Saint nick

See how the great man has morphed from Nikolaos the wonder-worker in the fourth century to the jolly man in red we know and love today ... get ready for frescoes, stick-em-ups and Norman Rockwell

The Coca-Cola Santa Claus artwork from 1951 shows Santa reading a list of good boys and girls; there is no list of bad children. www2.coca-cola.com/presscenter/imagegallery.html

Krampus is everywhere these days, but what do you know about Krampus in German Folklore? And what makes Krampus so "popular" today? What is Krampus?

St. Nicholas of Myra by James C. Christensen. This is what my Santa always looked like. :)

Zulily

On this feast of St. Nicholas, Father Steve highlights the saint as a defender of the Incarnation of God in Christ- a revelation that is commemorated in the Solemnity of Christmas and is the central truth of the Faith.

Description For an online client. Copy right by John Dela Torre. Done in Photoshop CS5

With what little we know about St. Nicholas, it is safe to say he would not be pleased to know he had eclipsed Christ in the hearts of many as the central figure of Christmas.

In ancient times, a dark, hairy, horned beast was said to show up at the door to beat children, and carry them off in his sharp claws. The Krampus could be heard in the night by the sound of his echoing cloven hooves and his rattling iron chains. The strangest part was that he was in league with Santa Claus.