Saint Nicholas Day

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seldom

Lifer
Mar 11, 2018
1,035
940
Here in Germany good boys and girls will receive special treats in their shoes tonight. They will also get a Stutenkerl which is traditionally baked with a clay pipe. Here are the ones my boys will awake to in the morning.

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mikethompson

Lifer
Jun 26, 2016
11,292
23,327
Near Toronto, Ontario, Canada
I've never seen those before!
We are off to our local Christkindlmarkt on Saturday, and have never seen those offered. Is this a north German tradition? Does Krampus come along tonight as well or is that only in Austria?

 

seldom

Lifer
Mar 11, 2018
1,035
940
We are off to our local Christkindlmarkt on Saturday, and have never seen those offered. Is this a north German tradition? Does Krampus come along tonight as well or is that only in Austria?
I'm still learning my wife's German culture (I'm an American with most recent European ancestry from Ireland but my surname comes from Dutch ancestors who came to North America in the 1630s, long way of saying I don't know too much about German culture yet).

I believe the Stutenkerl are found elsewhere but sometimes with different names. It may be a more western and northern than eastern German phenomenon but variants occur south into Switzerland. Pretty specific to December 6th which is Saint Nicholas day although I understand that in some regions it is associated with Saint Martins Day which has already come and gone.

Here it isn't Krampus (a southern Bavaria/Austria/Tirol thing) that strikes fear into the heart of children but the Knecht Ruprecht which is similar but different than Krampus. Apparently Knecht Ruprecht has fallen out of use because, you know, he is a scary incarnation of the devil and it might frighten children too much.
Yum! Cool! Are they cake or more cookie like?
They are more a sweet pastry bread than cookie.

 

cajomu

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jul 15, 2018
124
0
I think if you did this in the United States and the anti-smoking police found out, they would take your children away from you.

 

seldom

Lifer
Mar 11, 2018
1,035
940
I think if you did this in the United States and the anti-smoking police found out, they would take your children away from you.
All the bakeries here have these for sale today. Ha! I can well imagine in some places (looking at you San Francisco) this would cause problems.

 

ssjones

Moderator
Staff member
May 11, 2011
18,317
11,073
Maryland
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My mother is Hungarian, so on the eve of St. Nicholas Day, we always put our shoes out on the stoop for Krampus. If we were good, they were filled with candy. If you were bad, you received coal. I don't ever recall getting coal. A few years ago, I found this ceramic figure and it always goes on our fireplace hearth on Dec. 5th
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cajomu

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jul 15, 2018
124
0
@ssjones
My father, who was a bit of a practical joker, once filled my Christmas stocking with coal. I thought it funny after he showed me my real Christmas gift, my first deer rifle.

 

seldom

Lifer
Mar 11, 2018
1,035
940
Well the candy and Stutenkerle were a big hit! Funny to imagine what some of the anti-smoking crowd would think of a two year old running around pretending to smoke a pipe after eating the bread.

 
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