Monday, December 6, 2010

Mikuláš

I liked the garlands that I saw somewhere on someones blog, they were professional, long and cut out with a saw. I was wondering how difficult it is to make one. I made three rows of singing cats and glued them together. They are too many, I am afraid, so many cats singing, it is annoying. They are our St. Nicholas's day garland, they watched the window, where this Mikuláš (Nicholas) left some treats in a sock for Domík.
Usually, Mikuláš comes to your home, accompanied with Devil and Angel, often it is a masked uncle of yours, a kid gets scared, no surprise, three weirdos in the hall, and Mikuláš asks him if he was nice and obedient in the past year and the kid is so frightened that he rather is obedient for the whole following year. Anyway, I find it little too much, lightly said, and we skip it. Just imagine, that Dominik got scared when he saw the sock hanging behind the window. He liked the treats.

7 comments:

alessandra said...

I like your singing cat garland, I never get it right with the paper...always fold it wrongly!
I know which garland you talk about...beautiful isn't it?
About San Nicola, we don't have that in Italy, we do a market in my town but the saint doesn't go around scaring the kids...we have la befana (a sort of witch and baba yaga) that bring sweets or coal to good and naughty children, and she closes the festivities.

Francesca said...

I think originally St Nicholas day used to be something to both fear and look forward. My mom has terrifying memories of the saint coming, questioning kids and chasing the naughty ones with a broom. But then he'd give sweets and leave. It was part of a culture and time when you'd teach children through fear.

at swim-two-birds said...

wow, that garland is very nice!
Here in Belgium St Nicolas has a black servant with a bag to put the naughty children in, very scary too

Bohemian girl said...

Yes, the coal for naughty children and a sack to carry them away, it is both in Czech Mikuláš too. I think it is interesting that in Belgium devil has been mixed up with a black servant.
On fear, it is strange, but kids like to get scared, just a little, like when they play hide and seek. I think this holiday is more for tough kids from the past. Even I am overwhelmed when I spot a furry figure at the end of the street that is approaching....

Elisabeth said...

Oh singing cats, that is a great garland! Papers and scissors - unbeatable for adults as well as kids.

Trula said...

a like the singing cats and the gluing together part. Why difficult when it can be easy.

victoria said...

I have not heard of St Nicholas being celebrated in Spain or Norway. However in Spain it is the three kings that bring coal to the naughty children instead of presents on the 5th of january. I somehow have the feeling all countries celebrate the same but just at different timing :) oh and the garland is super clever, I have never tried and domik seems very concentrated on the cutting!