More than 100 families visit the eight Santa Clauses of the Miesbach Kolping Family this year.
In an interview, Michael Greiner told us what they experience.
Miesbach
– Due to the pandemic, home visits were no longer possible for two years.
The eight Nikolaus teams of the Miesbach Kolping Family are all the happier to be reviving the tradition this year.
More than 100 families have booked the four-person groups consisting of Nikolaus, Krampus, Engel and Rudolf (driver).
They are on the road on December 5th and 6th between 4:30 p.m. and 7:45 p.m.
Time for a conversation with one of the longest-serving Kolping Santa Clauses, Michael Greiner (48),
Mr. Greiner, Corona prevented St. Nicholas from making home visits. Are you entering the living room again this year?
Michael Greiner:
Basically yes.
However, experience has shown that an outdoor St. Nicholas celebration can be very atmospheric – at least when the weather cooperates.
Some families have put a lot of effort into setting up fire bowls and torches in the garden.
In one settlement, the whole neighborhood got together and organized a celebration.
Even punch and song lists were distributed.
But what did the children say when Santa Claus read out their misdeeds to a large group?
Michael Greiner:
Of course that's not possible in a case like this.
Even if some parents are quite painless: An experienced Santa Claus has to be sensitive enough to whisper these secrets in the children's ears when they get their bag.
It's not Santa's job to embarrass anyone.
In general, I think it's ridiculous when threats of Santa Claus or even Krampus are made weeks before the visit.
You can't fix in 15 minutes what went wrong in parenting for years.
Keyword Krampus: How do you feel about it?
Michael Greiner:
The parents decide that too.
And there are already many who prefer it if he waits in the car.
But I think he should come home with me.
We always appear as a team of three together with the angel.
There is also the possibility that the Krampus stays in the background and waits in the stairwell, for example.
He keeps the rod with him anyway.
If anything, he taps it lightly on his leg to rattle it a bit.
By the way, there are also parents who don't want an angel.
Because their children weren't good enough?
Michael Greiner:
(laughs) No.
They are more concerned that the little ones will know them from the schoolyard and then doubt their authenticity.
Or at least ask why Franzi from 3b is traveling with Santa Claus.
The angels are still children themselves and are not disguised as much as Santa Claus and Krampus.
Also read: The 2022 Advent markets in the Miesbach district
But they are not recognized, are they?
Michael Greiner:
That has already happened in individual cases.
Children pay close attention to the eyes and voice of others.
Sometimes even a bushy beard and soot don't help.
In principle, the age of the children also plays a role here.
What spectrum are you covering here?
Michael Greiner:
Definitely a very broad one.
In my opinion, however, it makes no sense before kindergarten age.
Only then do the little ones understand what is at stake.
We once had a case where the parents handed us a page of text for a six-month-old baby.
Can't you explain in advance that something like this is rather inappropriate?
Michael Greiner:
The problem is that for organizational reasons we actually only record the time, name and address when booking.
So we always have to improvise.
But with a bit of Santa Claus experience, it's actually always quite good.
It only gets difficult when the parents write the text by hand with a yellow felt-tip pen or on the computer in small fonts (laughs).
That's not good for an older Santa Claus.
Up to what age do children still believe in Santa Claus?
Michael Greiner:
You can't say that across the board.
Some don't take us seriously at the age of eight, others are still totally convinced at twelve.
I once had a cool boy in a gangster sweater who fought back tears in front of Santa Claus.
That touches you.
Because it shows that the magic of that moment still works today.
Ideally, this appreciation lasts into adulthood.
But even there there are big differences.
Indeed?
Michael Greiner:
Yes.
There are cases where we first have to ask (almost like in Gerhard Polt's Nikolaus play) that the parents turn off the television.
And then there are families where everyone sits together dressed up in traditional costume and sings with us.
so called
