Day 338 - St. Nicholas

Statue 'La Nuit' by Aristide Maillol

beyond is the Weihnachtsmarkt

The medieval Stiftskirche on

Schillerplatz and the Christmas market

Although Stuttgart is not strictly in the Black Forest it is the nearest big city. Today is St. Nicholas day and last night the Stuttgart Christmas market was in full swing packed with visitors no doubt buying small gifts for their children. St. Nicholas (Bishop of Myra) was reputed to have secretly given gifts to children and he is thought to have been the basis for Father Christmas (Santa Claus) though over the years his dress style has changed somewhat. This date is celebrated throughout most of Europe but in England it is still relatively unknown apart from the tradition of putting small gifts into stockings and this has been transferred to the evening of December 24th.