Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Don’t You Dare Touch Jolly Old St. Nicholas!

Everyone has his limit. The point at which they open the window and yell “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore.” Can you hear me, Vienna?

They are banning Saint Nicholas from kindergartens in Vienna this year. Can you believe it? Jolly old Saint Nicholas is being given the boot?!

St. Nick, nein! A ban on St. Nicholas at Vienna’s kindergartens is taking some of the ho-ho-ho out of the holidays for tens of thousands of tots this year.

And it’s creating a political ruckus, with opposition parties accusing City Hall of kowtowing to a growing Muslim population by showing Europe’s Santa the kindergarten door.

Municipal officials insist their decision is prompted more by psychology than political correctness.

Instead of joy, the sight of a strange bearded figure at the door evokes fear in most kids, they argue. And they point out that the policy on St. Nicholas is more than a decade old — though they concede it is being enforced more rigorously than in the past.

There are limits to Muslim appeasement, folks. No pork, no art, no music (oops — music is allowed, you’re just not permitted to listen to it), no joy — unless self-flagellation has some amusement I’ve missed.

How dare they! How dare the joyless pedants and the sensitive Muslims complain about a character who has evolved over the centuries to provide Christmas memories for millions of children and their parents?

What right do Muslims and ignorant educators — both of whom know less about cultural history and Western traditions than any other two groups — have to set the rules for what will be celebrated? Right there you have it: supremely sensitive Muslim immigrants in Europe and state-funded EU “educators” are the perfect bah-humbug storm of witless ignorance. Scrooge would’ve loved these guys.

Killjoy edicts such as these are enough to try the patience of a saint, even one as generous as Santa Claus.

Sinterklaas and Zwarte PietDo you know where jolly old St. Nick originated? In the cradle of Hellenistic Christianity, about three hundred years before Mohammed took his first breath. He was the bishop of Myra, a Christian city that fell to Islam’s marauders several times. Initially, the city was associated with St. Paul’s proselytizing of the Hellenes. However, with the conversion of Nicholas several centuries later, Christian tradition came to view Myra as Saint Nicholas’ domain. In the fifth century, a cathedral was built in his honor and his remains were buried there.
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In the eleventh century, during one of several Turkish invasions Italian sailors took advantage of the turmoil to steal Nicholas’ remains. They brought them to Bari, Italy, where they remain in a basilica to this day. And thus, St. Nicholas of Myra morphed into Nicholas of Bari.

Among many other attributions, Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors, thus their thievery. In a way, their removal of the relics may have been fortuitous, given that Myra is now part of Turkey and we know what happens to Christians in Turkey, even dead ones.

A little background: Saint Nicholas was from a wealthy family and was known for his generosity. The most famous story about him during his life — a story which has several variations — is his secret gift of three bags of gold to a penurious father who could never have married off his three daughters without the Bishop’s generosity. In one story, he throws the bags of money through the man’s window at night. In another, he drops them down the chimney.

And of such stories are traditions born. The giving of gifts, generosity for its own sake (he made many anonymous gifts through his life), life viewed as abundance to be shared — all of these characteristics of Saint Nicholas gradually accreted over the centuries onto a mythical figure who came on December 6th to give presents to children. Much later another figure, Black Peter — depicted as his servant — was added to the story. Zwarte Piet serves many functions, depending on the country using the tradition. In the US, he has evolved into the Elves, Santa’s helpers.

Saint Nicholas is not going away. The ignorant schools, eschewing history for some revisionist version that better suits their agenda, cannot erase a tradition no matter how much the Muslims whinge about it, and no matter how hard the “Europeans” try to erase every iota of their Christian history and culture.

Draw this bright line in the sand: Saint Nicholas, Santa Claus, Sinterklaas, etc., is not going anywhere except down the chimney.

Jolly old St. Nicholas, Lean your ear this way!
Don’t you tell a single soul, What I’m going to say;
Christmas Eve is coming soon; Now, you dear old man,
Whisper what you’ll bring to me: Tell me if you can.

When the clock is striking twelve, When I’m fast asleep,
Down the chimney broad and black, With your pack you’ll creep;
All the stockings you will find Hanging in a row;
Mine will be the shortest one, You’ll be sure to know.

Johnny wants a pair of skates, Susy wants a dolly;
Neddie wants a story book; he thinks dolls are folly;
As for me, my little brain isn’t very bright;
Choose for me, old Santa Claus, what you think is right.

12 comments:

Zerosumgame said...

Looks like this time, the Turks did get inside the Gates of Vienna.....

I don't think they have a Jan Sobieski to bail them out this time.

Bilgeman said...

Dymphna:

"Grete Laska, the councilwoman who holds Vienna's youth portfolio, says both Krampus and St. Nick "create fear (and) have no place" in city kindergartens," -from you Fox cite

One wonders if it isn't time to inaugurate a new secular festival, one wherein selected politicians are united with tar and feathers, and given a one-way ride to the city limits on a segment of railroad track, where they are then face-planted in the municipal dung-heap.

Call it "Political Hygiene Day"

Regards;

Papa Ray said...

I think when Chuck Norris hears about this, he is going to be pissed.

You don't want to piss off Chuck.

Papa Ray

Yorkshireminer said...

Dear Dymphna,
it was only a matter of time before this sort of stupidity happened, the Swart Pietjs ( Black Petes ) his assistants they want to give them different colours now here in Holland, a blue Piet an orange Piet a green piet and we mustn't forget a big Yellow Piet, it really is a big part of Dutch tradition, and all they have to do is leave it alone, it is innocuous and good fun. When my son was in primary school I used to dress up as a Swart Piet and go with Sint Nick to the school to hand out presents and sweets. My son never recognised me when Sint told me to go and fetch him for his present, he still doesn't know. Unfortunately there are people with butter for brains and twitchy fingers, who just can't stop there stupid meddling. They have never learnt the one golden rule I was taught when I worked in the Mines. IF ITS NOT BROKE DON'T FIX IT. Unfortunately they do and sometimes it is subtle and goes unnoticed even when it is right under your nose. I was watching one of the Children's programs with Sint Nick about a week ago on Dutch Television, I don't remember which channel, but I felt that there was something wrong with the Sint. It took me a while to realize that it was his Hat, He didn't have a cross on it, they had taken away the horizontal cross piece away and all there was was a stripe down the middle.

Yorkshireminer said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Lady Liberty said...

I think you should add some pics to the post as not to confuse the American reader. Saint Nicolas is not Jolly old saint Nick. Does he give out presents in your area? Well here he just gives out nut, mandarins, and some chocolate. He is not coming down anyone's chimmney either.
What the article does not say is which kindergartens? Is this the secular ones or the Catholic ones?
I think this idea is more about killing Christianity than the muslims taking over.

Bilgeman said...

yorkshireminer:

"the Swart Pietjs ( Black Petes ) his assistants they want to give them different colours now here in Holland, a blue Piet an orange Piet a green piet and we mustn't forget a big Yellow Piet,"

You mean something like this:

http://pbskids.kids.us/images/sub-square-teletubbies.gif

Happy....Whatever;

Regards;

kepiblanc said...

OK, the Muzzies can probably intimidate the Wieners - or is that weeners ? - to let go of the Christian Saint Nicholas, but please let them try to pull that trick on our Nordic, pagan "Julemand" (the youle man) and all his "nisser" (elves)....

Steve said...

Looking at the article, I couldn't find any Muslim's asking for the banning St.Nick. In fact, from the article:

"Mouddar Khouja of the Official Religious Islamic Community in Austria said his group has no problems with St. Nick in kindergartens — or anywhere else in Austria."

Dymphna said...

steve--

the accusation was made by critics of the decision. From the article on Fox:

it’s creating a political ruckus, with opposition parties accusing City Hall of kowtowing to a growing Muslim population by showing Europe’s Santa the kindergarten door.

"Opposition parties" in the EU lump in the multicultis and the Muslims with good reason-- they are two peas in a pod, out to obliterate Western cultureal traditions. And they are being helped even by those they contemn...read Paul Belien for some of the more egregious examples.

This law has been on the books for ten years and this is the first year they decided to try to enforce it...

...it may not be talking like a duck, but it sure walks that way.

I believe the "opposition parites" -- they have more access to information and more to lose.

Will Stuteley said...

Unfortunately, blabbering on and on about WHO is trying to obliterate the history and peoples of the West, and engaging in academic discussions of WHY they are wrong etc. etc. will do NOTHING to reverse the process. If the limpid Europeans want to protect their culture, and continue to think of CHRISTmas as a time of joy, instead of a drab and depressing, secularized shadow of its former self, then they are going to have to stop whining and whimpering and take REAL action.

Personally, I don't think it would be a bad thing, in a broader sense, if some of these anti-Christian, anti-European Communist legislators were to be physically assaulted by angry mobs. Of course I could NEVER condone such a thing, but...

RD said...

About the St. Nikolaus that is being banned by the Viennese:

He doesn't bring gifts, he brings candy & other edibles. (The Christkind brings the gifts, on the 24th.)

Sankt Nikolaus - sometimes a clergyman with spare time on his hands and a soft spot for the kids - first puts in a token appearance at the local kindergarten(s) in full regalia (bishop's hat, white beard and the works) in the time just before Nikolaustag, which falls on the 6th of December, and reminds them to be good.

(Well, he used to. Anyway...)

On the night of the 5th-6th, the kids put their boot(s) out before bed. In the morning, if they were good, they get candy left by the Saint; if bad, they get a lump of coal or twigs, left by the Saint's sidekick, the Krampus.

In some areas the kids put out their boot(s) on two consecutive nights, the 4th/5th and the 5th/6th. The morning of the 5th, only the Krampus will make a deposit; the kids check their boots and hope they're empty. Borderline kids get maybe a twig, or some little memento like Krampus a figurine; bad kids might get coal. They have exactly one day to clean up their act before the following morning comes (the 6th), when Nikolaus is going to leave the candy. Better be good to those parents!