Vanille Kipferl are the season's cookies of joice-if one bakes!
The list has been slashed, no more 185 x-mas cards to write... down to about 85 USA and 45 overseas. And already received an eager beaver early bird card with a cat on it!
Just hope the two to China won't end up 'on a slow boat' ;-)!
Toasts to Nikolo and the Krampus!
The list has been slashed, no more 185 x-mas cards to write... down to about 85 USA and 45 overseas. And already received an eager beaver early bird card with a cat on it!Just hope the two to China won't end up 'on a slow boat' ;-)!
Austria/Germany are usually OK, but it has happened that letters came back to me after being delivered, ahem, trying to be delivered in Sidney AUSTRALIA. What an Odyssey those had! Completely around the globe and not in 60 days. Hey, Postpersons, there are NO kangaroos in AUSTRIA.
There are KRAMPUS and NIKOLO .
December 6. is celebrated in Austria and some German areas in honor of St. Nikolaus.
St. Nikoluas was a real person. He was born in Patra in 286, ca. 350 nominated as Bishop for Myra, today known as Demre or Kale in Turkey, where even today ruins of beautiful church named after him are visited by many. He died ca. December 6. 351 in Myra, where he was interred. But 1087 his bones were stolen by traders and carried to Bari, Italy, where they still are. As a generous benefactor of the poor and protector of , especially, children, he is venerated for good deeds. It is said, he even re-animated 3 children who were murdered.The saga goes, that St. Nikoluas as NIKOLO, keeps visiting children and adults annually because of his deep love for them, and to remind them to be good, do good and to reward them for it with candies or fruit or small tokens.
There are KRAMPUS and NIKOLO .
December 6. is celebrated in Austria and some German areas in honor of St. Nikolaus.St. Nikoluas was a real person. He was born in Patra in 286, ca. 350 nominated as Bishop for Myra, today known as Demre or Kale in Turkey, where even today ruins of beautiful church named after him are visited by many. He died ca. December 6. 351 in Myra, where he was interred. But 1087 his bones were stolen by traders and carried to Bari, Italy, where they still are. As a generous benefactor of the poor and protector of , especially, children, he is venerated for good deeds. It is said, he even re-animated 3 children who were murdered.The saga goes, that St. Nikoluas as NIKOLO, keeps visiting children and adults annually because of his deep love for them, and to remind them to be good, do good and to reward them for it with candies or fruit or small tokens.
Krampus, on the other hand, accompanies Nikolo as incubus demon, 
and acts as anti Nikolo to hand out warnings and punishment to children for their bad behavior. Some of the more memorable 'gifts' handed over by the Krampus are pieces of coal wrapped in black or red paper. As eager children rip off the wrappings they are sorely disappointed not find sweet treats within.
and acts as anti Nikolo to hand out warnings and punishment to children for their bad behavior. Some of the more memorable 'gifts' handed over by the Krampus are pieces of coal wrapped in black or red paper. As eager children rip off the wrappings they are sorely disappointed not find sweet treats within.The word KRAMPUS actually is a derivative of the old High German word for claw - KRAMPEN..a similar word is still used today for mountaineer gear 'krampons' with which climbers in ice fields get traction.
Traditionally, on the eve of December 5th, young men dressed as Krampus with wooden face masks, horns and tails, are clad in fur,with rattling chains and carry bells. They have lots of fun going after young woman to 'birch' them on the legs with brooms made of birch branches.
Why, do you ask, am I posting this now?
Well, it's a slow day on the hockey and opera front and tomorrow we celebrate the monthly Stammtisch in the 'spirit of Nikolo' (that is with small gifts to be exchanged) even with spirits of the non-spiritual kind.
Toasts to Nikolo and the Krampus!GRUSS VOM KRAMPUS UND NIKOLO AN ALLE GUTEN, UND SCHLIMME, MADERL UND BUBERL!
No comments:
Post a Comment