Saint Nicholas — one man, one mission

Saint Nicholas was a 4th-century bishop who lived in Myra, a town in what is today Turkey. According to legend, this son of rich parents gave his entire wealth to the poor. This made him the forerunner of Father Christmas or Santa Claus, as well as Germany's Christ Child. He has become a symbol of the Christmas season.

In 1931, a US cola company used Saint Nicholas to advertise its beverage. He was shown wearing what has become the accepted attire of all red with white trimmings. These days, the outfit must be flexible enough to withstand sporting activities such as this Father Christmas race in Michendorf in the German state of Brandenburg.

At the annual global conference of Father Christmases in the Danish capital Copenhagen, hundreds of men and women from different countries ready themselves for the busy and stressful festive season. A bracing dip in the water can only help boost energy.

Today, St. Nicholas takes on additional special missions — such as delivering food to the fish in the 250,000 liter (66,000 US gallon) aquarium at the Multimar Waddensea Forum in Tönning in north-western Germany.

Edible Santas have been around since 1820. The first examples were made by hand and consisted entirely of chocolate. These days, they are usually made in a mold and mostly hollow. Germany produces some 150 million every year.

In many parts of Europe, the benevolent Saint Nicholas is accompanied by an ominous servant. In Germany, he is called Knecht Ruprecht and, with his rod and sack of coals, he threatens to thrash misbehaving children. In France, he is known as the Pere Fouettard, in the Netherlands as Zwarte Piet, in Switzerland as Schmutzli and in Austria and southern Germany he is called Krampus.

In southern Germany, the Buttnmandl procession involves St. Nicholas being followed by wild creatures covered in fur and straw, ringing bells and yelling as he goes from house to house to chase away the bad spirits. This pagan ritual in the region of Berchtesgaden was gradually integrated into Christian traditions and has become a popular spectacle on December 5 and 6.

St. Nicholas is flexible when it comes to mode of transport. He might ride a bike in Germany, travel on a sleigh drawn by reindeer in Finland or on the back of a dromedary, like here at the Red Sea in Egypt. His white beard and red fur trimmed coat and hat mean that he is recognizable all over the world.

This photo from a speed camera shows St. Nicholas and his chauffeur in a bit of a hurry. The car was traveling 10 kmh (6 mph) faster than the speed limit of 50 kilometers per hour. In view of the time pressures that "Saint Nicholas" is under, the authorities reportedly let him off with a warning rather than a hefty fine.

How St. Nicholas or Santa Claus manages to be in lots of different places around the world at the same time remains a mystery. But one thing is certain: He always returns the next year and he always stays on course flying across the sky, such as here over Lake Geneva.