Alright everyone, tonight is the night that we observe a favourite Christmas tradition for kids: St. Nicholas Day.
What is St. Nicholas Day?
The feast of St. Nicholas is a holiday that takes place on December 6th every year (depending on where you’re from), to remember the generous bishop of Myra, St. Nicholas. Today, little children place their shoes outside on the evening of December 5th to see if St. Nicholas will fill them with coins or treats during the night.
Who was St. Nicholas?
I’m not going to give a whole history lesson, but in short: St. Nicholas is man whose memory has inspired our modern idea of Santa Claus. His history is so far back and so poorly documented that at this time, stories of St. Nicholas are not much more than just that: stories of myth and legend. Famous accounts say that Nicholas gave generously (and anonymously) to the poor, and specifically to one poor man and his daughters, saving them from a terrible fate.
Why celebrate St Nicholas Day with your children?
Three words: History, tradition, and fun!
I lived in Germany for a few years, and while I was there I had the delight of joining in on the tradition of putting my shoes outside for St. Nicholas to fill with treats (if I had been good, of course). I was in my 20’s (and definitely didn’t expect St. Nick to come in person), but those kinds of traditions are still so much fun for me to take part in, and even more fun for me to make into a Christmas tradition for kids!
While I am not one to tell my children that St. Nicholas is literally going to come fill their shoes, I think it’s such a fun tradition and fantastic opportunity to teach them a little bit about history. This is where our modern idea of Santa came from, and I think it’s a story worth telling, and for our kids, worth knowing.
I purchased This Book from Amazon so that I could read it easily to them on the night of December 5th, when I will have my little ones place their empty shoes by the front door (my kids are very young, and this book is pretty easy to read and understand).
In my excitement, I filled their shoes during their naps with these little chocolate teddy bears and some clementines in order to get a couple of pictures for you guys… but obviously, since I’m posting this early, those treats have all been tucked away until tonight, when I’ll fill their shoes to surprise them on the morning of December 6.
Is this a tradition with which you are already familiar? How does your family celebrate St. Nicholas Day? Let me know in the comments!
Back soon,
Naomi
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