Nicholas Day, or the feast of Saint Nicholas, is celebrated on December 6 and marks the anniversary of the death of the third-century Catholic saint. Miklavženje is an old custom that has been rooted in Slovenia for almost 200 years.
Who is Saint Nicholas - Nicholas
Saint Nicholas - Nicholas, his name means in Greek victory of the people, he is a good man with a white beard, a cane, and dressed in golden bishop's robes. His character is based on a real historical figure known for his good deeds and solidarity.
Nicholas is said to have been born around 240 into a wealthy family. After the death of his parents, all the property distributed among the poor. People therefore described him as a benefactor and patron of the poor. His uncle, with whom he grew up, inspired him to become a priest. After his death - on December 6, Nikolaj - Miklavž became a legend due to his charity, which grew into a tradition as we know it even today.
When does Santa bring gifts
This holy man became patron of the poor and children, because even today, as a judge, he divides them into naughty and hardworking. Accompanied parking lots and little angels he brings modest gifts to the children. Santa brings gifts on the night of December 5-6, every year on the same date.
In the past, hardworking people were gifted with fruits such as figs, apples, and walnuts. The naughty children were waiting at the door. Today, his gifts are almost equivalent to those that children get for Christmas, and they rarely get Christmas gifts.
His most vocal companions are hooves, who are the embodiment of evil. These were supposed to be the spirits of the dead in pagan times. They are supposed to go back among the people and check on their ancestors to see if they are doing good or bad. These are creatures with a terrifying appearance that inspire fear in children as well as adults. Their task is the same as in the past, to scare the children so that they will be more diligent and obedient. Angels are a symbol of good.
The arrival of Nicholas awakens us nostalgia for childhood. Even for today's generation, this holiday means anticipation, mood and fear, which is triggered by the ringing of chains, which means that everything turned out well and we were diligent this year.
Recipe: Homemade hooves
Ingredients
- 400 g of white flour
- 20 g of fresh yeast
- 30 g of sugar
- 2 dl of milk
- salt
- 2 egg yolks
- 40 g of butter
- raisins
- vanilla sugar
- lemon peel
Directions
- Pour the flour into the bowl. Make a well in it and crumble the yeast into it. Add sugar and cover with lukewarm milk. Let it sit for ten minutes to make the yeast.
- Then add the remaining sugar, salt, 1 egg yolk, melted butter, vanilla sugar.
- Knead the dough until it becomes smooth and let it stand for an hour.
- Form hooves from the dough and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Use raisins for the eyes, red ribbon for the tongue. Let the dough rise for another ten minutes.
- Coat the patties with the rest of the yolk and bake them for 30 minutes at 180°C.
