So tell me, does St. Nick visit your house? He never came around when I was a kid. We had to wait for Santa to drop by on December 24 like everyone else. But it seems that here in the frozen North where we live, most children are accustomed to a little pre-stocking of the stocking. When they go to bed on December 5, they put out their shoes or socks (I’ve heard both) so that St. Nick can fill them with treats. Apparently we can attribute this to our state’s German immigrant roots, although it should be noted that my mother is twice as German as I am and her mother was born and raised in this state, and yet St. Nick dissed us every year of my childhood.
For our kids, this all started when Jo was in kindergarten. We arrived at school on the morning of December 6 and saw that one of her gym shoes was missing from the shelf above her hook. I started to grill her about how on earth she managed to lose one shoe, but then noticed that every shoe on the shelf was missing its partner. It turned out that St. Nick had grabbed them all, stuffed them with goodies and brought them into the classroom.
From then on, well, it seemed that we would need to open our doors/chimney to the jolly old elf each December 5, because why would he skip over our house only to visit everyone else in town? (This also means we’re four for four on trips to Walgreens at 9 p.m. on that same night. Things that make you go ho-ho-hmmmm.)
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P.S.: I also wrote more about holiday slacking in this guest post at Diets in Review.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Huh, I hadn’t heard of that particular date for a visit. I refuse to give in to the Elf on the Shelf thing. Someone gave me one, but I’m going to pass on during a White Elephant party.
Now that my little guy is 3, I am realizing the insidiousness of merchandising and external pressure to overindulge. He’s been told he can ask Santa for three things. And that Santa may not bring everything. I still have no idea how to manage all the extended family gifts…
I have never thought St. Nick to be a WI thing. Your prespective is interesting though.
I just always thought it was mostly a Catholic thing, which I am. Since December 6th is the feast day of St. Nicholas. I went to Catholic school and grew up in Milwaukee, I never knew anything different than to hang my stocking on December 5th.
Wanna know what is great for me? At 45 I am lucky enough to still get St. Nick! In my family we still do it for each other. I get a little something for my Mom, Sister, Nephew and Dad each year. It is a nice little surprise during this busy time and it continues a childhood tradition. This year St. Nick brought me an name engraved wine glass! St. Nick and my Dad’s wife are tight I guess. LOL
I have warm memories of St. Nick day when I was in grade school. Each yaer on that day after daily mass we each received an ice cream shaped like St. Nicholas, air brush color and all. You might wonder why we had it in the morning after mass. Well our scho0l did not have a freezer so we had to have them right away in the morning when the dairy delivered them.
I had a German grandfather, but we never did this. Hmmm….wondering if it’s because I live in the South.