december 6th

Today is “Nikolaustag” (I just looked it up and my program says it’s called St. Nicholas Day, hmmm)! I might add that the German Christmas has a lot more to offer then one Santa Claus. We do have Father Christmas (Weihnachtsmann), who is responsible for the gifts on Christmas Eve (NOT Christmas Day), “Knecht Ruprecht”, who is Santa’s helper (but nothing like a elf), the Christ Child (that’s Jesus, but not really, as he is as well responsible for the gifts) and Santa Claus or St. Nicholas, who will fill your shoes on the 6th of December if you leave them in front of the street door. I can’t think of anyone else responsible for the presents, but have the feeling I forgot someone. As I was never taught to believe in any of the previous characters I find it hard to remember and don’t really know either why we have more then one person for Christmas Eve. My mum didn’t want us to grow up believing in lies (I guess it has to do with her growing up in a communist country.) and so I hardly know fairy tales or the stories about Father Christmas. Well, as I said we never believed in Santa, but always celebrated all these little customs. This year was no exemption. My mum will always find a gift from my father under her pillow and we kids will find something in our shoes (that my mum put there the night before). Usually some chocolates or sweets we like or nuts or other seasonal things. This year I got a nice smelling shampoo and a chocolate Santa lollipop. Besides filling our shoes, my mothers will as well prepare something for the kids in our neighbourhood and our cousins.