When I was little, I did not have a concept of Santa Claus in the north American sense. The baby Jesus delivered presents on Christmas eve - not a jolly, fat man in a red suit with a beard. The closest deity to a Santa Claus in my childhood was St. Nicholas.
As a child, I would put my boots out by the window and eagerly await the goodies that would fill them the next day. My boots would be filled with mandarin oranges (only available at Christmas in the Czech Republic and very expensive in those days), chocolates, a type of ginger bread cookie we called marzipan typically in the shape of St. Nicholas and usually, a tiny lump of black coal as a reminder that we are rarely 'always good'. When my boys were young they would also receive little presents such as a hot wheels car or a tiny Lego set.
St. Nicholas day is celebrated in many European countries. St. Nicholas was a fourth century bishop from Myra (now Turkey). He was said to be a kindly saint and legend has it that he would travel from home to home on the Eve of St. Nicholas (December 5) and leave gifts for good children in their boots, which they discovered in the morning on December 6. He travelled with another mythical character called "Black Peter". I think Black Peter was meant to be a representation of some kind of a devil. If a child was bad, St. Nicholas would leave lumps of black coal instead of candies and little treats.
As a child, I would put my boots out by the window and eagerly await the goodies that would fill them the next day. My boots would be filled with mandarin oranges (only available at Christmas in the Czech Republic and very expensive in those days), chocolates, a type of ginger bread cookie we called marzipan typically in the shape of St. Nicholas and usually, a tiny lump of black coal as a reminder that we are rarely 'always good'. When my boys were young they would also receive little presents such as a hot wheels car or a tiny Lego set.
I can't help myself, to this day I put my boots by my decorated fireplace to remind myself of the traditional celebration. Now I fill them with special chocolates for the Babe and myself more as a reminder of the tradition and the anticipation I used to have as a child to discover what goodies filled my boots.
47 comments:
Such a lovely tradition, i hope your boots are very full this year.
When i was small we had a family tradition. A mythical being who lived on our roof during the month of december called Snowball. Snowball kept 2 books a red one and a black one and if your name went into the black one instead of the red one then santa would not come. Sometimes my sister still says to me " Don't do that or Snowball will find out" : ())
I adore reading about your traditions and home! and I love your photographs. I love the coal idea too...on xmas eve we've been known to leave brussell sprouts in the kids stockings to show that there was room for improvement! This year my eldest could be on target for a sack of cabbages!
I do love these sort of posts, it's so nice to read of different traditions. My father used to threaten us with coal at Christmas and I always put a satsuma in my children's stockings, this puzzles them but I think they would be worried if it wasn't there.
These traditions are still alive and well in Germany where we lived for a while.It's so much nicer than the rampant consumerism that's taken over in the U.S. I loved all those marzipan confections they have in the German bakeries [and in Belgium too!] around Christmas!
Lovely post, Raina...and such fun hearing about different traditions. I'll leave a boot by our fireside and see what happens... ;o) Happy Days, my friend ((HUGS))
It's so wonderful to read about someone else's childhood traditions. Thank you for sharing with us! I love that you always got a little lump of coal along with the gifts in your shoes.
I love that your excitement was for St. Nicolas to come and fill your boots with tokens of the season and not filled with big expensive gifts. I feel that we forget what it should be about. It is not as fun when all we think of is getting ahead instead of just taking it all in. This year I am trying to take it all in. Great post.
It wouldn't be Christmas if we didn't have oranges and nuts in our stockings. The kids sometimes make christingle decorations by studding an orange with cloves and adding a candle. Those are very pretty in the fireplace. We don't really have any other traditions. I think I will have to create some just for us.
Love Xmas traditions....never did this one though....
your photos totally evoke this season to me... lovely!
Lovely post! The best Christmas I can remember was the one I spent in South America and I saw what Christmas was like without the over the top red jolly santa on every corner. So much more meaningful and enjoyable.
Ollie was telling me of this tradition only the other day.... I think when we have children it is definitely one that we willl carry on, as well as the Hindu traditions from my side!! :)
sweet tradition and such great images as usual:)
wonderful descrition oftraditions... here in Italy there is not st nicholas tradition, but on 13 december a kinf of that is St Lucia, more in the north of italy. Actually my tradition is just Christmas tree and a long family dinner on 24th december, eating just fish.i love your pictures, they are so warm...
I love learning about other cultures and how they celebrate. I think this is such a lovely tradition that you've maintained.
PS> Your header is exquisite!
If you could fit like a brand new car into my boots this year instead of hot wheels, that would be great, haha. Its always been pretty cool learning about some of the traditions you grow up. Maybe one of these next posts you can explain about the dinner you prepare and your "pet" fish!
The opposite from you, I learned about St. Nicholas Day as a newlywed living in Germany. One of our fondest memories was of being in Berchtesgaden on Dec. 5 when the local grumps would chase people around and beat the evil spirits out of them so that St. Nicholas could come that evening. I love reading about your traditions -- keep 'em coming!
I love your memories! As a child I too used to leave my shoes (the biggest I could find) next to the fire place now in England we have shoes and stockings by the fire place I don't want to lose any of the tradition! Also I find st nicholas a lot more appealing than santa!
Very cool traditions. I love reading about other people's traditions. I've heard about the boots too.
oh,lovely tradition,lovely remembrence of childhood.
You might like to look at this website: www.zachrantejeziska.cz that is against the invasion of Santa Claus into the children' dream about the one who brings the presents in our country. I apologize for them to think of Santa being solely Anglo-american invention (but its the marketing that they blame mostly).
What a lovely tradition, which to me, is what the holidays are all about ... traditions, new and old.
Thanks for sharing this. I loved reading about something new (to me).
Hello RAINING SHEEP,
Thanks a lot for sharing your wonderful tradition with us. I was very happy and surprised when I found your comment on my blog - it's the first one ever from Kanada - thank you ! It's still an amazing and unreal feeling whenever I find that someone from a country far away has visited my blog and left a comment, and I always think to myself - how on earth have they found me ? I wish you a wonderful Christmas and a happy New Year and you are of course more than welcome to visit med again.
Warm regards/Marita
That is such a great tradition .... I do like your Ugg boots!
We leave a mince pie, whisky and a carrot for the reindeer by the chimney. Father christmas sometimes leaves behind a whisp of beard, snow or a boot print. :)
i love hearing about your traditions. i might even warm up to christmas just a bit! ;) i really love that you used to get little pieces of coal...a good reminder!!
These kinds of traditions create sweet memories that we carry with us!
We were always threatened with coal in our Christmas stockings from Santa if we hadn't been good, we also always got a mandarin orange - love these traditions and how they take on different forms for different countries and families. I wonder whether the expression 'fill your boots' has anything to do with the St Nicholas tradition?
...and such cozy boots they are :)
Thanks for sharing - it's always fun to read of other's childhood traditions.
What a lovely tradition. I hope your boots have everything you want this year. I love Littlebird's Snowball tradition!
Great tradition and a whole new way to view it!
Interesting to read about your traditions...especially how you've continued to hold on to them over the years...modifying them to fit the time and place...but still keeping the soul of the tradition intact.
oh here they have this tradition as well!
Your blog is lovely. So are your traditions. It would be so nice to see that spirit take over here - why is it so hard to do? Stop over-spending on gifts and change the focus for our children.
Its also nice to read a blog that is local-ish, only 1.5 hours away. We're practically neighbours!
Michele
Thank you so much for this beautiful post. I love learning about how other countries and cultures celebrate Christmas. I would hate to have been a bad child and gotten lumps of coal!
Hope all is well with you!
my friend in the us celebrates that as well - I think when I have kids I will definitely start that tradition, I think it is really nice to not have a huge bunch of gifts whenever you get them, just to enjoy the little things.
Its wonderful to be reminded of other traditions through out the world. It makes up out rich and varied patchwork world.
It's so hard to get excited about Christmas when it's so hot here. Instead of decorating and planning menus I just feel like collapsing into the hammock!
That's fantastic! In the end, it's all about the magic, isn't it?
So, here's to magic, my friend! And a boot full of marzipan!
I love this Christmas tradition of placing the shoes by the chimney. We used to do it as kids, my sisters and I. We were born in Provence, in the south of France and the traditions there were so pleasant like the one of the 13 desserts..
Thanks for this post.
:-)
It's a beautiful tradition, which I have admired as my German friend Inge does the motions for her son.
Your ornaments are so beautiful. I love the metal sheep.
Thanks for sharing your wonderful traditions!I love to hear about how other cultures celebrate Chrismtas! We were often threatened with a lump of caol but didn't realise the origins of it.
thank yo for sharing such wonderful things about your childhood. it gives me warm fuzzies! and your ornaments and tree look beautiful.
:D
I hope your boots were full with lots of lovely goodies as well as happy memeories. Thank you for sharing it with us, its very special to hear what different forms christmas celebrations take across the world. Beautiful photos. Jane x
I didn't know this tradition either, it's such a lovely one too!
Love all your ornaments. Thanks for stopping by today and for the great idea you had for the little nesting bowls I made. I may try that out.:)
~Salina
Tradition are such an important part of who we are. Thanks for sharing.
We do that too! My dad's ancestors were from Belgium and his family carried on the tradition. I loved having both days for "gifts" but there was something special about St Nick's day...a time for reflection and saying thanks.
Lovely pictures!
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