I love the concept of St. Niklaus Day. Since I cannot incorporate it into my 'family', I share it with you so that you can incorporate it into yours.
Many Germanic nations celebrate this day, usually on December 6th, as the day on which Saint Nicholas traditionally brings gifts to the family. It is celebrated with a family dinner of traditional germanic foods, during which St. Nicholas leaves gifts for them in their shoes, which they have placed somewhere near the door or hearth. After dinner, the guests see what 'Santa' brought and then they work together on a family craft.
My first December in Austria, I was privileged to celebrate this event with the Krompass family of Upper Austria. They were a farming family, but we had a nice beef roast (Saurbraten), received a few small trinkets (mostly chocolate, a pair of woven socks, a scarf, etc.) and then we assembled tree ornaments made of straw. For the past many years, the family had fashioned these ornaments in the shapes of snowflakes and stars with guests. As a consequence, their Christmas tree was very simple. After that, they opened gifts from family.
The purpose for this was profoundly and succintly described to me. A woman told me that "Christ's birthday was so important that even St. Niklaus paused to celebrate it". Wow.
I love how the Germans separated the gifts from the birth of the Savior. Only, it seems, in America, do the traditions of gifts overshadow the celebration of the Christ. Perhaps it is a consumerist-driven phenomenon. In my household, it is not and will not be. I love to sing the songs and read the stories and serve other people this season. The glamour of gifts wore off years ago, initially when I started to receive things that I needed rather than having whims fulfilled. The mission and mercy of my Savior however remain, throughout the year, because I think of it far more frequently, especially when the tinsel and wrappings are gone.
If you are looking for the true Spirit of Christmas, you need only drop the last syllable, and you have the Spirit of Christ.
Many Germanic nations celebrate this day, usually on December 6th, as the day on which Saint Nicholas traditionally brings gifts to the family. It is celebrated with a family dinner of traditional germanic foods, during which St. Nicholas leaves gifts for them in their shoes, which they have placed somewhere near the door or hearth. After dinner, the guests see what 'Santa' brought and then they work together on a family craft.
My first December in Austria, I was privileged to celebrate this event with the Krompass family of Upper Austria. They were a farming family, but we had a nice beef roast (Saurbraten), received a few small trinkets (mostly chocolate, a pair of woven socks, a scarf, etc.) and then we assembled tree ornaments made of straw. For the past many years, the family had fashioned these ornaments in the shapes of snowflakes and stars with guests. As a consequence, their Christmas tree was very simple. After that, they opened gifts from family.
The purpose for this was profoundly and succintly described to me. A woman told me that "Christ's birthday was so important that even St. Niklaus paused to celebrate it". Wow.
I love how the Germans separated the gifts from the birth of the Savior. Only, it seems, in America, do the traditions of gifts overshadow the celebration of the Christ. Perhaps it is a consumerist-driven phenomenon. In my household, it is not and will not be. I love to sing the songs and read the stories and serve other people this season. The glamour of gifts wore off years ago, initially when I started to receive things that I needed rather than having whims fulfilled. The mission and mercy of my Savior however remain, throughout the year, because I think of it far more frequently, especially when the tinsel and wrappings are gone.
If you are looking for the true Spirit of Christmas, you need only drop the last syllable, and you have the Spirit of Christ.
2 comments:
I love it!! Thanks for sharing that one!
I still have twelve of the ornaments from that night. If I remember correctly, each member of the family made one for me, and then I have the ones Andreas Wenig and I made because he didn't want them, being German himself.
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