December is the time to think about the year behind but also to look ahead. Children are mostly looking forward to the visit by three good men.
Yes, in Slovenia there are three of them going together: St. Nicholas, Father Christmas and Santa Claus. Father Christmas has red clothes and Santa Claus has grey jacket and grey hat. Children in the Republika Srpska are visited by St. Nicholas on 19 December, and Santa Claus also comes, while they are not familiar with Father Christmas. However, their visit to children is always something special. Presents they bring are not only full of sweets but there is also a picture book in each of them.
On Friday, 14 December, it was snowing the whole day. Children waited for them in Jewish Cultural Centre. Melody of saxophone played by Jovan Dimitrijević, marked the start of the event. Programme was presented by Elena Lunić. The first to perform were three pupils from Slatina. They played a puppet play A Rabbit Got Lost. Then followed our youngest pupils. Although they started learning Slovenian this school year they were brave enough to get to the stage. Butterflies, flowers, the sun and cloud were in the Four Butterflies. Pupils attending classes on Saturdays played a fairy tale How Ana and Bojan travelled to the city or You can never please everyone. After the programme we called for Santa Claus. He did not come alone but in the company of Father Christmas and with a basket full of presents. Those are the moments that children always remember and to remind them of magical time of childhood.
Barbara Hanuš
