Christmas Eve is just a few days away when children all over the world – or at least in the United States -- will be looking forward to Santa Claus coming down the chimney and leaving presents under the tree.

But there’s another tradition and children may or may not be looking forward to his visit.

For the Pennsylvania Dutch, Belsnickel is a character who rewards well behaved kids and is not so nice to the naughty children.

To learn more about Belsnickel, we’re joined by Doug Madenford, host of the YouTube channel PA Dutch 101 and the author of multiple books on the PA Dutch language and culture.

Christmas Eve is just a few days away when children all over the world – or at least in the United States -- will be looking forward to Santa Claus coming down the chimney and leaving presents under the tree.
But there’s another tradition and children may or may not be looking forward to his visit.
For the Pennsylvania Dutch, Belsnickel is a character who rewards well behaved kids and is not so nice to the naughty children.
To learn more about Belsnickel, we’re joined by Doug Madenford, host of the YouTube channel PA Dutch 101 and the author of multiple books on the PA Dutch language and culture.

When people come together and talk about really interesting topics, great questions spark better understanding and opportunities for new ideas to form. On The Spark from WITF, hosts Scott LaMar and Aniya Faulcon start the conversations about what’s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at https://witf.org/programs/the-spark.

When people come together and talk about really interesting topics, great questions spark better understanding and opportunities for new ideas to form. On The Spark from <a href="https://www.witf.org">WITF</a>, hosts Scott LaMar and Aniya Faulcon start the conversations about what’s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at <a href="https://witf.org/programs/the-spark">https://witf.org/programs/the-spark</a>.

The Spark

When people come together and talk about really interesting topics, great questions spark better understanding and opportunities for new ideas to form. On The Spark from WITF, hosts Scott LaMar and Aniya Faulcon start the conversations about what’s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at <a href="https://witf.org/programs/the-spark">https://witf.org/programs/the-spark</a>.

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