He is a Christmas character from the Region of Navarre and the Basque Country. He is a neglected old charcoal burner, fat, big-headed and full of soot that announces the arrival of the Winter Solstice and the coal he produces to heat homes (figuratively the arrival or birth of Jesus, that is, Christmas). There is also a belief that he is the one who distributes gifts to all Basques.
The olentzero is a being of Basque mythology that currently brings Christmas gifts to children and adults throughout Euskalherria (Basque Village). The tradition instead places olentzero as a charcoal burner who came from the forest to announce the winter solstice and to bring coal to all the houses to heat them, light and heat. That is why the Basques congratulate Christmas as eguberri on which means good new days. It is assumed that bringing coal to homes to heat them degenerated into the Christmas Day with all kinds of gifts to both children and adults, as expected in a society of insatiable consumption. The figure of olentzero has displaced in Basque society both Christian traditions such as the baby Jesus and the Anglo-Saxon ones embodied by Santa Claus or Papanoel and absolute dominion throughout the world.
