German Catholic charity launches 'No Santa' initiative
Scores of children attended an event in the Bavarian town of Passau to mark the arrival of the saint and the setting-up of the Santa-free zone. The ceremony was also attended by talent show celebrities and the local bishop.
Saint Nicholas's feast day is on 6 December and is celebrated in Germany with presents, but the Catholic Bonifatiuswerk charity fears he is being superseded by the more "Anglo-Saxon" Santa Claus in the hearts of young Germans.
But according to Bonifatiuswerk, there's more to the feast of Saint Nicholas than the receiving of gifts, and their campaign exists as a "snappy" gesture against Santa Claus "underlining the importance of Christian traditions and values". That includes what the charity feels should fill the German equivalent of Christmas stockings: saint-shaped chocolates. "By using fairtrade chocolate bars... Saint Nicholas' boots won't be filled with ungodly Santas," it says.
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