St. Nicholas Day
St. Nicholas Day
In Netherlands
St. Nicholas Day
In Poland
St. Nicholas Day
In Italy
St. Nicholas Day
In United States of America
Grandfather Frost
In Russia
According to Christian tradition,
St. Nicholas was bishop of Myra
- the land located in what is
now Turkey. He was the
prototype of a dealer box gifts
to children. One legend has it
that a man had fallen into
bankruptcy and decided to give
his daughter to a brothel. To
protect against that, Nicholas
had put in the night through the
chimney three bags of coins
that spilled into stockings and
shoes drying by the fireplace.
In Poland, Saint Nicholas' Day is
celebrated on 6 December. Santa
Claus traditions, however, differ
significantly in many regions of the
country. According to folk tradition,
Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of
shepherds and cattle, which protects
against wolves. This is why
December 6 shepherds made ​him
the victim in the form of special
wreaths of flax and hemp, putting
them chicken and goose eggs. That
day also carried the rectory sheep
and lambs.
The custom of visiting homes by
Nicholas was known in some
Polish regions in the nineteenth
century. Santa visited the houses
a long with angel and devil
horned, questioned children with
prayers and asked parents about
their behavior. Sweets handed
polite, gave the wrong switch.
Today more and more popular is
also giving each other gifts such
as peer in schools.
Santa Claus in Poznan
Another legend has it that in the
morning on December 6 he looks
through the window and when he
sees inmates cleaned shoes leave
presents. However, if the shoes are
dirty or not at all, leave a rotten pyre,
or the poznańsku rotten potato.
Currently, it is also synonymous with
Christmas, in which a man dressed
as Santa Claus distributes gifts to
the youngest.
St. Santa Claus with a
beard
St. Nicholas will probably
Wroclaw today in many
homes. Dressing up for the
St. Nicholas is a relatively
new habit, cultivated in
the tradition of not only
Polish but also in other
European countries.
American image
Bishop of Myra usually depicted in bishop's attire,
with a bag of gifts for well-behaved children in
one hand and rods for naughty in the second. This
image of an American company producing one of
the world's most popular drinks found to be too
serious, because in 1930 he asked the American
artist Fred Mizen to design a new form of image
and reputation. Currently, Nicholas is an older,
fatter man dressed in a red suit and a red cap
with a distinctive white tassel. And that's today
imagine St. Nicholas children.
With the image of the Holy Americans with a bag
of gifts operates almost all over the world.
However, in many countries, their traditions are
promoted, handing out gifts to children.
Nicholas in the Netherlands
In the Netherlands, the youngest
bestows Sinterklass (phonetically
resembles Santa Claus), who arrives on
the ship on Dec. 5 from Spain.
Traditional gifts on this day are
chocolate letters. Each person is given
then the first letter of his name.
Sinterklassa helper Zwarte Piet is.
- He's black, but it has nothing to do
with slavery. It's just dirty from the
soot in the chimney, because in this
way provides the children with gifts
for their shoes.
Nicholas the Italian
Other customs prevail in Italy, where
he presents on the feast of the
Epiphany witch Befana hands. It is
imagined as an old man with the
crooked nose, dressed in old, dirty
clothes. Witch on a broom year and
enters the house through the chimney.
Children who want to gain her favor
should leave her tangerine or a glass
of wine. If your children are naughty,
Befana put them into socks garlic or
coal. According to legend, the witch
was going to meet the Magi to Jesus.
Befana but got lost and years from
now on a broom leaving gifts in their
homes, in case one of them was Jesus.
St. Christmas in Russia
The Russian children receive gifts in
the New Year. Grandfather Frost
endows them, often confused with
Santa Claus. His wife is the old
woman winter. He is wearing a fur hat
uszankę long to heel sheepskin, which
can be blue or silver, and this waist
cord. Propped up his staff. Russian
children imagine him as a tall,
elderly, but also a strong and vigorous
man with a long beard to the ground.
Jack Frost comes to the door,
children's homes, and not through the
chimney. Often accompanied by a
granddaughter, Snieguriczka.