Nikolaus and Weihnachtsmann

[Eva Elisabeth]

Upon arriving as t home for Xmas break I was greeted by the December issue of the Surratt Courier. I'm afraid the intro (legend of Santa Claus) needs a little correction - St. Nicholas didn't become the "Weihnachtsmann" over here, they are different figures and still co-exist (along with the Christkind).
St. Nikolaus (nowadays the "Nikolaus") is the real historical figure who did good deeds, especially to children and whose day of death, December 6th (sometime in the 4th century) is his feast day and the morning on which good kids would find sweets, oranges and nuts in their boots. (So you put your polished boots out the evening before.) Other than the happy, harmless Weihnachtsmann, St. Nikolaus would punish the bad kids who had misbehaved during the year. Since St. Nikolaus himself is to be a positive (yet stern and austere) character, he is, especially in Catholic areas, accompanied by a dark helper, e. g. the black-faced Knecht Ruprecht in Germany, respectively the horned, devil-like Krampus in Austria, Krampus in Austria, whose threadful birch is to be applied on a "culprit's" behind.
Quite often they also show up in kindergartens and elementary schools or other institutions on December 6th, and every kid has to come before them (in front of the audience) and St. Nikolaus would read out from his golden book all the kid's good and bad deeds of the year passed and inquire further. Misbehavers usually get spared of Ruprecht's birch when they recitate a poem by heart and promise to do better next year.
And since he's a bishop, of course, St. Nikolaus (and every chocolate and whatever depicted version) still wears his bishops robe, miter and crozier.

The Weihnachtsmann who brings gifts (not just sweets, nuts and oranges) on Xmas Eve (not December 6th) is just the merry Santa figure that was "made" in America, the cheerful, friendly, harmless old man with or without sleigh, but in any case without religious connotations. He is the gift giver in the more liberal (Lutheran) North whereas in the Catholic South the Christkind (Christ child) does the job (as an allegory of the new born Christ). Since more "religious" I think the Christkind (tradition) is much older than the Weihnachtsmann.

Below on the left is the common Austrian chocolate Krampus and Nikolo-team (for December 6th), on the right the typical chocolate Weihnachtsmann (for Xmas...)