Belsnickel (also Belschnickel, Belznickle, Belznickel, Pelznikel, Pelznickel, from pelzen (or belzen, German for to wallop or to drub) and Nickel being a hypocorism of the given name Nikolaus) is a fur-clad Christmas gift-bringer figure in the folklore of Palatinate region of southwestern Germany along the Rhine, the Saarland, and the Odenwald region of Baden-Württemberg. The figure is also preserved in Pennsylvania Dutch communities.

Belsnickel is a man wearing fur which covers his entire body, and he sometimes wears a mask with a long tongue. He is related to other companions of Saint Nicholas in the folklore of German-speaking Europe. But unlike these figures, Belsnickel does not accompany Saint Nicholas, he rather visits alone and combines both the scary or threatening and the benign aspect which in other traditions are divided between the Saint Nicholas and the companion figure.

Challenge: Belsnickle does not sport a mask with a long tongue. While he may wear a mask when youths from Nova Scotia to Appalachia used to "belsnickle" in costume, he remains a more St. Nicholas appearing figure.

In the folklore and legends of the Netherlands and Belgium, Zwarte Piet ( pronunciation (help·info)) (meaning Black Pete) is a companion of Saint Nicholas (Dutch: Sinterklaas) whose yearly feast in the Netherlands is usually celebrated on the evening of 5 December (Sinterklaas-avond, that is, St. Nicholas Eve) and 6 December in Belgium, when they distribute sweets and presents to all good children.

The characters of Zwarte Pieten appear only in the weeks before Saint Nicholas's feast, first when the saint is welcomed with a parade as he arrives in the country (generally by boat, having traveled from Madrid, Spain). The tasks of the Zwarte Pieten are mostly to amuse children, and to scatter pepernoten, Kruidnoten and "strooigoed" (special sinterklaas-candies) for those who come to meet the saint as he visits stores, schools, and other places.

The original Zwarte Piet is sometimes associated with Knecht Ruprecht, but in the Low Countries the tradition has not merged with Christmas.

The Dutch now celebrate Sinterklaas (5 December) with an exchange of gifts. These presents are given anonymously, but are often accompanied by poems (Sinterklaasgedicht), signed by "Zwarte Piet" or "Sint", which are read aloud during Sinterklaas evening for the enjoyment of the ones assembled. The poems often are teasing in nature.

Dwight Kurt Schrute III (born November 11, 1970) is a character on NBC's The Office, portrayed by Rainn Wilson and based on Gareth Keenan from the original UK version of The Office. Dwight is the top Salesman and former acting manager for the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, and has won numerous awards for his successes, despite lacking social skills and common sense. Despite his personal dislike of Jim Halpert, the two are an effective sales team. Dwight's ability as a salesman, though, has rarely commanded the respect of his peers or led to higher levels of professional success. Moreover, though at one time he was the Assistant to the Regional Manager, he was demoted to a debatable number three in the office after Jim came back from Stamford. Currently, Dwight has resumed his post as Assistant To The Regional Manager.

In an episode commentary on the season one DVD, Wilson refers to Dwight as a "fascist nerd" who is a predictable caricature of a character that demonstrates the futility of most TV. In a featurette on the season three DVD, Wilson describes Dwight as "someone who does not hate the system, but has a deep and abiding love for it".