Belsnickel
| Belsnickel | |
|---|---|
Man dressed as a modern Belsnickel in his travel attire on his way to scare children in the schools in Norwich, New York. December 2012. | |
| Aliases |
|
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Delivering punishments to naughty children on Christmas |
Belsnickel (also known as Belschnickel, Belznickle, Belznickel, Pelznikel, Pelznickel, Bell Sniggle) is a crotchety, fur-clad Christmas gift-bringer figure in the folklore of the Palatinate region of southwestern Germany along the Rhine, the Saarland, and the Odenwald area of Baden-Württemberg. The figure is also preserved in Pennsylvania Dutch communities and Brazilian-German communities.