german language training - private tutoring - german lessons for adults - in southern germany, Stuttgart area - german language instruction at your home or office - learning german at flexible times - assistance whenever needed

Especially when you have children you should not forget 6^th of December. We call this day "Nikolaus-Tag".

When I was a child, this day was one of the highlights in the year. In the evening of Dec 5^th I had to clean my boots and put them outside. (Next to the entrance door of the house or appartment). Nikolaus (Santa Claus) came during the night. He filled the boots with chocolade and candy - if I was a good boy. Mom told me the bad boys get no candy, just a little branch from a tree as a warning for them: If they keep misbehaving they won't get any gifts for christmas.

As I remember, I always got candy and chocolade TOGETHER with a branch in my boots. Mom told me, that I was in general a good boy and Nikolaus was satisfied with my behaviour. Therefore the candy. On the other side, I was not always a good boy (Mom was listing up all my misbehaviours of the recent time) and I could do better. Therefore I got the branch. Mom's resumee was always the same: If I continued as I did but without some misbehaviours, then there is really hope for some very nice gifts for christmas. Needless to say I was the best behaving boy till christmas....

Of course on that evening (5^th Dec) I hardly could fall asleep. Very important questions were going through my mind: What will I get? How much? Did I put out the biggest boots I had?

Other questions I never found an answer for: How did Nikolaus get all this information about me and the things I did wrong? And how did he get through the first door (we lived in an appartment-complex in these years)?

Years later I started to understand that the Nikolaus-Tag is a perfect instrument for parents to keep the kids well behaving before Christmas. Especially when a mother has all the hectic before Christmas and needs a lot of time for baking. My Mom was baking a lot of cookies, still she had some doubts, wheather all the different kinds of cookies will survive till christmas. Here Nikolaus was a perfect help for her, since he seemed to see everything, e.g. all my attempts to get more cookies than Mom wanted to give me...

Sometimes a "real" Nikolaus came to our house. He had a partner Knecht Ruprecht (In different areas of Germany the partner has different names), who had the sack with the candy and the branches on his back. Depending on the area in germany Nikolaus and Knecht Ruprecht might come on the evening of the 5^th or during the 6^th of December.

These customs still live in nowadays Germany. Even more than before. In every city Nikolaus can be hired to visit the families at their homes. Check with the Arbeitsamt or local university. (english speaking Nikolaus should be available) Nikolaus will bring little gifts and candy, but first reads from a big, golden book - reviewing the childrens good jobs and misbehaviours of the past year (and of course telling, over all they are very good kids and disserve their candy). As I mentioned, Nikolaus seems to know everything.

Nowadays Nikolaus comes (6^th Dec) to Kindergarten and schools, to senior homes and hospitals, he even finds his way to some offices and work places.

The tradition goes back to a saint of the catholic church: Nikolaus was bishop in Myra (Turkey). He died 6^th December 345. He was known as very generous to the poor and especially to children. A legend says he even reanimated three murdered children. Thus he became the patron of the pupils. In medeaval times a pupil of a monestary was elected to dress up as "children-bishop", who on December 6^th visited the school and "punished" the bad kids and "awarded" the good kids with candy.

Another tradition you find in almost every house with children is the so-called "Advents-Kalender". It is a calendar poster that has 24 little doors to be opened (for 1^st to 24^th December). A little chocolade surprise can be found behind every door. Everyday another one. For me it was an extra exercise to learn numbers bevor I went to school and it was a big help to count the days till christmas.... You can buy these calendars all over.

Is your german good enough for this challenge? Here is the same tip in a simplified german version (german and english side-by-side)

tip11: In Germany, Nikolaus comes on Dec 6 - nikolaus, santa, claus, santa claus, christmas, x-mas, german, custom, customs, habbit, habbits, children, surprise, info, infos, Stuttgart, training-for-germany - tips and infos for your time in Germany check it out! - today: In Germany, Santa Claus comes already on Dec 6th for the first time. You should know about it......