Happy Nicholas Day!

[Nori]

If you celebrate this holiday then have fun and enjoy the candy. If not, then ha!

[Retane]

?

[Warako]

Can someone fill me in on this holiday?


/clueless ?(

[Nori]

Saint Nicholas (Greek: ???????, "Victory of the people") is the common name for Saint Nicholas of Myra, who had a reputation for secret gift-giving, but is now commonly identified with Santa Claus, Father Christmas or in The Netherlands and Belgium as Sint-Nicolaas or Sinterklaas. He lived in 4th century Myra in the Byzantine Empire's Lycia, the modern day Demre in the Antalya province of Turkey. This is as much as is generally known about him in the West.

This historical character was the inspiration for a mythical figure known as Sankt Nikolaus in Germany and Sinterklaas in the Netherlands and Flanders, which in turn was the inspiration for Santa Claus. Sinterklaas (a contracted form of Sint Nicolaas) is a major celebration in the Netherlands and in Flanders (see below). Among Orthodox Christians, the historical Saint Nicholas is remembered and revered. Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors, merchants, archers, children, and students in Greece, Russia and Serbia. He is also the patron saint of Barranquilla (Colombia), Bari (Italy) and of Amsterdam (Netherlands).




Many children put a boot, called Nikolaus-Stiefel, outside the front door on the night of December 5 to December 6. St. Nicholas fills the boot with gifts, and at the same time checks up on the children to see if they were good. If they were not, they will have charcoal in their boots instead. Sometimes a disguised Nikolaus also visits the children at school or in their homes and asks them if they "have been good" (sometimes ostensibly checking a book for their record), handing out presents on a per-behaviour basis. This has become more lenient in recent decades.

[Amadeus]

Yup, Saint Nicholas is a preety important saint here in Europe. Unfortunately, he has been lately losing support. At least in Germany where he is more and more confused with the image of Santa Claus, even though both Santa Claus and Father Christmas were derived from Saint Nicholas.

[Dantes]

my german teacher told us about this today, pretty cool stuff.

i've put mulitple shoes outside my door, in hopes for 4x the candy.


good holiday Akane, for sure.

[Amadeus]

Originally posted by Nappa
my german teacher told us about this today, pretty cool stuff.

What irony! OUR German teacher was telling us about it today as well! Well, yesterday anyway as its passed 2 AM here.

[Warako]

Shaq probably makes a killing on this holiday.


He wears like a size 80 shoe.

[Dantes]

Originally posted by Jackie Chun

Originally posted by Nappa
my german teacher told us about this today, pretty cool stuff.

What irony! OUR German teacher was telling us about it today as well! Well, yesterday anyway as its passed 2 AM here.

nice. She does a trivia type Advent calander full of german christmas tid bits of stuff, it's alright but i'd rather have the candy that normal advent calanders have.

[Drake]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Nicholas

Wiki eeeet

[Retane]

Yea... well ... in america we call that Christmas and call him Santa Clause>_>

and it's on the 25th =)

...i think its on the 25th?



That why when someone say's "Theres no such thing as a Santa Clause you pipe up and say "Yea there is, some guy called St. Nick started the holiday during some damned war going around giving gifts to the poor kids. Note he wore black not red."

[Tobias]

My 3 year old nephew could kick you peoples' asses at Christmas trivia. Srsly.

[Nori]

Saint Nicholas Day is not Christmas. They, or at least I do, as well as my entire holiday, celebrate them both. Its two seperate holidays.

[Grandpa Gohan]

It is, I remember this holiday from waaay back in kidnergarten, although we dont celibrate it anymore. Happy St. Nicks <3

[Retane]

Akane.. you aren't in europe>_>

[Nori]

Like some people have said, they celebrated it when they were in Kindergarten.

I have a little sister, so we still celebrate it. Not to mention we have family in Europe, so its kind of a tradition thing.

Being as well, my parents are from Europe.

[OldYamcha]

Originally posted by Akane Kimidori
ha!

[Kirano]

Originally posted by Cell Jr.
Shaq probably makes a killing on this holiday.


He wears like a size 80 shoe.

AHAHAHAHAHAHA..size 80.

[Amadeus]

Originally posted by Akane Kimidori
Saint Nicholas Day is not Christmas. They, or at least I do, as well as my entire holiday, celebrate them both. Its two seperate holidays.

Yup, thats true. Both catholics and orthodox christians celebrate christmas seperatly. You have to understand that before Santa Claus was derived in the US, christmases sole pourpous was to celebrate the birth of Jesus. But then again in original, christmas wasnt a christian holiday to begin with.

[Raspberry]

Cool, I didn't know about this day... I think I heared of it on a German class last year...
But anyway Happy Nicholas Day.