Der Nikolaus ist da!

The Nikolaus arrived last night bearing presents. He's a sort of Santa Claus/Father Christmas type of chap, who comes on December 6th and give you presents, he comes back on the 24th and gives you more presents. This is very cool if you are a kid (or even a grown up kid). All you have to do is place some boots/shoes outside your door and Nikolaus comes along in the dark of night and fills them with presents (there's a joke in there somewhere).

Nikolaus brought us all chocolate and sweets, but also a family membership for Werder Bremen football club. The juniorette also got a CD and and Mrs Haddock and I some wine. I got to say this about Mr Nikolaus he knows what presents to bring.

Of course depending on who you speak to here in Germany when he returns on the 24th he is known as the Weihnachtsmann (Christmas man) or Christkind (Christ child), but its the same person in my book, and I think he is a little bit sadistic, because children in Germany get to open their presents late afternoon on the 24th December. Then after a couple of hours of playing with their toys they have to go to bed. How torturous is that for a child! - At least with the anglicised Father Christmas the kiddies open their presents on the 25th and get all day to play with them.