Seth and Nikolaus

Nikolaus

Today is St. Nikolaus Day (variously spelled ). He has developed  from the robed and mitred bishop into Father Christmas and now the Weihnachtsmann here. Sometimes you see him partially or fully Americanized in red and white short suit and cap.

Pictures from various catalogues here.

For the last two weekends many towns have had their Nicholas parades, passing out treats of peanuts and oranges and chocolate to children who will say a little verse for Nicholas (or they used to anyway - now children get things for nothing). Various floats with fairy tale themes and angels accompany the parade, at least in Adliswil. But no one from our family went this year, so I have no pictures. Some towns have enormous parades of candles in huge patterned-paper hats, others have masked characters, each depending on the local traditions.

This is an old ornament gotten when Maria was a baby.

On this day here people give Chlaus (pron, Klowss, not Klawz) bags as gifts. They are typically filled with traditional cookies, various nuts and fruit (esp. apples and oranges, because people in old times had stored apples at this time of year and oranges were very exotic), and sundry sweets.

Zimtstern, Bärentatzen, Brunsli, Willisauer Ringli, Manderinli, Spanischnüsse, Walnuss, Schoggliherzli, etc.

If one is lucky his bag will be brought by the Saint himself, in his bishop's robes, and - less lucky if you had not pristine behavior throughout the year - black-robed Schmutzli will be with him carrying switches. They haven't come to our house in awhile, but the bags somehow get here every year.

Also at this time one indulges in Grittibänze, bread-shaped men with accoutrements. They came to our table, too.

As it happens, yesterday was the annual St. Barbara Day shooting competition, with pistols, in Adliswil. Each participant gets a

Panettone, (Milanese sweet bread for Christmas and New Year) and  three of our menfolk shot, but somehow we have at least four Panettone here, though they are rapidly disappearing. Note of congratulations: Thomas won the junior category and got chocolates, too. He is quite the good shot.

 Shem 

Today's Jesse Tree figure is Shem. As one of Noah's three sons, he is the progenitor of the Semitic peoples that inhabited the middle east between Asia and Europe. One of his lines of descent became the Children of Israel from whom Jesus descended, after which that line was mostly dispersed and amalgamated because of their unbelief. But before that, God did keep his promise and a remnant even in the Captivity. The picture shows also the other two sons of Noah, because their descendants, too, all people in all the earth, are included in the children of promise, by faith, though not in physical bloodline.

Verses for today:
Genesis 6: 8 - 10; 7: 15, 23; 9: 18, 19; 11: 10, 11
Luke 3: 36

Advent Calendars

Today's windows showed St Nicholas in one calendar,

and in the other, the story book for today

"Manntje, Manntje, Timpe Te, Buttje, Buttje in der See, meine Frau, die Ilsebill, will nicht so, wie ich wohl will," said the fisherman each time his wife nagged him to ask for more.

was of the greedy wife who asked for and got everything she wanted up to and including being Pope, but was sent back to her meager existence when she asked to be as great as God. Now there are lessons in wish-making.

Blessings on your Sunday. ENJOY.

Gifts.