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It's a big day mainly in southern states in Germany for kids (the south is more catholic, the north more evangelical). Each December 6th, children in Germany celebrate 'St. Nikolaus Day'. But why does the Santa look-alike come so early and why do all the children place their shoes outside their front doors on the evening before? Is Nikolaus the same as Santa Claus? Though they have similar outfits, Nikolaus is not to be confused with Santa Claus, who Germans call the Weihnachtsmann, or Father Christmas. They are two different people. In fact, many religious families try to focus more on Nikolaus earlier in December to ensure that Christmas is actually about Jesus’ birth, and not presents from an Americanized and commercialized Santa.

Each year on December 6th, Germans remember the death of Nicholas of Myra (now the Anatolia region of modern Turkey), who died on that day in 346. He was a Greek Christian bishop known for miracles and giving gifts secretly, and is now the patron saint of little children, sailors, merchants and students. Why do children set their shoes out on the night of December 5th? Doesn’t he have any? Of course Nikolaus has shoes. The custom began because the historical St. Nicholas had a reputation for leaving secret gifts, such as coins, in people’s shoes overnight. Kids traditionally put out their boots, though shoes or stockings will suffice for those without boots. And the boots have to be polished first? Definitely. Dirty boots are unacceptable. Children polish their boots to show they’ve been good. They usually place just one boot outside their door so they don’t appear too greedy, though. According to the legend, Nikolaus comes in the middle of the night on a donkey or a horse and leaves little treats – like coins, chocolate, oranges and toys – for good children.

What do naughty children get? This depends on different family traditions. Sometimes Nikolaus only leaves a switch (of wood) in the boot, ostensibly for spankings, to show that the child doesn’t deserve a treat. In other families, a man disguised as St. Nicholas will visit the family or the child’s school alone or with his with his sinister-looking alter ego Knecht Ruprecht to question the children about their behavior. In the YouGov survey, 51 percent of respondents said they generally believed Knecht Ruprecht belonged to the Nikolaus tradition whereas 47 percent said he did not. What does he do if the kids admit to being naughty? Depending on how strict the children’s parents are, St. Nicholas will give them a verbal warning or even a pretend spanking with a rod. Hey, he’s a Saint isn’t he? Saints can’t spank little kids. Well, the rod is more an invention of parents who wanted to teach their children a lesson over the years. That spoils the fun a bit, doesn’t it? Certainly! Children were often quite frightened of being questioned about their behavior because they’ve been told that St. Nicholas will hurt them with his rod or even put them in a sack and take them away. Though the custom is in decline, in more Catholic regions, parents inform a local priest of naughty behavior. The priest then pays a personal visit wearing the traditional Christian garb to threaten the little rugrats with a beating.

Credits: Post based on report in “The Local” eZine.

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The Germans are facing a difficult November. Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel and the Prime Ministers unanimously decided on Wednesday to largely shut down public life. The measures apply from November 2nd to the end of the month - and are to be enforced with controls and sanctions. The corona virus is currently spreading exponentially in almost all regions of Germany. The massive restrictions are justified by wanting to reduce the number of new infections to below 50 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants and to avoid an acute "health emergency" in Germany The consequences for the economy, society and each individual are sometimes severe. If it becomes apparent in a few weeks that the new strategy has been successful, there will be an attractive reward for many: the chance for a reasonably normal Christmas party.

But how do experts from medicine and science rate the results? Are the new measures suitable for actually achieving this goal? In essence, the Federal Chancellor and the country chiefs demand that the Germans reduce all contact with people who are not part of their own household to an "absolutely necessary minimum". In detail this means:

Only members of two households and a maximum of ten people are allowed to meet in public space. And no matter whether on a square in the city or in the party room at home - groups of people partying are "unacceptable".

Private trips, family visits and larger day trips should be avoided. Hotels and guest houses are not allowed to accommodate tourists, business trips are allowed.

Theaters, operas, concert halls, cinemas, trade fairs, arcades, casinos, brothels, swimming pools, saunas, thermal baths and fitness studios remain closed. The residents are still allowed to walk, jog, ride a bike or do some other individual sport, alone, with people from their own household or at most with one other person

Football and other amateur sports games are prohibited. In the professional area, games can take place, but only without spectators.

Bars, clubs, discos, pubs and restaurateurs will be closed, with the exception of canteens. However, restaurants are allowed to offer food for consumption at home.

Cosmetic studios, massage practices, tattoo studios and similar businesses will be closed. Physiotherapy and other medically necessary therapies, on the other hand, are allowed, as is the appointment in the hairdressing salon.

Shops remain open, but there must be no queues. And there shouldn't be more than one customer per ten square meters of sales area.

Schools and kindergartens remain open.

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Residents hoofing it to work in a leafy area of Frankfurt have an unusual companion in the mornings - Jenny the Arabian mare. When Werner Weischedel opens the stable door in the morning, Jenny begins her daily walk around the German city's Fechenheim district, meandering freely along tram tracks and riverside walkways. Locals know and greet her on the cobbled paths of the pedestrian zone towards a landscape conservation area on the banks of the river Main.

Police and tram drivers likewise have become accustomed to Jenny's independent lifestyle, with tram drivers looking out for her and sometimes going extra slow to watch out for the 22-year-old mare. For those new to the sight of a white horse roaming freely and without haste around town, Jenny wears a sign on her harness reading "My name is Jenny, I didn't run away, I'm just going for a walk. Thank you."

Calmly going about her business, she occasionally stops for snacks. Weischedel is not worried that she might get lost - "she knows where the best grass is growing and knows all the places where trees have new shoots," he says. Jenny used to walk in the company of fellow mare Charly, who died of cancer just over half a year ago. Initially Weischedel or his wife would walk with her after her companion's death, but soon realised that she was managing "just fine on her own", especially since she "knows everybody" in the neighborhood and "trusts people". And if she does feel uncomfortable, such as when there are fireworks on New Year's Eve - she calls it early and returns home to her stable all by herself.

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The Advent wreath, or Advent crown, is a Christian tradition that symbolizes the passage of the four weeks of Advent in the liturgical calendar of the Western church. The Advent Wreath is traditionally a Lutheran practice, albeit it has spread to many other Christian denominations. It is usually a horizontal evergreen wreath with four candles and often, a fifth, white candle in the center. Beginning with the First Sunday of Advent, the lighting of a candle can be accompanied by a Bible reading and prayers.

An additional candle is lit during each subsequent week until, by the last Sunday before Christmas, all four candles are lit. Many Advent wreaths include a fifth, Christ candle which is lit at Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. The custom is observed both in family settings and at public church services. The ring or wheel of the Advent wreath of evergreens decorated with candles was a symbol in northern Europe long before the arrival of Christianity.

The circle symbolized the love of God which has no beginning and no end while the evergreens and lighted candles signified the persistence of life in the midst of winter. Some sources suggest the wreath - now reinterpreted as a Christian symbol - was in common use in the Middle Ages, others that it was established in Germany as a Christian custom only in the 16th century.

There is evidence of pre-Christian Germanic peoples using wreathes with lit candles during the cold and dark December days as a sign of hope in the future warm and extended-sunlight days of Spring.

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Small Talk in Germany

Germans are said to be rather serious, dour, and even humorless. While this is not entirely true, German people do indeed need some time to warm up and keep a polite distance when dealing with strangers. While it might be customary in some countries to address people by their first name, Germans like to stick to formalities. At the same time, their blunt direct way of communicating might put some people off and even appear rude. On the upside, once you’ve cracked a German’s hard shell, they will warm up quickly. This is also when you will find out that Germans are indeed funny and like to joke around a lot. Compliments are given rarely, but if so, then they are sincere.

Our gestures, facial expressions and voice tone say a lot more about us that the actual words we are saying. In Germany, lots of physical distance and a calm, moderate tome are appropriate in most situations. Hugging another person, patting their back, kissing their cheek and generally touching another person is reserved for close friends and relatives. Yelling, screaming and shouting are considered incredibly rude. That being said, Germans do talk with a blunt directness that may sound arrogant to other people. Such frankness and assertiveness are perfectly normal most of the time. It is not intended to offend you.

When it comes to small talk, Germans rarely chat about personal matters at first. Instead, they focus on sports, traveling, movies or cooking. You should avoid potentially controversial topics like politics or religion, reserving them for good friends only. Allusions to the country’s Nazi past and its role in the World Wars are taboo.

One of the many clichés about Germany and the Germans says that they act in a not very friendly or even rude manner towards strangers. But what is often interpreted as rude manners, is more like a basic inability of Germans to small talk – they simply are not used to it.

In fact, it comes more from another behavior often observed on Germans: They are said to be very direct and trying to be effective in what they are doing – that’s why most of them don’t think it is necessary to small talk as it costs time without producing measurable results. For them, it’s simply a waste of time. Next time you are trying to small talk with a German just say to yourself: They’re not rude, they’re just effective.

It’s said that it’s not too easy to make German friends, but once you’ve managed to befriend one, he or she will be a “real” and loyal friend. I don’t need to tell you that not all Germans are the same and especially young people are very open towards foreigners. It might be due to the fact that they are able to communicate better in English than the older Germans. It is more a basic cultural difference that becomes obvious in daily situations with strangers.

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Tasters choice

It's a taster's choice and a tester's chore to do such stuff...

Just testing here ;-)