The Pennsylvania Dutch, who were not Dutch at all, but "Deutch", or German, are credited with bringing many of their country's Christmas customs with them to America. This helped to shape the New World Christmas traditions. As early as the 1820's, Father Christmas shows up in Pennsylvania as Belsnickle, of the German "Pelz-nickle", which means "Nicholas in Furs". Belsnickle would travel the Pennsylvania countryside looking for good children to give out his small gifts of cakes, nuts and handmade toys. Father Belsnickle has a carved staff, a traditional craft of the German Pennsylvanians, and is accompanied by a little kitty that just might be tucked into some lucky little child's stocking on Christmas Eve.
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