Permalink Reply by Jeremy on December 22, 2011 at 5:31pm
Permalink Reply by David Raphael on December 23, 2011 at 1:17am And so you should be afraid of this pre-Christian pagan spirit of winter. Scandinavians prayed that he (and his cohorts - in many countries the attributes of Santa are split over a few characters) would not harm them. "Do no harm to me or mine".
Some of the older traditions still survive. Where I partly live in the Bavarian Alps, below is what you get to see when you meet the 'Klauser' (a la Santa Claus).
He/they run around the street whipping people with birches (see pics). And believe me it hurts!
In the old traditions Father Christmas was no friend to children - he was to be feared!
Permalink Reply by Secular Forces 2013 on December 23, 2011 at 6:16am those are bad ass!
Permalink Reply by Jedi Wanderer on December 23, 2011 at 7:21am Wow, I did not know that! Truly amazing. Is there ANYTHING about Christianity that is original?
Permalink Reply by Secular Forces 2013 on December 23, 2011 at 6:16am it's the made in china beard that i'd be questioning...
Permalink Reply by Pat on December 23, 2011 at 7:49am Wish my friends and I could have dressed up as Klausers with the birches at the Xmas program of my Catholic grade school. It would have been payback time for those sadistic priests and nuns.
Permalink Reply by Sentient Biped on December 23, 2011 at 8:45am Incredible cuteness. This is a once in a lifetime photo.
Permalink Reply by Jedi Wanderer on December 23, 2011 at 9:09am My thoughts exactly! I just had to share it with my favorite community of online heathens.
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