The night before Christmas

is very near

but creatures are stirring,

even the mice.

All quiver in fear, cause

Belsnickel soon will be here.

What? - What happened to

Santa Claus? What happened to

sugarplum fairies,

sweets and spice?

And who's this Belsnickel

fellow?

He's neither jolly nor mellow.

Belsnickel gets children who

are naughty, not nice.

His glaring stare is colder

than arctic ice.

He comes before Christmas

and carries a switch.

This Belsnickel fellow sounds

more like a Halloween witch.

Does this script have

some kind of glitch?

No carrot at Christmas,

only the stick?

Must Christmas come with

some kind of hitch?

None of this Belsnickel stuff

say the kids today.

Just give us our gifts

'cause we want to play.

Winter's no time to be

out making hay!

In trampy brown knickers,

a coat and a cap,

Belsnickel comes to each house

following his map.

His gray beard flowing over his

tattered old scarf,

He carries a switch

to help with his part.

To get your attention

he'll jingle his bell and

scratch at your door.

To lower your guard he'll

scatter peanuts, oranges and

treats on your floor.

When you pick up your treat,

he'll switch at your feet

Before Christmas sun,

he'll come just one more time if

you're good,

to leave nice gifts under your

tree as you hoped he would

That's the Belsnickel;

he's nasty but nice.

Du besser bischt gudt,

der Belsnickel kumpt!

Well kids, have no fear

Belsnickel hasn't been seen

very near for many a year.

These days it's usually Santa

who comes around here

Michael Vianello

© 1991

Revised 1993, 2003

About the Belsnickel

The Belsnickel used to visit the homes of Pennsylvania Dutch children many years ago.

In those days, the children were often told during the year, "Du besser bischt gudt der Belsnickel kumpt." (Loosely - you'd better be good, the Belsnickel will come.)

The last sighting of Belsnickel around here reported to us was by Ruth Rinker of Sciota. She grew up in the West End of Monroe County. Ruth tells us that Belsnickel visited her home only once, in 1926. She was around 6 years old then.

Ruth, then Ruth Gougher, lived on the "outskirts" of Kunkletown with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. George Gougher, and her younger brother, Walter. It was Christmas Eve 1926, just a little after dark. Ruth and her 4-year-old brother, both in stocking feet, were dressed in their flannel nightclothes -- almost ready for bed. Mom and Dad were around, but Ruth's grandfather had gone to visit some neighbors. They heard some sleigh bells jingling. Then, there was a scary rattling on the porch. Suddenly, there appeared at the window an old man in trampy clothes. He scratched his switch on the window to get the children's attention and scare them. The children were really frightened. They wouldn't go near the door. So Ruth's dad opened the door for Belsnickel.

There stood the Belsnickel. He was an old man dressed in trampy clothes. He wore brown knickers, boots and a dark overcoat. His long, gray beard flowed out from under a visored cap and poured over his tattered scarf. He was about the same height as her grandfather, but Belsnickel had a potbelly as big as a pillow. Belsnickel only stepped a foot or two into the Gouchers' kitchen. He scattered peanuts and oranges on the floor - a very special treat in those days.

This relaxed the kids a little. A sudden rush of braveness came over Ruth and Walter. It was brought on by the treats Belsnickel had spread on the floor in front of him. They moved forward and started picking up the orange and peanut treats. Then, without even the hint of a warning, Belsnickel lashed out with his fresh-cut switch. He started thrashing their legs with the birch twig. It hurt, tells Ruth.

The children scampered and ran. They hid behind the old brown Apollo cookstove. They stayed behind the stove until Belsnickel left. Then the kids came out from behind the old brown cookstove and picked up the treats.

After that they went to bed - their legs still smarting a little from the Belsnickel's switch. The next morning when they awoke, Ruth and her brother Walter found gifts under the Christmas tree. Belsnickel had returned later Christmas Eve and left them under the tree for Ruth and Walter. That was the one and only time Belsnickel visited Ruth and Walter. After that, it was Santa Claus instead of Belsnickel who visited the Goucher home in Kunkletown each Christmas to leave presents for the kids.

Ruth and Walter liked Santa much better than Belsnickel. Santa doesn't have a switch. Knecht Ruprecht, perhaps a distant cousin of Belsnickel, still visits children in Germany. Several weeks before Christmas, St. Nikolaus and one of his helpers, Ruprecht, visit German children. St. Nikolaus (Santa) has a list with all the children's names. The list tells what things naughty and what things nice the children did during the year. St. Nikolaus gives the kids treats, oranges, candy, apples and nuts, for the nice things they have done.

On the other hand, Ruprecht carries his stick. Ruprecht swats the naughty kids with his stick. The kids sing Christmas songs and recite poetry as part of the festivities. Then St. Nikolaus makes a list of what toys and things the children want for Christmas. Neither St. Nikolaus, nor his nasty helper Ruprecht, return on Christmas Day. Rather, on Christmas Eve, Christkind and the Christmas angels come, unseen by anyone, and place gifts under the tree.

Merry Christmas!

Author's Note:

We asked other people with Pennsylvania Dutch roots if Belsnickel had ever visited them. Only a few had been visited by him. Some said they had heard about Belsnickel from the older folks, but their childhoods were spent years after Ruth Rinker's 1926 encounter with Belsnickel. In the early 1900s, as well as the 1800s, the West End of Monroe County, at the foothills of the Pocono Mountains, was a very remote and isolated area. (So were many other rural areas.) It's rather tempting to speculate therefore that it was difficult for St. Nikolaus, Ruprecht, Christkind and the Christmas angels all to make their way to the West End at Christmastime. Perhaps that is why Belsnickel performed all the tasks of these other Christmas personalities - Ruprecht's switching, St. Nikolaus' scattering treats, and Christkind's leaving gifts. These Christmas personalities are very cooperative indeed. They change and modify their schedules and roles somewhat to accommodate the Christmas customs and calendars of each region, or sometimes each household, they visit. Unfortunately, Belsnickel is another one of those precious and unique elements of the local Pennsylvania Dutch culture that is being lost.

We would like to hear about more encounters with Belsnickel. If you have or if you know anyone who has ever encountered Belsnickel, email

tneditor@tnonline.com. We would like to put together a compendium of stories about Belsnickel - before he disappears forever.Santa and the Belsnickel make a dealOnce upon a time, in the Pocono Mountain forest in Pennsylvania, Santa Claus was bringing Christmas joy to the homes of the mountain forest folks - as well as the rest of the world. He heard some little children crying "What? - How could this be? Children crying on Christmas Eve?" thought Santa.In a very uncommon event, Santa appeared before the kids."Why are you crying on Christmas Eve?" asked Santa.The children told Santa about the Belsnickel.The Belsnickel lived deep in the mountain forest. Belsnickel was an older man. In the wintertime, his long gray beard flowed out from under his visored cap and poured over his tattered old scarf.When he would go out in the winter's cold, he would wear old boots, brown knickers, and a trampy old topcoat.The Belsnickel was rigid and strict. His eyes were colder than Arctic ice. And he never put up with any foolishness.In his younger days, Belsnickel had been a schoolmaster. He was known throughout the land as the meanest and toughest schoolmaster ever.The children who attended Belsnickel's school were well-behaved due to Belsnickel's very strict discipline. But they did not enjoy his school.When Belsnickel finally retired, the kids were happy indeed. They had one of the best parties ever.Well, after Belsnickel retired, the teachers let the kids get away with murder. The kids didn't do their homework. They partied all the time. And they got into all kinds of mischief. Somebody had to step in and do something. The parents didn't know who to turn to. Finally they sought out Belsnickel. "Belsnickel, you've got to come back," the parents said."Since you retired there is no one to discipline the kids. They do whatever they want to do. And they aren't learning a thing in school. Not only that, but the kids have gotten unruly around their homes. And they have become very rude, too.""But what can I do" said the grumpy old Belsnickel. "I'm not at the school anymore."Then Belsnickel had an idea. In the middle of the winter he would get fresh oranges, fruits and nuts - a very special winter treat in those days - and go around to each house. He would use the treats to bait the kids. And when they would come after the treats, he would thrash them with his switch for their naughty deeds.And so, every year after that, in the middle of the winter, around Christmastime, Belsnickel would hitch the horse to the old country sleigh. He would go to each child's house. Belsnickel would make scary noises on the porch and scratch at the window with his switch to frighten the children and get their attention. After that he would knock at the door.The parents would open the door for Belsnickel. Belsnickel would take just one or two steps into the house. He would scatter his oranges, nuts and treats on the floor in front of him. When the children would come forward to pick up the treats, Belsnickel would take his switch to their legs.The children would scamper and run. They would hide behind the cookstove or whatever was handy.After the Belsnickel would leave, the children would come out from their hiding places and pick up their treats.During the year, whenever the children were naughty, the parents would remind them that if they didn't behave, the Belsnickel would put them on his list and come to thrash them on the night of the winter solstice - the longest night of the year.Well, it worked! The kids were so scared of Belsnickel. All their parents and teachers had to do was remind them that if they misbehaved, the Belsnickel would come at Christmastime and take his switch to them. The children did their homework. They were well-behaved. And they were polite.But the kids were just terrified of this Belsnickel fellow. And what made it even worse for the kids was that Belsnickel came just a few nights before Christmas.After the kids told Santa about the Belsnickel, they asked Santa for his help. And they promised Santa that if he would get the Belsnickel to stop coming around at Christmastime, they would behave all year long."OK," said Santa. "That sounds good to me. But if you don't keep your promise to behave all year, I'll cross you off my Christmas gift list."Then Santa asked Rudolph, the reindeer, to lead him to the Belsnickel. "Merry Christmas, Belsnickel" said Santa when he found him."Humbug," grumped Belsnickel."Why do you take your switch to the children at Christmastime?" asked Santa. After the Belsnickel finished explaining the reasons, Santa said, "Well, Belsnickel, then all you want is that the children should be good, right?""Exactly," said Belsnickel."Let me suggest a solution," said Santa."I'll keep a list of the kids who have been naughty and the kids who have been nice. I won't leave toys for the naughty kids at Christmas - if you won't go around switching at them any more. No toys will be punishment enough.""You've got yourself a deal," said the Belsnickel."I'm getting very old and very tired. And I really don't enjoy having to go around every Christmas and taking my switch to the naughty children."But Santa," said Belsnickel, "if your plan doesn't work and the kids get bad again - well maybe I'll just have to come back""Belsnickel," said Santa, "now you won't have very much to do. Why don't you come up to the North Pole with Rudolph and me. You can help us make toys for the kids. There's plenty of room, and Mrs. Claus is an excellent cook, you'll see."And so it was. Santa and the Belsnickel had their deal. Belsnickel retired and went to the North Pole with Santa. He doesn't come around anymore - except sometimes he still helps Santa deliver his Christmas gifts in the mountain forests.These days the parents tell their children when they misbehave - you better be good or Santa won't bring you anything for Christmas!Belsnickel now lives at the North Pole with Santa and his helpers making toys all summer long for Christmas Eve night.