December 06, 2003
Mos Nicolae
Today is the day of Mos Nicolae, whom I know as St. Nikolaus. Doug had a moment of confusion that a Romanian tradition is so well known to me, until he realized that we have the exact same tradition in Germany, as well.
It's a children's holiday, both here and in Germany -- not meaning to imply that older children (aka adults) aren't happy about Mos Nicolae paying them a visit, too.
In the night to the 6th of December, children put their shoes (or boots, they fit more loot) out for St. Nikolaus to fill them. If the child has been good this past year, he will find his boots filled with goodies like nuts, tangerines, sweets and maybe a little present. If he has been a pain, he gets only a stick (presumably to be hit with).
Nikolaus day is one of those days that carry a special magic for children, and then again for parents with small children. It's almost like being a kid again. This year, I declared Alan old enough to get his boots filled. Apparently, St. Nikolaus thought he was a good boy indeed:
Of course, around 6:30 (in the morning!), after having filled up on chocolate and cookies, he went into total suger-overload-hyper-mode and had to be removed from the house to run it off.
Well. It's part of the fun, really.
Btw, Mos Nicolae/Nikolaus and Santa Claus are the same person, of course. Here's a short description from the North Pole People:
"The basis for the Christian-era Santa Claus is Bishop Nicholas of Smyrna (Izmir), in what is now Turkey. Nicholas lived in the 4th century A.D. He was very rich, generous, and loving toward children. Often he gave joy to poor children by throwing gifts in through their windows.
"The Orthodox Church later raised St. Nicholas, miracle worker, to a position of great esteem. It was in his honor that Russia's oldest church, for example, was built. For its part, the Roman Catholic Church honored Nicholas as one who helped children and the poor. St. Nicholas became the patron saint of children and seafarers. His name day is December 6th."
Happy Nikolausday to all those who celebrate it!
Posted by claudia at December 6, 2003 03:32 PMThank you!
We did celebrate it ;)
About why I read your blog: I am not very sure about the reason, but I need to check your blog every time I start working on the computer. I find it intersesting to hear your opinion about the city I live in, from your expat point of view. I realised that I am already addicted to it when you went to America for a few (long :) weeks.
Have a nice day!
Anca & Misha