Every year, Saint Nicholas, the protector of children and those in need, opens the winter holiday season, bringing ancient traditions and customs back to life.
In Romanian folklore, Grandfather Nicolae is known for the sweets he leaves in the well-behaved children’s boots and for the naughty ones.
For example, the apple nugget offered to naughty children has a symbolic role: placed in water, if it blooms by Christmas, it shows that Saint Nicholas has interceded for forgiveness.
Where does the stick symbol actually come from?
At the first Ecumenical Council in Nicaea, from the year 325, Saint Nicholas was recognized as one of the great defenders of Orthodoxy. The Synod condemned the heresy of Arius, who claimed that Jesus Christ is not the Son of God, but only a man with supernatural attributes. The theological stake was huge: the unity of the Christian faith.
According to church tradition, Nicolae, bishop of Myra since a young age, would have been so disturbed by the teachings of Arius that he would have slapped him during disputes. From this symbolic episode, over time, the custom of the stick would have been born as a warning sign for the disobedient, noted historians cited by the publication Historia.
In Romanian popular tradition, Moș Nicolae is not, however, a punitive figure. He appears riding a white horse (symbol of the first snow), helps widows, orphans and poor girls, is considered the protector of sailors, lord of waters, defender of soldiers and savior of those in danger.
Psychologist: Santa Claus’s use of dumplings as a form of “correction” is a mistake
Beyond the legend of the stick, the dominant image of Saint Nicholas remains that of protection, justice and help offered to the vulnerable.
In an interview given to “Adevărul”, psychologist Mihai Copăcianu, doctor of medicine and specialist in addictions, drew attention to the fact that using the stick as a form of “correction” by Santa Nicolae is a mistake with a real emotional impact on the child. The message sent to parents was that: the celebration should not be turned into a tool of punishment.
“Saint Nicholas brings gifts to all children, not just the “good” ones. He does not discriminate”, explains the specialist. Making love and reward conditional on “correct” behavior conveys to the child that affection is earned, not given unconditionally.
In the mind of a young child, the lack of the gift can be directly equated with the lack of love. Especially in the social context, when classmates from kindergarten or school talk about what they received, shame and a feeling of exclusion can quickly arise. “Don’t get a gift = don’t love me” it is the simple but tough emotional translation, explained the psychologist.
In his view, correcting unwanted behaviors is done over time, through boundaries, consistency, and relationship, not through punitive symbols tied to a celebration associated with joy.
“Children need safety and confidence especially when they make mistakes,” emphasized Copăcianu, adding that Santa Claus should come with gifts, not punishments.
Saint Nicholas customs
People also say that, on the holy nights of the holidays, when the heavens open for us too, for a moment Saint Nicholas can be seen sitting at the right hand of the Lord. Moreover, in Europe, around the twelfth century, Saint Nicholas Day became both the day of gifts and charitable activities.
In our country, there is a custom in the villages that on St. Nicholas day the boys organize themselves into groups and choose their host where they will go for the rehearsals of the Christmas and New Year carols.
In the Romanian carols, sung in winter, they talk about dalb flowers, apple flowers. This is because the elders also knew that that branch of Saint Nicholas must be an apple tree, and if it, placed in water, will bloom until the Nativity of the Lord, it means that the saint interceded for the forgiveness of the one to whom he gave the branch.
If on Saint Andrew wheat was sprouted to see what the coming year would be like, on Saint Nicholas sprigs of fruit trees are put in water, so that they bloom, proof of the forgiveness of mistakes, as tradition says.
Saint Nicholas customs in other countries
In Germany, the tradition of celebrating Santa Claus appeared by combining a pagan figure with the Christian image of Saint Nicholas, who is seen by Germans as an old man carrying a sack on his back and a stick in his hand. In addition to the boots, the children prepare a letter (in which they write all their wishes) and some carrots for Santa’s horses.
Children from France, on the evening of December 5, leave a glass of wine for Santa Claus and carrots and some sugar for his donkey. On December 6, they receive chocolate, gingerbread, fruit and send letters to relatives to wish them happy holidays.
In the regions of eastern France, the little ones know that Santa Claus comes riding on a donkey, alongside Pere Fouettard (Grandpa Nuielusă), dressed in black. If Moş Nicolae leaves gifts for the good children, Pere Fouettard is the one who reprimands the children who have not been good, grafting them with a stick.
For Dutch children, Santa arrives by sea. Children who have not been good are afraid of Santa’s companion, Zwarte Piet (Black Peter). He helps Santa Claus with the gifts and sweets for the good children. He will go to each child and give him something, but if the child is listed as disobedient, he will take him back to Spain.
In Belgium and Luxembourg, the little ones put their boots in front of the door and, like the French little ones, prepare a glass of wine for Santa, carrots and sugar for his horse. Along with Santa Claus, as in other European countries, the children also await his companion, Hoseker.
Moş Nicolae is also very loved by children in Austria, who know him as an old man dressed like a bishop, with a big book in which the angels have written all the deeds of the little ones, and he travels with Krampus, who holds a stick in his hand with which he threatens the little ones who disobeyed their parents.
On the eve, children in Italy put letters in which they write down their wishes on a plate, promising Santa Claus that they will be good in the coming year. The next day, instead of letters, they find their favorite sweets.
Also in Italy, there is a tradition called Rito delle nubili (ritual of the unmarried). Young girls who need help before getting married receive gifts in memory of the saint who helped three poor girls get married, giving each a bag of yellow flowers.
In the Czech Republic, together with the gifts (consisting of apples, nuts, sweets and toys), Santa Claus reminds the children that the baby Jesus will arrive soon. According to an old custom, disobedient children received potatoes and pieces of coal in their shoes.
