19 December 2015. To My Nicky “Bear” on His Nameday…

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Many, many returns to my beloved Nicky on his nameday. There are many named “Nicholas” in this world, but only one means the world to me…

I love you more than words can ever express…

BMD

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24 December 2014. Krampus… St Nick’s SCARY Sidekick from Mitteleuropa

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In Central Europe, a scary guy called Krampus accompanies St Nick. The above image is from the Christmas Market in München. Krampus punishes the bad kids, he takes them away in his sack… St Nick gives the good kids gifts. Of course, all the kids want to ride in Krampus’ sack (or basket)… he doesn’t scare ’em at all. In fact, they’d be disappointed if he wasn’t part of the holiday fun. The same is true of Zwarte Piet in the Netherlands… the politically-correct be damned in this case… there’s no denigration of any actual person or group. Lighten up and do get a life… its holiday fun for kids, after all (and for suitably-inclined grownups, too)…

BMD

Sputnik International Presents… There’s Christmas in the Air!

This past weekend , a traditional pre-Christmas Santa run took place in Tokyo (Tokyo Prefecture. Greater Tokyo Area. Kantō Region) JAPAN. Some 500 Tokyo residents dressed as Santa Claus participated in a 2.5-kilometre charity run at a local park.

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Vitor Martins from São Paulo (São Paulo State. Southeast Region) BRAZIL has more than 90 percent of his body covered in tattoos, some of them in reference to Christmas. However, that doesn’t prevent him from working as Santa Claus.

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One of Berlin’s entertainment agencies hosted an event with a Santa Claus “flying” 98 metres (322 feet) above a hotel in the German capital.

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Metropolitan Cathedral of the Nativity of Saint Mary in Milano (Milano Province. Lombardia Region) ITALY is the fourth-largest in Europe, after St Peter Basilica in the Vatican, St Paul Cathedral in London, and Seville Cathedral. It’s the largest Gothic cathedral and the third-largest church in the world.

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Last weekend, model and television personality Holly Madison dressed as Santa Claus; she appeared at a street performance in Las Vegas (Clark County. Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise MSA) NV USA

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A traditional Christmas parade for four-legged Santas was held in Loughborough (Leicestershire. East Midlands Region) ENGLAND UK.

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In São Paulo (São Paulo State. Southeast Region) BRAZIL, a man wearing a Santa Claus costume rode the metro to celebrate the Christmas season.

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Skiers and snowboarders dressed as Santa Claus participated in a charity race down a slope at the River Ski Resort in Newry (Oxford County) ME USA.

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According to the event organisers, 250 skiing Santas raised some 3,000 USD (165,000 Roubles. 18,670 Renminbi. 190,000 INR. 3,490 CAD. 3,690 AUD. 2,450 Euros. 1,925 UK Pounds) for charity at the event.

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In South Korea, divers dressed in Santa Claus costumes have a tradition of swimming in an aquarium in Seoul before Christmas.

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Santa Claus, also known as St Nicholas or Father Christmas, is a cultural figure with legendary, folkloric, and historic origins. In many Western cultures, Santa Claus is believed to bring presents to the homes of good children the night before Christmas.

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Some 800 participants dressed as Santa Claus took part in the fourth annual Santa Claus running competition in Michendorf (Kreis Potsdam-Mittelmark. Bundesland Brandenburg) GERMANY.

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Generally, depictions of Santa Claus show him as a portly, joyous, white-bearded man wearing a red coat with white collars and cuffs, white-cuffed red trousers, and a black leather belt and boots. He carries a bag full of gifts for children.

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Local artist Ed Terrel from Reading (Berks County. Philadelphia-Reading-Camden CSA) PA USA created a giant Santa Claus costume. Days before Christmas, the artist put on the costume as he walked through the city streets in the evening.

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11 December 2014

Sputnik International

http://sputniknews.com/photo/20141210/1015698143.html

21 December 2014. Is It St Nick or Santa Claus? Why Not Both?

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I think that to make people “choose” between St Nicholas and Santa is a false opposition. After all, Santa’s a secular figure (as Ded Moroz is), and St Nicholas is a religious figure. There’s NO contradiction between the two whatsoever. If it were up to me, I’d have Santa (or Father Christmas or Papa Noël or whatever else you’d want to call him), St Nick, and Dede… all three! They don’t compete with one another. St Nick comes on St Nicholas Day… Santa comes on Christmas… and Dede comes on the New Year. Hell, I’d even throw in the Three Kings (if I ask kindly enough, perhaps, Julio will bring his stilts for a real Old School Tres Reyes blast) on Epiphany. Don’t go around making false conflicts. If you consider it carefully, and choose wisely, you’d see that you could have ’em all… all in their proper place, of course.

Now, go off and fetch me the jug… that was thirsty work.

BMD