Editing Companions of Saint Nicholas (section)

=== Belsnickel ===
[[File:Belsnickel in Modern Day Travel Attire.JPG|thumb|Modern day [[Belsnickel]] on his way to scare children in his travel attire, December 2012]]
{{main|Belsnickel}}

[[Belsnickel]] is a companion of Saint Nicholas in the Palatinate (Pfalz), Germany. Belsnickel is a man wearing fur which covers his entire body, and he sometimes wears a mask with a long tongue. He is a rather scary creature who visits children at [[Christmas]] time and delivers socks or shoes full of candy, but if the children were not good, they will find coal in their stockings instead.

In parts of the United States in the 19th century, "Pelznickel" traditions were maintained for a time among immigrants at least as far west as the US state of [[Indiana]]. Today, remnants of this tradition remain, known as the ''Belsnickel'', especially in [[Pennsylvania]].

A first-hand 19th-century account of the "Beltznickle" tradition in [[Allegany County, Maryland]], can be found in ''Brown's Miscellaneous Writings'', a collection of essays by Jacob Brown (born 1824).  Writing of a period around 1830, Brown says, "we did not hear of" [[Santa Claus]].  Instead, the tradition called for a visit by a different character altogether:

{{quote|He was known as Kriskinkle, Beltznickle and sometimes as the Xmas woman.  Children then not only saw the mysterious person, but felt him or rather his stripes upon their backs with his switch.  The annual visitor would make his appearance some hours after dark, thoroughly disguised, especially the face, which would sometimes be covered with a hideously ugly phiz – generally wore a female garb – hence the name Christmas woman – sometimes it would be a veritable woman but with masculine force and action.  He or she would be equipped with an ample sack about the shoulders filled with cakes, nuts, and fruits, and a long hazel switch which was supposed to have some kind of a charm in it as well as a sting.  One would scatter the goodies upon the floor, and then the scramble would begin by the delighted children, and the other hand would ply the switch upon the backs of the excited youngsters – who would not show a wince, but had it been parental discipline there would have been screams to reach a long distance.<ref>Jacob Brown, ''Brown's Miscellaneous Writings'', Printed by J.J. Miller (Cumberland, Maryland 1896), page 41.</ref>}}

On the South Shore of Nova Scotia, Canada, a Christmas tradition known as Belsnickling occurs, where, similar to mummering, people go from house to house within the communities dressed in multiple layers of clothing and with scarves around their faces to conceal their identity. These people are then given food and drinks (usually rum or eggnog) until their identities are guessed, and then they're off to the next house.