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Santa Claus doesn’t come to Germany. Children here get their presents from the angel-like Christkind rather than the jolly man in red.
Still, there is a man with a long white beard and a sack of presents walking from house to house in Germany. He visits Dec. 6, St. Nick’s Day, bringing candy and fruit to well-behaved children and a tree branch to those who need some admonishment.
His name is Nikolaus, and he is Santa Claus’ role model. Based on a Christian saint, the Nikolaus has retained more of a church aura than the commercialized Santa.
Nikolaus is known to be a friend of all children. The night before Dec. 6, kids across Germany put a boot outside their front door so that Nikolaus can fill it.
The next morning, they awake to find things such as tangerines, walnuts, chocolate and maybe small gifts in their shoes.
The German Federal Administration Office credits his origins to two bishops who lived in what is now Turkey during the fourth and sixth centuries: Bishop Nikolaus of Myra and Abbot Nikolaus of Sion, who was also bishop of Pinora. After the sixth century, legends combined these two church men into one fictitious, charitable character who developed into the Nikolaus that is known in many European countries today.
Some legends also mention a helper of St. Nikolaus, known as Knecht Ruprecht or Krampus. He is usually described as a dark, sinister man who has gained a reputation for taking bad children away from their homes. Thus, both Nikolaus and Knecht Ruprecht are sometimes being used to scare children into behaving. Sayings such as “The Nikolaus sees everything” or “Knecht Ruprecht will put you in his sack and take you away” are still common in some German families.
The Nikolaus’ religious roots are still obvious in the German communities he visits. Youth centers and schools host Nikolaus visits. They dress in liturgical vestment and a bishop’s hat, carry a bishop’s crook and don’t necessarily wear red; sometimes, this Nikolaus looks more like a man of the church than Santa Claus. St. Nikolaus brings presents and tells stories, paired with maybe some gentle admonishment to “be tidier” or “practice the piano more.”
In communities that don’t have a Nikolaus home-visit program, relatives often fill the part. Otherwise, a visit to one of the area Christmas markets on St. Nick’s Day could turn into an encounter with the bearded gift giver.
There are many kindergartens in Kaiserslautern that host St. Nikolaus visits. St. Nikolaus will walk around the Kaiserslautern Christmas market and Kaiserslautern-Siegelbach Zoo during the day Dec. 6. He will also visit the ice-skating rink downtown with sweet surprises for children from 4 to 5 p.m. Dec. 6.
Whether children believe in jolly Santa Claus or the friendly St. Nikolaus, their eyes will light up when they see him around town or see their gifts on Christmas morning.
