Prague Journal

Sunday, December 05, 2004

December 5th is really the first part of Christmas for many Czechs. December 6 is actually St Nicholas's Day, but it is observed the evening before because children around the Czech Republic were due to be visited on Sunday evening by St Nicholas. Czech children hang their stockings on the balcony (not many mantles in a panelak/apartment house) in the hopes that they will be filled with oranges, nuts, candy and other small gifts. Children are given sweets if they have been good and coal or potatoes if they have been naughty.
According to my friend Jitka Pultrova, the bishop St. Nicholas (Svatý Mikulas) was born on the break of the 3rd and 4th century in Greece, lived in Turkey, and was imprisoned for his beliefs under Diocletian rule. He was recognized and appreciated as late as the 10th century for his zealous defense of Christianity and his holy deeds. His glory and fame spread mostly among eastern Christians. There are many legends that refer to him. One of his deeds was liberating 3 young girls (sisters) from a brothel by throwing 3 purses with coins through windows, or saving 3 young boys from a death in hot boiling water. That is why he is often depicted on historical paintings either with 3 pouches of coins or with 3 heads of those poor boys, looking out of the cauldron! He was also known for helping sailors and fishermen in distress, ensuring people had enough food in times of famine, and defending widows, children, and all those persecuted and mistreated.
This evening, the Old Town Square (Staromĕstská) was teeming with people, many of whom were dressed in costume. Most of the St. Nicholases had white beards, carried a crosier (the bishop's pastoral staff), and wore a mitre (tall double-pointed hat) and flowing vestments. St. Nicholas is accompanied by a devil’s assistant (čert) on one side and an angel on the other. The čerts wore red and/or black, with devilish horns, a shaggy fur coat and tail, and carried chains and bags of coal or potatoes. The angels were dressed mostly in white, some with glittery halos, and had wings of various sizes and fabrics. Together, they determine whether or not the kids have been bad or good, and St. Nicholas hands out chocolate and other goodies accordingly. This is a lot of fun to watch, as trios stroll through the square interrogating kids, who take all of this really seriously, and will often be called upon to sing songs to “prove” they’ve been good, which is very cute! Traditionally, St. Nicholas quizzed children on the prayerbook and the Bible when he came to visit. Today, the questions are mostly about the previous year's behavior. The angel writes a record for each child in a large book. The devil rattles his chains, threatening to carry bad children off, but the angel, with a gold star on her forehead and dressed in a white gown, protects the children.
The Staromĕstská stage was set for the festivities, including vocal and instrumental performers, but the main event was an elaborate (and humorous) skit that involved contests for the best čert, angel, and St. Nicholas costumes. Despite our poor language skills, we enjoyed the entertainment. The MC was a talented singer and musician as well as excellent MC; and the featured singer was lovely and engaging, and the skit, featuring Albert the mischievous čert (with appearances by the devil himself), had just the right level of humor for the audience of kids, families, adults and teens.
According to Radio Praha, in recent years the Czech media has grown increasingly obsessed with the issue of whether traditional Czech Christmas figures like Mikulas (St. Nicholas) have taken a beating from western imports like Santa Claus and Rudolph-the-red-nose reindeer. To a certain extent the fears are justified. For time immemorial Czech children have looked with anticipation towards the eve of St Nicholas' Day, but recent years have seen mutations drawing the holiday closer to a masquerade ball or Halloween. Writing for Radio Praha, Jan Velinger laments the carnival atmosphere that has replaced the seriousness of the holiday. He views the interrogations of St. Nicholas as “a collective trauma shared by all Czech children but they all survive in the end.”

posted by JWinn @ 10:12 PM