Spiritual: December 06, 2017 Issue [#8638]
<< November 29, 2017Spiritual Archives | More From This Day | Print This IssueDecember 13, 2017 >>

Newsletter Header
Spiritual


 This week: Nikolaus
  Edited by: NaNoNette Author IconMail Icon
                             More Newsletters By This Editor  Open in new Window.

Table of Contents

1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions

About This Newsletter

I am NaNoNette Author Icon, and I will be your guest editor for this issue.


Word from our sponsor

ASIN: B07K6Z2ZBF
Amazon's Price: $ 4.99


Letter from the editor

December 6th is Nikolaus in Germany


Who is Nikolaus, and is he related to Santa Claus?


On the evening of December 5th, German children put their shoes in front of the door. This could be the house door or simply the door to their bedroom. On the morning of December 6th, they wake up to find nuts, chocolates, oranges, and other goodies in those shoes. That,
at least, used to be the tradition until commercialism transformed it into Christmas light with the presents ranging from small toys to other items that could have a significant monetary value.

The story we heard as children, was that Nikolaus was a sort of helper for Santa Claus who checked in on kids a few weeks before Christmas to make the time to wait for the big present-receiving holiday shorter. When I heard that story in elementary school for the first time, I thought, "Way to go encourage materialism over enjoyment of a holiday."

So, in German lore, Nikolaus and Santa Claus are not the same figure.

When I got older, I heard a different version why December 6th was a day to receive small gifts. Nikolaus, as the story goes, was an old rich Russian man found out that another Russian man was about to sell his three daughters into prostitution. So, he went to their house at night and left three balls of gold so that the father didn't have to sell his daughters. The three daughters were able to get married and live happily ever after. While it certainly wasn't appropriate to tell us about human trafficking in elementary school, it was an eyeopener when I heard the other story as an adult, and kind of ruined my enjoyment of Nikolaus from then on.

As story tellers, the take away is that audience counts. Who do you write for? Are the holidays you use in your book (invented or observed) something positive and fun like making the time shorter, or something dark and scary, like the fear of girls to be sold into prostitution? And how does all this tie into faith?

Faiths are the major driving forces behind observed holidays. Sure, there a few other holidays like Labor Day or such that are more modern and not rooted in faith, but they are also kind of boring when it comes to their lore. You'll get more emotions writing about faith based holidays than practical holidays.


Editor's Picks

 Invalid Item Open in new Window.
This item number is not valid.
#2141439 by Not Available.

 
Image Protector
STATIC
For Mothers & More Open in new Window. (13+)
Memories from an event on May 13, 2017.
#2123228 by Future Mrs. Boo Author IconMail Icon

 
Image Protector
STATIC
Lost Within Open in new Window. (13+)
A tale about finding what we will all find - whether we want to find it or not.
#1927506 by Malister Author IconMail Icon

 Invalid Item Open in new Window.
This item number is not valid.
#2087706 by Not Available.

 
Image Protector
BOOK
The Quest for Home - NaNoWriMo 2017 Bk1 Open in new Window. (E)
Quest, the little bear, spends many years looking for home with his father, Casa.
#2139449 by Jay O'Toole Author IconMail Icon

 Stop Breath and Listen Open in new Window. (E)
Training the mind to focus on the breath helps to quiet self so we can hear Divine.
#2142110 by Carmela Snelbaker Author IconMail Icon

 Invalid Item Open in new Window.
This item number is not valid.
#2116475 by Not Available.



 
Submit an item for consideration in this newsletter!
https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form

Word from Writing.Com

Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
         https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form

Don't forget to support our sponsor!



Ask & Answer


*Bullet* *Bullet* *Bullet* Don't Be Shy! Write Into This Newsletter! *Bullet* *Bullet* *Bullet*

This form allows you to submit an item on Writing.Com and feedback, comments or questions to the Writing.Com Newsletter Editors. In some cases, due to the volume of submissions we receive, please understand that all feedback and submissions may not be responded to or listed in a newsletter. Thank you, in advance, for any feedback you can provide!
Writing.Com Item ID To Highlight (Optional):

Send a comment or question to the editor!
Limited to 2,500 characters.
Word from our sponsor
ASIN: B000FC0SIM
Amazon's Price: $ 12.99

Removal Instructions

To stop receiving this newsletter, click here for your newsletter subscription list. Simply uncheck the box next to any newsletter(s) you wish to cancel and then click to "Submit Changes". You can edit your subscriptions at any time.


<< November 29, 2017Spiritual Archives | More From This Day | Print This IssueDecember 13, 2017 >>

This printed copy is for your personal use only. Reproduction of this work in any other form is not allowed and does violate its copyright.