Nicholas horrified: When he came, the parents were drunk

Created: 05/12/2022 13:59

By: Helena Grillenberger

For more than 40 years, Pankraz Fent has been on the road in Aßling as St. Nicholas.

Every year he looks forward to seeing the bright eyes of children.

© Stefan ROssmann

Pankraz Fent has been a passionate Santa for more than four decades.

But he does not only experience beautiful moments.

Aßling – Children's bright eyes that watch him spellbound when he goes from house to house disguised as Santa Claus.

Pankraz Fent knows them.

When the Aßlinger talks about his annual role, his eyes shine at least as brightly.

The 56-year-old sits at home at his dining table in a T-shirt and jeans.

He really doesn't remind of St. Nicholas;

but if you look at his face, you can imagine it: the friendly eyes, which can certainly sometimes flash a little more sternly between the beard and the miter.

Over the years he has gained experience in how to deal with the different types of children, he says.

But he never scolded.

He embodies Santa Claus as "good Mo".

Without Krampus or angels.

At 15 he became Santa Claus

41 years ago, the Aßling pastor at the time, Konrad Ederer, approached 15-year-old Fent and asked him if he would like to take on the role of St. Nicholas for the youth groups' Christmas party.

Secretly, Fent shares a memory that he himself has not yet told his wife, that he had long dreamed of being Santa Claus one day.

"As a Bua, I had an experience," he says.

At that time he no longer really believed in Santa Claus.

But on St. Nicholas Eve, it was snowing very lightly, and he saw St. Nicholas disappear into a neighboring house.

Then he thought to himself: "Mei, it must be nice to make the children so happy.

I can do that a moi."

At 17 he was with private individuals for the first time

So he didn't let the pastor ask him long.

Soon after, there were inquiries as to whether St. Nicholas from the parish could come to the people's homes.

Fent was with private individuals for the first time when he was 17. It was initially three or four families before word got around.

Then the inquiries would have increased rapidly.

For the wedding, he was out and about for four days from three in the afternoon to nine in the evening.

15 to 20 families were there every day, as well as clubs, the kindergarten and also as a church Santa Claus.

Fent: "The suffering is free"

"And the suffering is free," he says.

In every house he was invited for a schnapps, "but that's not possible.

You can't drink that much.” He's just happy to come into the houses and see how the festival is celebrated.

"And Grandpa sits there devoutly and watches." Then the whole family is quickly involved in the St. Nicholas program.

"And if everyone participates, that's just really nice."

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The 56-year-old has experienced a number of stories over the past 41 years.

Once he had to push his driver's car out of the muddy meadow.

Without the Santa Claus robe, of course.

After that he was covered in mud from top to bottom and had to rub himself clean with what little snow there was.

"It made me dizzy from all the koid," he remembers with a laugh.

Another time he should appear at the Aßlinger Rewe.

Picked up at home by the horse-drawn carriage, he was first to drive past the Rewe, take a short tour around the Anger and then arrive at the site of today's beverage market.

However, the coachman did not stick to the plan, says Fent, and drove on to the "Aßlinger Ladl".

There he wanted to turn around, and the drawbar of the carriage broke.

“So I had to walk all the way back.

Fent: "I felt so sorry for him"

But there are not only beautiful stories that he remembers.

Once, he says, he came to a house and noticed drunk adults at the front door.

The mother who ordered it was also drunk.

She gave Santa five A4 pages of text and led him into the kitchen.

There was a three or four year old boy sitting on the floor playing Lego.

Next to them 20 adults at the table, "each a bigger intoxication than the other".

Three sentences on the five pages of text were intended for the boy.

The rest went to the adults.

"It took me a long time to digest that," says Fent, depressed and with a slightly trembling voice.

"I felt so sorry for him.

That really hurt me.”

Nevertheless: 90 percent of the encounters are nice.

The Aßlinger does not advertise, he gets his orders through word of mouth.

"And now they order me some for their children, who I came to when they were children themselves," he says happily.

He doesn't charge anything for his work and if someone wants to give him something, he donates it.

How does he prepare for his role?

- Not at all.

How he rides past his role every year anew?

"Not at all," laughs Fent.

His only request to the parents is that they “capitalize” the bullet points with praise and criticism.

Best of all the age.

He then improvises in the house, depending on the situation.

"You always have to try to respond to the situation," he knows.

Especially when a child reacts quite fearfully.

"Sometimes Santa needs a few minutes to get his bearings again," smiles the 56-year-old.

"When a real rascal stands in front of you and then talks really boar.

And then maybe laugh yourself.” Then Santa Claus would have to laugh too.

"When I realize that I'm never going to knock out the kids, that the wire is no longer there, then I'll stop," explains Fent.

Until then, however, he is looking forward to being on the road as St. Nicholas: "To the light in the children's eyes when they still believe in St. Nicholas."

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