ST. NICHOLAS'S DAY

Today is St. Nicholas's Day or as my Missus calls it, Nikolaus. It is in effect the root of our modern Christmas, since St. Nicholas the gift-bringer eventually morphed into Sinterklass, then Santa Claus and in Britain, Father Christmas.

On Nikolaus my Missus would leave shoes outside her flat on the landing as a kid, which would be secretly filled with delicious sweets and a plate of confections would appear too, the Bunte Teller or colourful plate.

The good Saint Nicholaus did have his antonyms though,  in the form of the very nasty Knecht Ruprecht and the increasingly-celebritised monster, Krampus, the evil child snatcher. All three roam the streets on the 6th December. Just make sure you meet the nice guy and not the other two!

St. Nicholas's Day isn't celebrated in England these days, which is our loss really, as its a fine precursor of the kind season to come.

Do you celebrate Nikolaus readers?

Nikolaus and the nasties in Europe!

have you trimmed up for Christmas?

Have you trimmed up the house with Christmas decorations yet?

I'm building up to the annual climb into the attic to once more release Fairy and the gang from another year's hibernation. 

Missus Moonbase reminds that growing up on the Continent she wouldn't see a decorated tree until the big night of Christmas Eve, the main European Christmas event.

Here in the UK Christmas Day is the business end and the decorations will have been up weeks for most folk.

Of course I've been reminded also that the Continent has St. Nicholas too, Father Christmas himself, on his own earlier day of either today, the 5th or tomorrow the 6th December - hope you have a happy one!

Do you celebrate St. Nick's Day and have you decorated the house for Christmas yet?

HAPPY NIKOLAUS READERS!

Today is the feast of St. Nikolaus.

St. Nick is the forerunner of Father Christmas and Santa Claus.

He was a Greek Bishop of Myra in what is now modern day Turkey. Associated with his generosity to children, he is the archetypal gift-bringer of Old Europe.

Missus Moonbase comes from the Continent and along with millions of European children celebrated St. Nikolaus as a kid on the Sixties and as they still do now. In many ways it is an early Christmas Day.

My Wife recalls leaving her shoes outside the house door. These would be filled with sweets. 

Inside the candle-lit kitchen would be a Bunte Teller or colouful platter of sweets, nuts and fruit like this:

The whole family would dress for the winter cold and join many others to witness the St. Nikolaus procession proceeding through the town centre. St. Nick was escorted by 'bad monk' Knect Ruprect and others handing out sweets to the enchanted kids.

Largely if not completely absent from Great Britain, if you are celebrating St. Nikolaus's day then I hope your shoes were stuffed with goodies and your candles burn bright.

Let us know if you are!