March 12, 2010
Published: 4 Dec 09 10:13 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/lifestyle/20091204-15915.html
Each December 6, German children celebrate Nikolaus. Why does the Santa look-alike come so early and why do all the children place their shoes outside their front doors on the evening before? The Local has the lowdown.
Kerstin von Glowacki (news@thelocal.de)
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
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Your comments about this article:
We will copy some of this traditions for our 22-months-old son. Of course not the scary ones!!
Also, the original Christmas was set to correspond with the Pagan holiday celebrating the shortest day...the winter soltice, (about 21 Dec.) in an attempt to draw pagans to Christianity.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christkind
The Nikolaus story is correct though. I can remember that as a young kid I was really frightened a bit when someone from the neighbourhood or an uncle came to our house on Nikolaustag, disguised as Nikolaus. My parents used to tell the Nikolaus that I did't want to go to bed in the evenings or sth like that. The Nikolaus then used to say: "I have heard that you don't go bed when your parents want you to. Do you promise to do so next year?" ;)