no Mori is one of the few pieces of Mario-related media to refute the existence of Santa Claus. After Princess Peach tells Mario how she is looking forward to Santa delivering presents on Christmas, the Mushroom King tasks him with using Mario Paint to dress himself up as Santa Claus, Yoshi up as a reindeer, and delivering presents so as to not disappoint her.
DKTV[edit]
C'est Kong[edit]
The DKTV skit "C'est Kong" is a comedic song about Christmas, describing watching DKTV as the equivalent to "having Christmas every day".
Kong et Court[edit]
In the first skit of "Kong et Court", Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong try to stay up all night on Christmas Eve so that they can see Santa Claus deliver their presents on Christmas morning; they sing a song to try and stay awake, but fall asleep. Santa dropping presents on their heads on Christmas morning confirms that they missed him.
In the second skit, Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong are going to meet Mélanie Angélie to celebrate Christmas with her.
Le gros rouge qui tache[edit]
In the skit "Le gros rouge qui tache", Donkey Kong plays the role of Santa Claus to an ungrateful family, who chastises him for interrupting their argument when he attempts to deliver presents.
Mario Kart Tour[edit]
Three tours in Mario Kart Tour have introduced content that makes reference to Christmas, with several other tours rerunning the Christmas-themed content. The 2019 Holiday Tour features Yoshi in a reindeer costume. The 2019 Winter Tour features a Santa Claus-themed outfit for Mario. The 2020 Winter Tour features a Santa-themed costume for Bowser, a Mrs. Claus-themed outfit for Daisy, and a Christmas-themed race track in Merry Mountain. Christmas paraphernalia is featured on Merry Mountain, such as a Christmas village, candy canes, and presents.
Similar holidays[edit]
Kongo Bongo Festival of Lights[edit]
- Main article: Kongo Bongo Festival of Lights
In the Donkey Kong Country episode "The Kongo Bongo Festival of Lights", a holiday similar to Christmas, the Kongo Bongo Festival of Lights, is introduced. Like Christmas, it takes place in winter, with celebrants putting up festive, colorful lights and giving each other presents. The holiday also has a similar spirit of brotherhood, because the Kongs and Kremlings declare a truce for the holiday. Kaptain Skurvy and his pirates do not respect the holiday, and steal both the Crystal Coconut and the presents. Even though Kaptain Skurvy accidentally destroys the presents, Cranky Kong still considers the holiday to be a success because everyone - including Kaptain Skurvy and Klump, who have discovered that they are long-lost brothers - still gets to spend time with their families.
Unlike most traditional celebrations of Christmas, fireworks are used to celebrate the Kongo Bongo Festival of Lights.
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albanian | Krishtlindja[1] | Christmas | |
| Bulgarian | Коледа[2] Koleda |
Christmas | |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 圣诞[3] Shèngdàn (Mandarin) Singdaan (Cantonese) |
Christmas | |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 聖誕[4] Shèngdàn (Mandarin) Singdaan (Cantonese) |
Christmas | |
| Croatian | Božić[5] | Christmas | |
| French | Noël[6] | Christmas | |
| Galician | Nadal[7] | Christmas | |
| German | Weihnachten[8] | Christmas | |
| Weihnacht[8] | |||
| Greek | Χριστούγεννα[9] Christoúgenna |
Christmas | |
| Italian | Natale[10] | Christmas | |
| Korean | 크리스마스[11] Keuriseumaseu |
Christmas | |
| Polish | Boże Narodzenie[12] | Christmas | |
| Portuguese | Natal[13] | Christmas | |
| Romanian | Crăciun[14] | Christmas | |
| Spanish | Navidad[15] | Christmas | |
| Swedish | Jul[16] | Christmas |
References[edit]
- ^ Bota e Super Marios - Episoda 6 | Nata përmes Krishtlindjeve të shpellës! (Dublimi Shqip, Çufo)
- ^ Super Mario Bros Super Show - 029 - Koopa Klaus (VHS G Audio)
- ^ 库帕克劳斯 | 兒童電子遊戲 | 兒童卡通
- ^ Cover of Chāojí Mario
- ^ Super Mario Bros ( 4 Kompilacija ) - Crtani Film
- ^ SUPER MARIO, LA SÉRIE ANIMÉE / Le père Koopa
- ^ Saturday Supercade - The Super Collection
- ^ a b The Super Mario Bros Super Show! Folge 36 Der kleine Mario / Koopa Klaus
- ^ Super Mario World - Episode 5 - King Scoopa Koopa Greek Audio
- ^ Super Mario - Attila Natale
- ^ Super Mario World Cartoon (The Night Before Cave Christmas) - Korean version
- ^ Kapitan N i nowe przygody braci Mario. Odc. 9 - Dino-święta/Pieski małe dwa
- ^ Ep 29 O Natal do Mario Lembranças da Infância TRECHO
- ^ May 20, 2015. "The Night Before Cave Christmas" dubbed in Romanian by KidsCo. Odnoklassniki (OK.ru). Retrieved January 4, 2016.
- ^ Koopa Klaus | Dibujos Para Niños
- ^ Super Mario Bros Super Show - Episode 29 - Swedish
