'SWISS SANTA CLAUS AND HIS HENCHMAN'

6th December will be Saint Nicholas Day.

In Switzerland, on and around this day you will spot two distinctly different figures walking up and down the streets and visiting houses, one with a bushy white beard and usually clad in a Bishop's robe with a mitre and staff (though sometimes dressed in a red-hooded frock with a tippet), the other rather sinister-looking, in a black robe, with a dark beard and a face covered in coal dust. Often they are accompanied by a donkey.

Santa Claus, you ask? Have his flying reindeer crash-landed in the Alps and he had to resort to a donkey as alternative mode of transportation? And who is his frightening-looking companion? Just someone he picked up on his way to keep him company? Besides, it's still almost three weeks till Christmas, so did he get the timing wrong? Or does Santa have a Swiss brother, who wants to get started early, in order to get around to everyone by Christmas, in a reflection of Swiss efficiency?

Well, it is indeed Santa Claus of sorts, or at least his Swiss counterpart called 'Samichlaus' in Swiss-German (you will have spotted the resemblance in the name: 'Sami' as in 'Santa', 'Chlaus' as in 'Claus'), and they do share the same roots.

In case you didn't know, the origins of Santa Claus can actually be traced back all the way to the 3rd century and a bishop named Saint Nicholas, who was born near Myra in modern-day Türkiye and was admired for his kindness. He was said to have shown particular kindness to children and became associated with the giving of gifts. At one point in time, during the Renaissance, he was even the most popular saint in Europe, and it's the anniversary of his death that is celebrated on 6th December.

And while today's well known and well commercialised (not least thanks to Coca Cola!) image of the 'jolly fat man' is much more recent (dating back to the 19th century), it's very obvious that the name 'Santa Claus' was derived from 'Saint Nicholas'.

But while this Americanised version took the world by storm, Switzerland decided to stick closer to the origins, hence the Bishop outfit that he is often seen in. And that is by far not the only difference:

In fact, neither does the Swiss Santa Claus reside at the North Pole, nor does he have elves to help him manufacture the toys. No sleigh, and certainly no flying reindeer, red-nosed or otherwise. Instead, he arrives with a donkey (without any flying abilities). So one can say, compared to his global counterpart, the Swiss version seems rather understated.

He visits the children at the beginning of December rather than Christmas (when he, I presume, is enjoying his well-deserved Christmas holidays), he comes through the door like any other mortal, and he doesn't even deliver presents - well, perhaps apart from peanuts, chocolates, biscuits, mandarins and gingerbread, and even then only for the kids that have been behaving throughout the year. The naughty ones is awaiting a far more sinister fate!

More confusingly, there is a second version of him, one that is dressed in a red hooded frock with a tippet, not unlike the globally recognised version of Santa Claus, though not quite as fat (nor as jolly!). He is in fact just a 'confidante' of the Bishop-clad version, the logic behind that being that one single person cannot possibly visit all children in the country in one day and therefore needs some help... Swiss children happily buy into this rather rational logic.

Swiss 'Santa Claus' (or rather one of his 'confidantes') visiting our house in 1968, the year I was born.

But here is where it gets even more interesting: Both versions travel together with a sinister-looking sidekick! A fairly creepy-looking helper, with blacked out face and dark clothing, carrying a broom, a whip of sticks and a large empty sack, traditionally used to threaten misbehaving children with beatings or to take them back to the dark, deep forest. Oh yes, I kid you not!

The duo acts a bit like good cop, bad cop, and you certainly wouldn't want to be in Santa's bad books in this Alpine nation, that's for sure!

Küssnachter Samichlaus,by Pakeha, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 

Times have changed, though, and so has the role of his sidekick 'Schmutzli' (derived from the German word 'Schmutz', which means 'dirt'). Although he remains a mysterious character that still brings a touch of trepidation, nowadays he spends his time silently assisting 'Samichlaus' in distributing treats, which children get after reciting a poem.

My 7-year old brother reciting a poem.

Yes, all you get from the Swiss Santa Claus is sweets and fruits. No pressies! In Switzerland, delivering the presents is the job of the 'Christkind' (Christ Child or baby Jesus), usually taking the form of a small child with blonde hair and angelic wings and secretly bringing the toys in the night before Christmas Eve, leaving them under the Christmas tree. As you can see, there is clear segregation of duties in this well-organised nation!

But back to 'Santa Claus and his henchman': As mentioned, they don't have to come all the way from the North Pole (which is just as well, because with a donkey as their chosen mode of transport, that would undoubtedly take them forever). Quite conveniently, they live in Switzerland itself. Depending on the area, the duo is said to either live in the forests, or in a charming cottage in the mountains. In my case, it was the forest, as I grew up in the hilly northern part of the country, and not near any sizeable mountains, which many people around the world mistakenly believe to be dotting the country's entire landscape.

When I was a kid in the early 70s, such was my respect for 'Samichlaus' and fear of 'Schmutzli' that the 6th December always stood between me and a jolly Christmas, and I would always make sure to learn my poem well, in order to earn myself the treats from Santa's bag. But that was not all, because he also had some notes about me (discreetly slipped to him by one of the parents, or already provided in advance of the visit) in his large book: All my good (and not so good) deeds over the past year, which he then went on to read to me from his book, either with a kind smile or a stern look, depending on which categories they fell into.

As far as I recall, the positive points on his list usually outweighed the bad. But while handing out sweets, the two visitors would then also leave a whip behind, as a stern warning to behave also in the 12 months ahead. I think 'prevention' is the word we are looking for here...

St. Nicholas Day lost its (scary) magic when one year my parents were apparently unable to book the 'real thing' due to the high demand in the village, and my dad dressed up as 'Samichlaus' himself and pretended to 'visit' us. Not only was his sidekick missing and his voice sounded surprisingly familiar, but my dad was also strangely 'absent' at the time of the house call... So that was that.

On the positive side, from that year onwards, I was able to look forward to my presents without the threat of being abducted by Santa's henchman before even reaching Christmas Eve...

Many years later, when I was around 20 and part of a youth group that organised home visits by 'Samichlaus', I volunteered as 'Schmutzli' , which turned out to be a very entertaining and interesting experience. Unlike Santa himself, who had to do all the talking, I was able to quietly observe behind my blackened face and dark beard.

In the course of that event, I realised that times had obviously changed. While there were still a few kids who literally hid behind a piece of furniture in fear (one in fact couldn't be coaxed out from behind the sofa for the whole time we were there!) and we witnessed other kids solemnly reciting their poem while their parents proudly watched on, in other homes the event didn't quite get the attention that it once did, or Santa the respect he deserved. In one house in particular, the kids were glued to the TV throughout our visit and barely paid attention to our presence, which was a rather sobering experience. But seeing the joy and relief in the eyes of other children after a successful visit made more than up for that!

Happy St. Nicholas Day!