Last year at this time I was living in Indianapolis and working for a German historic foundation where we celebrated Sankt Nikolaus Day. Just to catch you up, Sankt Nikolaus is the German version of Santa Claus - he dresses as a bishop and rides a white horse (or sometimes a goat) while he visits the children to give them gifts if they are well-behaved. If they aren't, his travel companion, Knecht Ruprecht, will threaten to beat them... and sometimes he will, if he doesn't decide to throw them in a bag and carry them off instead.** Um, Merry Christmas.

During my time with Sankt Nikolaus, I got inspired to do a drawing of him*** but I was too busy to do more than simply throw together a sketch. Then I moved to Florida and during my first couple of months here I resurrected the sketch and cleaned it up a bit with my new-found free time... and then I got busy again. Finally, last night I pulled the old drawing out once more and I was finally able to put the finishing touches on it. Only a year later.

December 6 is traditionally Sankt Nikolaus Day and I encourage you to find a St. Nikolaus Fest or Christkindlmarkt near you to help you get into the Christmas spirit and get a little cultural education at the same time.