And to All a Good Night

We're doing this movie-soundtrack style again. You know the drill (push play and keep reading).

I've been asking around about Santa Clause. It seems like the US took other countries' Christmas man and melded them together. Then the others got back this commercialized version which is starting to get re-mixed in with their own traditions. Thank you modern media.

Germany: Some Germans I spoke to struggled to tell me whether Saint Nikolaus and der Weihnachtsman are the same person. The final conclusion is that they aren't. In the beginning of December children are expected to clean out their shoes so that Nikolaus can come in the night and leave candies or other little treats inside them. If the shoes aren't clean, the children receive coal. Der Weihnachtsman knocks on their door Christmas Eve night. He has their presents for them. He also has a list of good and bad things they did that year. If they sing and dance and say that they'll be better next year then he has their presents for them. If they haven't been good then they are whipped with a bunch of tree boughs. I have some conflicting evidence as to whether he says hohoho.

The Netherlands: There is a man who sails in on a ship from Spain and brings little things for the children who clean out their shoes in the beginning of January. This happens more than one night. And I think they also receive coal for uncleaned shoes. On Christmas Eve comes a man who apparently now fits the description of the Coca-cola Santa.

Switzerland: Nikolaus/Santa Clause/der Weihnachtsman visits the Children in the beginning of January. He rides a donkey. He's not fat. He wears a long red coat. He brings oranges and peanuts. He lives in the Black Forest. He only cares about Switzerland. He has a little henchman named Schmutzli (which I think comes from meaning dirty) who comes with him. He brings a broom thing and... takes care of children who have been naughty. If they've been really bad the might be taken back to the black forest in Nickolaus' bag. On Christmas day the children receive their presents from der Christkind (Christ child). I think I think Switzerland wins in my book


Whew. Ok so I might have mixed some of that up. But there's your Christmas mythology tutorial. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

I'm not sayin'; I'm just sayin'.