The website of the on-line liturgical year, organized by the archdiocese of Cologne will be inaugurated on 27 November, first day of Advent. On the Internet site , it is possible to discover 21 feasts and celebrations of the liturgical year, with information and games for the whole family. On the same site it is also possible virtually to meet other families to tell of their experiences of the celebration of Christian feast days. “We offer to parents and children the chance of using Internet not only to obtain information on the faith but also to show learning processes that lead to celebration through games and exchange”, explained Alfred Lohmann, head of the relevant department of the archdiocese of Cologne. Another Christmas initiative in Germany this year is that of offering for sale in 800 biological product shops the fair and caring Nikolaus (St. Nicholas) made of chocolate, instead of the usual chocolate Father Christmas traditionally given to children. The chocolate figure of Nikolaus is portrayed with the mitre and crosier and is intended to remind children of the origins of the figure of the bishop of Mira, transformed into Father Christmas in the 1920s as part of a Coca-Cola advertising campaign. The idea of the just and caring Nikolaus was born thanks to the initiative of various ecclesiastical organizations. In Stuttgart, the figures of Nikolaus will be distributed in kindergartens, schools and churches. Throughout the country, some 30,000 copies have already been sold and a further 15,000 produced.
