How do other countries celebrate St. Nicholas?
Cheer up, it’s almost Christmas Eve! And even though everyone will celebrate it differently this year, that shouldn’t spoil the fun! Even if your kids don’t believe in it anymore. We even have coronaproof tips for it. Especially the anticipation of drawing lots, making poems and presents and coming up with suitable gifts is a very cozy tradition according to many. But how do other countries actually celebrate St. Nicholas?
A bit of history
Our own Saint Nicholas is based on the bishop Nicholas of Myra, who lived in Myra in the third century AD. That was in what was then Asia Minor, but today we know it better as Turkey. Saint Nicholas has been celebrated for many years, but Saint Nicholas has changed quite a bit over the centuries.
First he was a nasty bogeyman who scared children. Nowadays he is a children’s friend. Fortunately, the rope has completely disappeared and children rarely go back to Spain in the sack.
Huh, Spain? Where did this Spain come from anyway? The answer to that is probably in Jan Schenkman’s 1850 book “St. Nicholas and His Servant.” There, Schenkman introduced Spain as a homeland. And we left it that way.
St. Nicholas in other European countries
Actually, no one celebrates Sinterklaas the way we do. The Belgians come closest and they celebrate Sinterklaas on December 6. Other European countries celebrate Sinterklaas in a different way. Because they do celebrate Sinterklaas. In this blog, we take you through the Sinterklaas of other European countries.
Saint Nicholas in Austria
On December 6, Austria celebrates Saint Nicholas with the arrival of Nicolo, better known as Niklaus. Like our St. Nicholas, Niklaus wears a mitre, has helpers and a big book. As a child, you just hope there are only good things in that big book, otherwise you will have to deal with the evil sidekick Krampus. Krampus is a devilish figure who comes out of the woods and takes naughty children into the woods in a sack. Nowadays, Krampus is not welcome in Preschools to avoid trauma.
Saint Nicholas in France
The helper in France is as terrifying as Krampus from Austria. Père Fouettard was a butcher and cut up three children and put them in a brine barrel. Fortunately, St. Nicholas was there and revived the children. Père Fouettard (freely translated: Whip Father), is therefore doomed to assist St. Nicholas in the search for naughty children. He then gets to work them delightfully with a whip. Fortunately, this does not really happen… more…
Sinterklaas in the Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is also visited by a Saint Nicholas. Svaty Mikulas, as he is called here, visits children on December 5 with an angel and a devil named Cert. The angel gives children who have been good to him tangerines, peanuts and sometimes candy.
The Angel has wings and a white robe, Cert (Death) is hairy and has one horse leg , a red face, a long protruding tongue and two scary horns. Cert puts naughty children in his sack.
The Saint and the Angel, on the other hand, hand out treats and small gifts. By the way, in the Czech Republic, children are not led to believe that the Saint has been around for hundreds of years, but that he is long dead and comes down to earth via a golden rope. Funnily enough, St. Nicholas gets a nice drink at each house he visits which, as the evening progresses, causes him to swagger more and more.
St. Nicholas in Switzerland
The Swiss counterpart of St. Nicholas is called Samichlaus, who will visit Swiss children on Dec. 6 with his creepy sidekick Schmutzli. Schmutzli is dressed entirely in black, which makes him look a bit like an executioner. He rides a donkey and, how original, takes naughty children into the sack and gives them the ropes. Samichlaus does not give presents to the children, but he does give them nuts, chocolate and tangerines. He also has an educational role: Samichlaus tells the children to poop and pee on the toilet, not to get out of bed and to hand in their pacifier.
Sinterklaas on… Ameland!
Our own islanders also have a strange and creepy St. Nicholas tradition. Women and children are not allowed outside on December 5 from 5 a.m. onward. Those who do, have to deal with the Wayfarers. These men dressed in white chase the women and children by blowing horns and waving clubs. If you have your windows open they threaten to beat them out with their clubs. Cozy.
Later, these men secretly shed their white sheets and become so-called Sunne bosses. Then they wear colored masks and colorful paper cloaks. They visit houses and pubs and everyone has to listen to them, even the mayor. I think I will skip Ameland for a while around this time.
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