Was hat Dir der Nikolaus gebracht?
By Robert A. Selig
What did Santa Claus bring you? My response will always be: “Absolutely nothing! When I grew up it was the Christkind (Christ Child), who brought the presents. There was no Nikolaus (Nicholas) on Christmas Eve in my house!” Some of my German friends, however, especially those from northern Germany, and solidly Protestant areas, will try to correct me by pointing out that Martin Luther “invented” the Christ Child. Sankt Nikolaus, and no one else, brought presents when they were children. Which of course causes me to smile somewhat condescendingly and say: “I thought Protestants did not have saints!” As the Christmas season is once again upon us it may be time to try and solve the riddle of who has been placing gifts under the Christmas Tree for the past 50, 100, maybe even 500 years or more. But wait … opposition is immediately raising its ugly head. My presents lie on my bed, some will say, others will point out that theirs came in shoes or socks. Who brings presents for Christmas? The answer is not as simple as it may seem, especially not in Germany. Though he may go by different names and display a variety of characteristics depending on cultural context, Saint Nicholas is a global phenomenon who happens to share a long and varied history with the Christkind in German culture and Christmas traditions.
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