St Nikolaus Eve

The original Catholic Christmas Present giving day is the Feast of St. Nikolaus on 6th December. Around 1517, Martin Luther as part of his Reformation and breaking of traditions, moved it to 24/25th December.

I have Bliped or described the events many times so will add a link to the normal large non-Corona group who visit houses this evening and copy/paste an old description.

I specifically went looking for them this evening and luckiy found them a bit wet but still going from house to house but instead of entering, do the ceremony in the socially distanced front gardens

"Today is bad news day for all naughty children as here in Bavaria Krampus is doing his rounds with St Nikloaus who is handing out presents to the good children. In other parts of Germany, Nikolaus is accompanied by a tamer type called Knecht Ruprecht. Both rather frightening characters, heavily in to corporal punishment - it's quite surprising that they haven't been banned.

In our parish you can "order" St Nikloaus & Krampus to come to your house at a particular time. Normally a short "review" of the year has been prepared by the parents noting many of the less good events but ending in the good ones and thus the justification for a present. Local youth groups usually organise this and make a small charge which is then given to charity.