Category: Books

Santa is Real!

December 6 is St. Nicholas Day, celebrated in Europe, and many places around the world by people of European heritage, including some Canadians. For many, the tradition of gift giving that is usually associated with Christmas Day, or perhaps Christmas Eve, in North America, is instead part of St. Nicholas Day.

In many places children go to bed with the expectation that they will wake up to gifts from St. Nicholas, perhaps even money or treats placed in their shoes, left out for him the night before.

source: National Geographic

Nicholas lived in the 3rd and 4th Centuries CE (AD). He lived in what is now known as Turkey, but what was then a Greek area of the Roman Empire. What is factual about his life, and what is is myth, isn’t certain. Nicholas was associated with generosity and charity, especially for the poor and for children.

source: wikimedia commons

Nicholas became a Bishop in the early Christian Church. He was persecuted and imprisoned by the Roman Emperor, and after he died was eventually identified as a Saint. In the years since his legend has grown, and morphed into various forms. In modern times the figure of St. Nicholas has grown to be known by various guises and names, including Sinterklaas, Kris Kringle, Father Christmas, Pere Noel, and Santa Claus.

Find out more:

Check out these books in your school library, including both fiction and non-fiction:

Krampusnacht

Krampus is coming to give you what you deserve, bad little boys and girls!

Many people all across Europe celebrate St. Nicholas Day on December 6 each year, as do some people in Canada who have roots in Europe. St. Nicholas comes during the night and leaves presents for good girls and boys. (Look for tomorrow’s post more more information on St. Nicholas.)

In some places, tradition holds that St. Nicholas had a helper– or at least a counterpart, who visited the bad children. Krampus.

In Germany, Austria and other Alpine countries, Krampus became a part of the St. Nicholas story. Half goat, half demon, Krampus is a nightmarish figure who comes for those overlooked by St. Nicholas, who has gifts for the good (or in some cases, the intelligent!) At best Krampus might deliver coal or twigs. But children fear far worse, that Krampus will punish them, torture them, even kidnap them and carry them away to his lair– or to Hell!

Krampusnacht is is observed in many places on December 5, with parades and other celebrations, including the Krampuslauf, or Krampus Run, in which young people dress up like Krampus.

Find out more:

Visit the School Library to borrow!

Holidays & Holy Days

December is a month of Holidays and Holy Days. In the northern hemisphere nights are longer, the darkness deepens, and the weather is colder. Many cultural and religious traditions developed around the winter solstice and the end of the agricultural year, with hope for light and warmth and new life to emerge in the coming months. Come down to your school library in person, or visit us online, to find out more about the many different festivals, celebrations and observances that take place at this time of year.

Peace

November is Peace Month at your School Library. Learn more about peace and alternatives to war. Explore non-violence, pacifism, conscientious objectors, anti-war movements, civil disobedience, peacemakers, non-aggression, reconciliation, and other topics related to the pursuit of peace.

What do you want?

What books would you like to borrow from your School Library? Let us know. Go to our Requests page to let us know what you want.

We want to get good books onto our shelves, so that you can get those good books into your hands, so that you can read good books that you are interested in.

Get the books* that you want.

Go here to link to our Requests page

*Books include regular printed books in hardcover or paperback form, ebooks, audiobooks, etc. We also have magazines, board games, DVDs and other audiovisual materials, and much, much more.

Ursula K. Le Guin

Legendary American writer Ursula K. Le Guin was born on this day in 1929. Le Guin is widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of her generation. She is probably best known for her Fantasy novel A Wizard of Earthsea (1968). Le Guin was also a master of Science Fiction, winning numerous Hugo and Nebula Awards. Her novels The Left Hand of Darkness (1969) and The Dispossessed (1974), both achieved the double honour, winning both the Hugo and the Nebula. Ursula K. Le Guin died in 2018.