Re: The real story -- ExUBF's Parlor_Free wheel as far as u can from UBF

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Date Posted: 11:46:02 12/06/04 Mon
Author: Chris
Subject: Re: The real story
In reply to: Tom Fosler 's message, "The real story" on 11:06:13 12/06/04 Mon

Tom, actually we have in Germany a special day dedicated to the Nikolaus (which is actually the same as Santa Claus), the 6th of december (today!). The legend is that Nikolaus was a bishop who gave gifts to poor children. So, at Nikolaus children put their boots in front of the house, and Nikolaus will fill them with nuts, chocolate, apples, mandarines and sometimes small gifts. That tradition is not so bad and it is clearly separated from Christmas.

But now this old tradition is overlayed with the modern version of the Santa Claus / "Christmas man" (Weihnachtsmann) who looks very similar to Saint Nikolaus, but comes on Christmas eve. As if this would not be confusing enough, we also have the tradition of a "Christmas child" (Christkind) who comes on Christmas eve and is responsible for collecting the wishlists and the presents which the children find under the Christmas tree.

In the last years, the American version of Santa Claus became more and more popular. Probably not only in Germany, but everywhere in the world as part of the globalization and commercialization processs in the world, and American Coca Cola life style. By the way, I think that American version actually has been invented in Holland. Kind of boomerang.

Apropos Coca Cola, here is one of my favorite jokes. It is a little bit older, from the time of the Soviet Empire:

Presidential Aide - Mr. Reagan!. Mr Reagan Sir!!! The Russians have just landed on the Moon! And they've started to paint it red! What shall we do?

Ronnie - Come back when they've finished, son.

P.A. [later] - Mr. Reagan Sir. The Russians have painted a quarter of the moon red!

Ronnie - Don't worry about it, son. Tell me when they've finished.

P.A. [still later] - Mr. Reagan Sir. The Russians have now painted half the moon red! Aren't you going to do anything?
Ronnie - Nope, not yet.

P.A. [still later and even more anxious] - Mr. Reagan Sir. The Russians have now painted THREE-QUARTERS of the moon red! Can we bomb them, Sir? Please, Sir?

Ronnie - [ as before ]

P.A. - Mr Reagan. They've painted the WHOLE moon red!

Ronnie - OK. Now call NASA, and tell them to get a rocket up there, with plenty of white paint, and paint "Coca-Cola" across it.

I hate it, and it is repeated every year.

And I hate that kind of decoration which has become popular in Germany in the last years. In the first year, it was somewhat funny. But now I can't really see it anymore.

May he become a victim of the commercialization and mechanization of the world one day himself...

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Replies:

Re: The real story -- Joe, 16:17:05 12/06/04 Mon

Re: The real story -- Chris, 23:32:36 12/06/04 Mon

"Nicholas the sinner" -- Joe, 07:41:44 12/07/04 Tue