Nikolaus is coming!
St Nicholas was born during the third century in the village of Patara.
At the time the area was Greek and is now on the southern coast of
Turkey. His wealthy parents, who raised him to be a devout Christian,
died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still young. Obeying Jesus' words
to "sell what you own and give the money to the poor," Nicholas used
his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering.
He dedicated his life to serving God and was made Bishop of Myra
while still a young man. Bishop Nicholas became known throughout the
land for his generosity to the those in need, his love for children, and
his concern for sailors and ships.
Widely celebrated in Europe, St. Nicholas' day, December 6th, kept
alive the stories of his goodness and generosity. In Germany and
Poland, boys dressed as bishops begged alms for the poor—and sometimes
for themselves! In the Netherlands and Belgium, St. Nicholas arrived on a
steamship from Spain to ride a white horse on his gift-giving rounds.
December 6th is still the main day for gift giving and merrymaking in
much of Europe. For example, in the Netherlands St. Nicholas is
celebrated on the 5th, the eve of the day, by sharing candies (thrown in
the door), chocolate initial letters, small gifts, and riddles. Dutch
children leave carrots and hay in their shoes for the saint's horse,
hoping St. Nicholas will exchange them for small gifts. Simple
gift-giving in early Advent helps preserve a Christmas Day focus on Christ.
Oh...da het der nikolaus den Weg bis nach England gefunden ...wie schön da muss Ava ja brav gewesen sein ;-)
ReplyDeleteWir waren auch alle sehr brav ...alle unsere Stiefel waren gut gefüllt heute Morgen!
Liebe Grüße
Catrin