Life: Idiotropic

Tonight was a special night in Gillrath when three families came together to bake weckemannbrot for the children in a 150 year old brick oven in a tiny little brick "house." A group of school age children made up the small band that announced St. Nikolaus arrival by the playing of a traditional German Christmas song as he walked up the road with Black Peter at his side. Usually Black Peter looks more like a scary henchman than tonight's dark faced genie from a bottle. He usually is a he and wears dark robes. This one was obviously a lady and very brightly dressed - the girls noticed and asked who was with St. Nikolaus - she didn't look at all like the Black Peter that they'd seen before.

St. Nikolaus sat and asked the children to gather 'round. He talked with them, asking them what they wanted for Christmas and what their hobbies were. It was all done as a group, so the children could speak up as they wished. My girls were all quiet - Arianna and Luci both nervous at first. Elise is the one that I thought would be nervous, but she's also the one who understood the most, so she did fine and was happy to see a couple of her friends from school. Soon St. Nikolaus handed out the large man shaped breads to all the children. A new American family stood close, then seeing the bread with the little ceramic pipe, remarked, "it's a man? And he smokes?" I guess I'd wondered at that too. But, as anti-smoking as I am, I don't really think about it now. The girls don't either and they love to blow through those little pipes - more like bubble blowers than something that you'd smoke from. We were able to get a good photo-op - not real common here as most children will perform a talent and not really pose with the Claus. So, here are the girls with St. Nikolaus, the "fancy" Black Peter, and their large, headless bread men that they'd already nibbled on.