When Santa Claus knocks on the door and about the magic of the evening

All year I tell myself that I'm a grown woman, pragmatic, with everything taken care of. And then the evening of December 5th comes and I suddenly go back forty years.(It's more, but let's not make a drama out of it.😋)

I'm sitting by the window with a cup of tea in my hand. It's dark outside, the street is lit up with Christmas decorations, and I'm waiting. Yes, I'm really waiting. It's like I'm that little girl in warm stockings again, who was afraid and looking forward to it – just so they were here, just so it was over for me … hmmm and what will they bring me and of course a little bit of worry, but not too much, I was just BEING good 😉

I baked gingerbread this morning. I didn't have to, but why not? I needed it. The smell of cinnamon and cloves wafting through the kitchen and then the whole house. That's the signal that Advent has truly begun.

I remember baking St. Nicholas wreaths – the beautifully braided ones made of yeast dough, decorated with prunes and apricots strung on skewers like a small festive tree. Grandma had such peace and security about it. Not many people bake them these days.

I still remember the sound. The jingling of chains, heavy footsteps, and then – the doorbell! Nicholas was tall, in a white cloak, with a long white beard and a golden mitre. But the devil was even bigger – oh my God, it was magic, fear, respect, amazement and beauty! Sister was quite scared! Nicholas had a crutch in his hand., a stern look, but not hostile. . . I forgot my prepared grand poem and so I always stuttered something like Nicholas lost his cloak or my little angel, my little guardian 😂

The angel had wings made of white paper and a bowl full of nuts and apples. And the devil… his face was blackened with soot, straw stuck out of his fur coat, his chains jingled with every movement. And that sack! That terrible sack, into which he is said to put naughty children.

I knelt at the table, my hands clasped in prayer, my heart pounding like it was going to jump out. „Little angel…“ I whispered, hoping the angel remembered how I had spent the whole week tidying up toys and clearing plates from the table.

Now, with the passage of years, I see it as something more than just a child's game. Santa Claus with an angel and a devil – that's actually a whole life in one scene, don't you think? Responsibility for your actions – the realization that I can be punished for my actions! Even for the ones that mom didn't see 😉

Nicholas is the one who sees the truth. The angel is our best self, our good side. And the devil? Well… he is everything in us that tempts us to comfort, to selfishness, to pettiness.

And that visit from Santa Claus? That's actually the moment when we stop and ask ourselves: Have I been good this year? To others? To myself?

It's not strict. It's kind consideration. With room for forgiveness – because even the most mischievous devil will eventually let a child go home if they promise to be better.

I already have a package ready for my grandson – tangerines, chocolate-covered nuts, gingerbread hearts. And also one coal – for laughter, and especially for a disappearing tradition!

And I know that when I open the door and go outside, I will feel it again. That feeling that the world still has some order. That goodness and truth have their power. And that even we, the elders, can be children again for a while.

• Play an old carol or a song about Santa Claus a few days in advance while baking. It creates an atmosphere.
• Prepare a short prayer or poem with your children - not as an obligation, but as a gift for Santa Claus.

• Make your own little ritual. Light a candle, have a gingerbread cookie with your tea, read old fairy tales.
• Call someone you love. A shared memory is double the joy.
• Go for a walk in the streets in the evening – you might see a parade. And believe me, even without children, it will give you goosebumps.

The eve of the feast of St. Nicholas, i.e. December 5, is a sign of faith in wealth and St. Nicholas, the devil and the angel walk around. All three characters have an irreplaceable function. St. Nicholas represents generosity and goodness, the angel represents truth and the devil takes children who are naughty and disrespectful to adults to hell. Where St. Nicholas did not come personally with the procession, they put plates outside the window and shoes under the chimney in the evening, for Saint Nicholas to fill them.

Autumn evenings – when time slows down and the world is softer