Some of the most unusual memories I have of Christmas past are based on living for two years in a community that had three special days based on the observance of Christmas.

The first of those days was Dec. 6. This was Saint Nicholas Day. One reference source says this was “a festival for children in many countries in Europe related to surviving legends of the saint, and particularly his reputation as a bringer of gifts.”

My memories of the details for this day as it was observed in his particular Minnesota town are now somewhat hazy. However, I do recall there were special services at the local Catholic church. This was also the day folks in the town were supposed to put up their decorations, actually start the Christmas season, and maybe even give each child a present.

There are two memories I still have about Christmas Eve and Day in this town. First, the services at the Catholic church were in three languages — Latin, a sermon in English, and a short seasonal greeting or commentary in German. Second, was the strong emphasis placed on having the main high Mass starting right at midnight to begin Christmas Day.

By the way, do any area churches still have services actually starting at midnight as a part of their Christmas observances?

The third version of this religious observance in the community was known as Little Christmas. It took place on Jan. 6. An entry in the Wikipedia says this specific date is “more commonly known in the rest of the world as the Celebration of the Epiphany. It is so called because it was the day on which Christmas Day was celebrated under the Roman calendar, before the adoption of the Gregorian calendar. It is the traditional end of the Christmas season and the last day of the Christmas holidays.” (The Gregorian calendar is the one we now use.)

I’m not sure if the children in this particular town were supposed to give presents to their mothers and grandmothers on Little Christmas.

Now, to update this particular topic, I have a strong hunch several aspects of the three Christmases are no longer a part of life in this particular community. The once strong German heritage of five decades ago has certainly declined with the transitions created by several generations of newer residents.

However, not all German-Americans are the same.

The people in this town with the three Christmases were mostly of Bavarian descent. Up in New Ulm a large number of people are descendants of immigrants from the former German-speaking border area of what’s now the Czech Republic. They are also known as Bohemian-Germans. In and around the town of Mountain Lake are descendants of Swiss-German Mennonites who came from the Ukrainian and Crimean parts of Czarist Russia. Some of these folks like to use the term of Russian-Germans.

Down in Iowa there are the German-Americans of the Amana Colonies, plus the Amish in several localities, including Worth County. These are two entirely different groups of people, despite their German heritage and confusion that may arise from their names.

Over in Wisconsin are the Swiss-Germans in New Glarus, plus Prussian-Germans and even Tyrolean-Germans.

Out in the Dakotas and up into Canada are the German-descended Hutterites who also came from Russia over a century ago and still live in communes or colonies.

I could go on and on to highlight the various German-speaking immigrants from all over Europe, but I think my main point that these people and their American descendants had many different customs and lifestyles, including the three Christmases.

For the next two columns I’ll be featuring Albert Lea Lake, based on a 1957 news report found by historical researcher Kevin Savick.

Meanwhile, Happy New Year to all the fine folks in the area.

Ed Shannon’s column has been appearing in the Tribune every Friday since December 1984.