German Catholic charity launches 'No Santa' initiative

A Catholic charity has launched a "Father Christmas-free zone" in a German town as part of efforts to promote the more traditional figure of Saint Nicholas, reports BBC news.

Scores of children attended an event in the Bavarian town of Passau to mark the arrival of the saint and the setting-up of the Santa-free zone. The ceremony was also attended by talent show celebrities and the local bishop.

Saint Nicholas's feast day is on 6 December and is celebrated in Germany with presents, but the Catholic Bonifatiuswerk charity fears he is being superseded by the more "Anglo-Saxon" Santa Claus in the hearts of young Germans.

But according to Bonifatiuswerk, there's more to the feast of Saint Nicholas than the receiving of gifts, and their campaign exists as a "snappy" gesture against Santa Claus "underlining the importance of Christian traditions and values". That includes what the charity feels should fill the German equivalent of Christmas stockings: saint-shaped chocolates. "By using fairtrade chocolate bars... Saint Nicholas' boots won't be filled with ungodly Santas," it says.