Nikolaustag! Am sechsten Dezember!

Sankt Nikolaus Catholic bishop and saint in the 4th century From Myra = a small ancient city on the coast of the Aegean Sea in modern-day Turkey Patron saint of children and students Had a reputation for secret gift-giving Would leave coins in the shoes of those who left them out for him

Nikolaustag Celebrated in Catholic regions of Germany and Austria On the night of December 5th, Sankt Nikolaus goes from house to house to deliver small gifts to the children

Nikolaus Symbols Miter = a special tall pointed hat worn by bishops Crozier = a hooked staff carried by a bishop; represents a shepherd’s staff because a bishop is the “shepherd” of the people Children in Tub = show Nicholas as the protector of children; from the story rescuing young children from the evil butcher or innkeeper Gold Coins = to represent money Nicholas gave to the poor

Tales of Nikolaus Gave money to the poor Brought storms to a standstill Saved a ship from sinking Saved a village from starvation And more!

Nikolaustag Children leave their Schuhe oder Stiefeln by the window or the door on the night of fünften Dezember They awaken the next day to discover kleine Geschenke und Schokolade stuffed into the shoes, left by Sankt Nikolaus

Er füllt die Teller und die Stiefeln mit …. Äpfeln Keksen Orangen Nüssen Schokolade Bonbons

Knecht Ruprecht Nikolaus also has a “side-kick” = Knecht Ruprecht (means Servant Rupert). His role is to scare the naughty children. He typically is depicted as carrying eine Rute (a birch stick) and a bag of ashes and coal. While Nikolaus fills up the good children’s shoes with little gifts, Knecht Ruprecht fills up the naughty children’s shoes with coal, sticks, stones, etc.

Der Krampus In some parts of southern Germany and Austria, the Krampus is the companion of St. Nikolaus. On the evening of December 5th (die Krampusnacht), the Krampus leaves coal and twigs in the boots of all the naughty children.

Der Krampus In older tales of the Krampus, it is said that he punished the bad children by capturing them in his sack and taking them back to his lair!

Krampuskarten Europeans have been exchanging greeting cards featuring Krampus since the 1800s Usually have humorous poems and rhymes Krampus often featured looming menacingly over children

Krampuskarten

Der Belsnickel In southwestern Germany, the companion to St. Nikolaus is der Belsnickel Man wearing fur over his entire body and, sometimes, a mask Does not visit on the same night as St. Nikolaus  visits the children beforehand to check on their behavior

Krampus Videos! Here Comes Krampus The Krampus Song A Krampus Carol (by Anthony Bourdain) Krampus on the Colbert Report Dwight Schrute as Belsnickel

Das Nikolauslied Lasst uns froh und munter sein, und uns recht von Herzen freu'n! Refrain: Lustig, lustig, traleralera, bald ist Nikolausabend da! bald ist Nikolausabend da! Dann stell' ich den Teller auf, Nikolaus legt gewiss was drauf. Refrain Wenn ich schlaf', dann träume ich: Jetzt bringt Nikolaus was für mich. Refrain Wenn ich aufgestanden bin, lauf' ich schnell zum Teller hin. Refrain Nikolaus ist ein guter Mann, dem man nicht genug danken kann. Refrain