St.Nicolas´s Day

In the Czech Republic it is not Santa Claus who brings presents at Christmas, but Ježíšek (Baby Jesus / Little Jesus). However, on St Nicolas Eve (4th December) in the evening Mikuláš (Nicolas) accompanied by angels and devils visits small children’s homes and brings them small presents, usually sweets, nuts and fruit (especially tangerines are quite popular). If the child has been naughty, they get just raw potatoes and black coal. Or even worse – they can be caught by the devils, put into a big bag and carries away, into the hell.

Every year on this night, the streets are filled with devils rattling chains, St. Nicholases with white cotton beards, long white robes and bishop's staves, and white angels with paper wings, coming to see small children to give them a scare before giving them sweets.

The tradition in our school is that on 4th December, some time in the morning the oldest students of our school (aged 18) are dressed up as St. Nicolas, the angels and the devils and they visit the other classes in their classrooms. They are usually very noisy and they make the other students dirty with coal and red lipsticks. They ask the students to sing a song or say a poem and then they give them a treat.