Nick gives gifts to the well behaved. He is known mainly in the far north and eastern regions of France and in the south of Belgium, although similar characters exist all over Europe see Companions of Saint Nicholas.
This "Whipping Father" was said to bring a whip with him to spank all of the naughty kids who misbehaved. An innkeeper or in other versions a butcher captures three boys who appear to be wealthy and on their way to enroll in a religious boarding school. Along with his wife, he kills the children in order to rob them. One gruesome version tells that they drug the children, slit their throats, cut them into pieces, and stew them in a barrel.
Nicholas discovers the crime and resurrects the children. Nick's partner. A slightly altered version of this story claims that St. Another story states that during the Siege of Metz a city in Eastern France in , an effigy of king Charles Quint was burned and dragged through the city.
A larger amount of gifts is usually brought on the eve of St. Nicholas Day or December 5. Some children leave these treats in their shoes and in the morning the treats are gone and their shoes have been filled with small toys and trinkets. The 13 desserts tradition incorporate nougats both white and dark , Pompe a l'huile which is a sweet olive oil bread, the traditional yule log The , candied fruits, fresh fruits, and an assortment of nuts and dried fruits.
The Santons are generally made from either argyle or earthenware and are then also painted and dressed. Like in any places celebrating Christmas, the French Father Christmas wears a red suit and hat with white fur trimming with a broad black belt around his waist. In Central European folklore, Krampus is a horned, anthropomorphic figure described as "half-goat, half-demon", who, during the Christmas season, punishes children who have misbehaved.
This contrasts with Saint Nicholas, who rewards the well-behaved with gifts. In eastern France he is accompanied by Le Pere Fouettard, a man dressed in black. In France, the Christmas tree first appeared in Alsace in A fir tree is the best choice because it does not lose its leaves during winter. This is a symbol of hope and eternal life.
The starter for a Christmas Eve meal is usually seafood such as oysters and smoked salmon or perhaps a foie gras. The main meal is more familiar: the Christmas turkey, but goose or lobster are also popular. On the night of Christmas Eve, there is a special meal to celebrate the very beginning of Christmas Day. A few days before Christmas , the family sets up a nativity scene, called a creche, on a little platform in a corner of the living room.
Nicholas Day by distributing his gifts on the night of December 5th. Fouettard has a dark, ruffian-like appearance, and in the past, his task was to punish the children who had been bad while St. Nicholas, Fouettard has evolved with the times, and in our present, kinder and gentler era, his role as the spanker of naughty children is generally downplayed or not mentioned at all.
Nicholas dates back to the fourth century. His story actually represents both the existence of evil in the world and God's infinite mercy. According to legend, Fouettard is the butcher in the legend of St.
Nicholas and the three boys. Among the many loving miracles attributed to St. Nicholas is the story of his bringing back to life three young boys who had been murdered by a wicked butcher. One version of the story tells of a famine in the land and three young boys who become lost while out searching the fields for food missed during the harvest.
In other versions the boys simply become lost while wandering in the fields. As night begins to descend, they spy a butcher's shop and knock on the door seeking shelter for the night. The butcher opens the door and invites them in. Instead of giving them food and shelter for the night, the butcher kills the boys then hacks their bodies to pieces and throws the pieces into a barrel of brine saltwater along with a butchered pig that he is preserving.
His intention, of course, is to increase his profit by including the boys' remains as part of the pork he is selling.
Sometime later, there is another knock at the door, and when the butcher opens it, he sees St. Nicholas standing in the doorway. Since Fouettard's encounter with St. Nicholas occurred after the death of the saint, the butcher knew immediately that St. Nicholas had come for the murdered boys. Stepping past the butcher, St. Nicholas made his way to the barrel and told the three boys to arise and come to him. All three were immediately made whole and came to life.
Stepping out of the barrel, the boys spoke of being asleep and dreaming of Heaven. Watching from his position by the doorway, the butcher suddenly became remorseful and repentant for what he had done. Nicholas assured him that God forgives all sinners who repent, regardless of their sin.
Feeling both ashamed for what he had done and grateful to St. Nicholas for undoing the damage resulting from his crime, Fouettard chose to follow St. Nicholas from the shop and has been at the saint's side through the ages, not as his slave or servant, but as a loyal follower showing his gratitude by helping where he can.
While much of what we know about Saint Nicholas is myth and legend, it is important to remember that he was a real person. Nicholas was an only child who was born into a wealthy family. While he was still a very young man, his parents died, leaving their vast wealth to him. However, instead of a life of ease and luxury, Nicholas chose to share his wealth and to lead an active life devoted to helping to make the world better. Nicholas has been adopted by many groups as their patron saint. The seemingly most unusual of these is his being adopted as the patron saint of thieves.
However, instead of helping to protect thieves and other criminals from the consequences of their actions, he always seeks to turn thieves away from a life of crime when they seek his help. Nicholas is most famous for secretly leaving gifts for children on the eve of St. Nicholas Day or Christmas Eve.
0コメント