St. Nicholas Day: Open Presents on December 6!
December 6 is Saint Nicholas Day, celebrated with various traditions in many European countries, including Austria, Belgium, Croatia, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Holland, Hungary, Luxembourg, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Switzerland. In Holland and the Flemish-speaking parts of Belgium, the morning of December 6 is the day that children receive presents, rather than Christmas Eve or Christmas Day as in other cultures! Many of the traditions around St. Nicholas Day are similar to Christmas traditions; in fact they share similar origins.In the Catholic regions of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, a man dressed as “der Heilige Nikolaus” (St. Nicholas, resembling a bishop carrying a staff) goes from door to door to bring small presents to children on the evening of December 5. He is accompanied by one or more mildly scary, devil-like creatures called “Krampus,” “Schmutzli,” or “Knecht Ruprecht” who carries a switch – St. Nicholas’ helper in separating the good children from the bad. During the Middle Ages, Knecht Ruprecht, was a very ominous figure, often shown with goat legs, who would threaten to beat or even eat bad children. Some children were told that they would be put in a sack and taken to the Black Forest or thrown in a river! Luckily, this scary side-kick has become more of a comic figure in modern times, so as not to scare the children. In some regions he has become simply St. Nicholas’ assistant, carrying the gifts. In the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Slovakia, St. Nicholas is also accompanied by an angel.
In Holland and the Flemish region of Belgium, the evening of December 5th is a more important occasion for giving gifts to children than Christmas Eve. St. Nicholas is known as “Sinterklaas,” and his assistants are the “Zwarte Pieten,” or “Black Peters.” Children leave their shoes or boots near a window, door, stove or chimney on the night of December 5. They awaken the next day to discover gifts and goodies stuffed into their shoes and placed around them. In more religious households, the gift-giving and rewarding of good behavior are part of the Advent season’s preparation for a more spiritual Christmas celebration.
In France, “Saint Nicolas” is celebrated in the eastern parts of the country, where he is accompanied by “Père Fouettard”, carrying a bunch of sticks with which naughty children are beaten.
Pagan and Christian Origins
Some elements of the Saint Nicholas tradition originate in Germanic mythology with the god Wotan (Wodan, or Odin), who rode through the sky accompanied by a raven. The Catholic Church canonized St. Nicholas of Bari, who lived in Asia Minor, and attended the first Council of Nicea. He is considered the patron saint of children and sailors. It is said that he calmed storms at sea in order to save drowning sailors, and that he anonymously gave gifts to children and money to the poor. If you’d like to learn more about the Christian figure of Saint Nicholas, the St. Nicholas Center has a very comprehensive and well-designed site.
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Thanks for the post on St. Nicholas. As many of us start to celebrate this in the US, we appreciate the history and ideas about the culture. In our house, we’ll tell stories, do some crafts and leave out a shoe. This holiday fits well with our move toward a more meaningful holiday season with fewer store bought decorations and more handmade items.
Don’t forget to leave out some hay or nuts for St. Nicholas’ donkey, too!