In Actual Fact…

Was a Greek bishop from what is now Turkey (look, I’m not going to argue the finer geographical and historical points of the Eastern Holy Roman and Ottoman Empires, I’ve no wish for that debate). Main point is that his Saint’s Day is December the 6th and is the reason why colleagues who never speak to each other for most of the year will place tiny chocolate snowmen on each other’s desks and children will expect, well, stuff today. Now I’m not actually sure how this plays out in the “real world” – according to the online sources I’ve seen, sometimes he comes by boat (he’s the patron saint of seafarers), sometimes on horseback, however in my experience he comes in a German Army anti-tank helicopter that’s starting to show its years.

How the children manage not to work out that Papa is a helicopter pilot and so is Nikolaus and there might, possibly, be a link always amazes me. I don’t know what the kids actually want as gifts (except that they want more on the 24th too), but I know one St. Nikolaus that would like a nice new sleigh.