North Sea Water - "ST NICHOLAS" with Imelda Almqvist
The feast day of St Nicholas is on December 6th, with most festivities happening on the eve of his birthday (December 5th) This class was deliberately planned to coincide with this feast!
When Imelda did the research for her book about the pre-Christian spirituality of the Low Countries, the material she uncovered about St Nicholas shook her to the core.
His birthday is the favourite day of the year for all children: on December 5th they set out a shoe by the fireplace and wake up on his birthday to treats and gifts. Adults (and older children) get together and exchange gifts on the eve of his birthday (Pakjesavond – The Night of Parcels). But there is a twist: every gift is wrapped in a creative way that reflects the personality of the recipient. A box is turned into car (for someone who just passed their driving test) or horse, princess or frog. Often there is a “bonus gift” as well (a poop scoop for a dog owner, or a teething ring for a pregnant woman, chocolate hearts for a teenager with a crush). And a funny rhyme or poem must be written, to (mildly) take some pot shots at the recipient. (“You wanted a baby? Oh man! – And now you will never sleep again!”)
Imagine Imelda’s surprise when the child-friendly saint turned out to be a psycho pomp or soul conductor, closely linked to the Wild Hunt. His sack (used to deliver presents in modern lore) was used to gather the souls of people who had died that year.
We invite you to get creative and bring one surprise or gift for another participant, of a non-material nature: a picture, a poem, a song, a wisdom teaching, a poignant foreign word (etc.) Our class will close with a mini celebration of “Pakjesavond”!)
The webinar will start at 8pm UK time (3pm NYC). A recording will be available for all ticket holders for 30 days. There are two ticket options - a standalone ticket for this webinar only or a combo ticket for this webinar and the "Vrouw Holle" webinar on December 5th.
About Imelda
Imelda is an international teacher of Sacred Art and Seiðr/Old Norse Traditions, a painter and author of nine books. She currently teaches in the UK, the US, Sweden and Greenland. https://www.shaman-healer-painter.co.uk/