St. Nick Day!

NicoleWI

Who else had St. Nick come last night? Kids were super excited. It's really nice that today's not a school day. 

MesmrEwe

WE DID!!!!

It has been an adventure here (Yesterday AM we got word that my uncle passed away - and DD is of the age where this is her first "real" death/passing where she gets it even though she's been to a number of funerals over the years).  Last night DD couldn't be pulled away from the TV for anything, so it was after 11 before she got in bed (she's usually in bed by 9:15 on school nights)..   This morning, instead of getting us, DD & DS sprinted downstairs, before she'd normally be up for school mind you, to get into the stockings without even letting us know so I didn't get any pictures (I was a zombie at that point because I'd just gotten to bed less than an hour before because when St. Nick tried to come, she got out of bed for a drink of water).. 

DD complained because DS got two more items (valued under $10) than she did (even though hers was $$ valued higher) - good grief!  Then we got a family stocking and DD's chomping at the bit to open that up but we've got to find some paperwork before that can be done. 

But the most fun was started by none other than Mr. Scrooge himself.  He personally determined that there was too much in BOTH kids stockings that he took items away from them which we had tears over (and it was a WTF - it was a mini Twix bar tin - similar to the M&M's one they got last year - which I should add the kids didn't really eat because by the time we realized he'd put them out of the kids' reach there was no way the chocolate was still any good).  Then I got the lecture about how stockings should be three TOTAL items, and SMALL(think mini candy bars or an orange).  And then Mr. Scrooge got lectured that if he doesn't like what St. Nick brings he needs to provide his input months ago when it was requested of him instead of after the fact and stop hating the holiday season so much (he's ONLY in the holiday spirit for about 30 minutes IN A GOOD SEASON on December 25th)... 

Ah well, the kids have been o.k. for the most part today playing with the new toys/games.  They're now foraging on the snacks (which I'm one of those parents that says "let them get it out of their system" because most of the time they eat a few things then I find a bag of the stuff months later and toss it), so must be time for lunch...

Guennie

What is St Nick day? I've never heard of this...

NicoleWI

It's common here in Wisconsin. I think it was a German/Dutch tradition? On the night of Dec. 5, St. Nick comes and fills stockings, usually with an apple, orange, candy canes, Christmas chocolates, sometimes nuts, and a few small games/toys/books. Maybe Christmas PJs or socks...that kind of thing.

MesmrEwe

It's the celebration of the feast day of St. Nicholas, and happens in the overnight of December 5th into the 6th.  Children leave their shoes or stockings on the windowsill, outside their bedroom door, or on the mantle and St. Nicholas rewards the children who have been good all year by filling up their shoes/stockings with goodies, such as nuts, fruits and sweets, small toys, (utility-type gifts - PJ's, socks, underwear, scarves, mittens,etc), etc.. Some items such as citrus have symbolism behind them (in the early days to prevent scurvy).. 

What I teach my kids about the day is the importance of "Anonymous giving" - because you can, not because you get credit or anything of the sort for it.  Helping people out because it's the right thing to do instead of what gets you the most recognition. 

Guennie

Cool. So I guess it just got combined with Christmas here in America.

hillgirl322

I've never of heard of it before but it sounds great. My kids would love the extra excitement. I'll have to remember for next year!

SouthernAcorn

We celebrated it at my Catholic elementary school. We would all leave a shoe outside of the classroom and the teachers would close the doors so we couldn't see into the hallway. Then, a male staff member would walk down the halls, ringing a bell, while laughing and talking like St. Nick and put a candy cane in each shoe. One or two kids from each grade would actually get a lump of coal in their shoe. But don't worry, they would go to the main office and trade it in for a real toy, so everyone always wished for coal!

Knottie48097161

Psst if you have time to bump you have time to move an elf.