I’m heading off to Austria Thursday, I’ll let you know how commercialised it is over there (actually I know, it’s as bad as anywhere else). St Nicholas has his festival Dec 6th with the Krampus very much in evidence in Austria (and southern Germany, Bavaria) but the character of the modern Santa (fat, red suited dude, descendent of the Dutch Sinterklaas who was thin & green suited) is ever more in evidence around Dec25th, replacing the baby Jesus. Portugal likewise traditionally uses baby Jesus as the central figure on Dec 25th (well, aren’t Christians supposed to?) but over there the image of the modern Santa is also making serious inroads. I won’t be in Vienna this year but in Lienz, the biggest town/city (12000 ppl!) in East Tyrol, the smallest and most provincial of Austria (from my in-laws’ home I can see Carenthia of the FPO! :-s ), they tend to be more traditional than Vienna. I’m being careful not to say “backward… O:-)
HUMPHRIES over 14 years ago
Don’t think the Austrians should be critiquing anyone on this subject.
bradwilliams over 14 years ago
Is he perhaps critiquing Austria?
OmqR-IV.0 over 14 years ago
I’m heading off to Austria Thursday, I’ll let you know how commercialised it is over there (actually I know, it’s as bad as anywhere else). St Nicholas has his festival Dec 6th with the Krampus very much in evidence in Austria (and southern Germany, Bavaria) but the character of the modern Santa (fat, red suited dude, descendent of the Dutch Sinterklaas who was thin & green suited) is ever more in evidence around Dec25th, replacing the baby Jesus. Portugal likewise traditionally uses baby Jesus as the central figure on Dec 25th (well, aren’t Christians supposed to?) but over there the image of the modern Santa is also making serious inroads. I won’t be in Vienna this year but in Lienz, the biggest town/city (12000 ppl!) in East Tyrol, the smallest and most provincial of Austria (from my in-laws’ home I can see Carenthia of the FPO! :-s ), they tend to be more traditional than Vienna. I’m being careful not to say “backward… O:-)
bradwilliams over 14 years ago
In our home we have a Santa that is kneeling beside Jesus in the Manger.
As our pastor said “there is no need to get ride of Santa but he needs to be in the correct postion”.
OmqR-IV.0 over 14 years ago
^ Must mean people are returning to the true religious celebration of Christmas then? :-|
d_legendary1 over 14 years ago
^That’s cause they live in the woods.
OmqR-IV.0 over 14 years ago
I’d wager if you pop round Avebury, Wiltshire, you might. Saw some folks there once venerating an equinox.
OmqR-IV.0 over 14 years ago
I’ve venerated many weekends. Sometimes even the odd Wedsnesday, Thursday too. Don’t think ever a Monday.