BLOGMAS DAY 6 -- ST. NICHOLAS DAY

Do you celebrate St. Nicholas Day?  I first found out about this day when I read "Christmas in the Netherlands."  It was one of a series of Christmas Around the World books that I subscribed to for years.  Finally I cancelled my subscription when they began to redo the countries I already had.  But I have about 20 or so of these beautiful books.  I really like the idea of separating the commercial part of Christmas from the religious part.

According to what I read, St. Nicholas and his companion, Black Pete, live in Spain most of the year, but come to the Netherlands on his feast day (today) where he will stay until Christmas.  He is greeted by the mayor and given a parade through town.  

Black Pete puts any bad children in his bag and threatens to take them away to Spain.  So children are very good when they see him coming.  

Like our Santa in America, children will go to see St. Nicholas, assure him that they have been good all year, and tell him what they want for Christmas.  In return, on the night of December 5 St. Nicholas will put some treats in the shoes they leave out for him.  Some small candies, an orange, some cookies, a small toy.  When the children wake up on December 6, they find their treats in their shoes.  Such a nice tradition.

St. Nicholas was a real person.  He lived from 270 to 345 A.D.  He was the Bishop of Myra (present day Demre) in Turkey.  Both of his parents died when he was still a young man and he inherited quite a bit of money which he used to anonymously help the poor.  But his deeds were found out and it inspired people to help others, a custom that has continued to the present day.  What a wonderful man he must have been.

Joe and I always give each other a small gift on St. Nicholas Day.  One year it was socks.  Another a set of mugs.  Often it is candy and that's what it was today.  Goldberg's Peanut Chews for him and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups for me.

I've also been working on the blanket for Mary, my sister-in-law.  Each day I add one wide stripe and one narrow one.  I figure I can get it done by the 15th.  Here is what it looked like this morning before I put today's stripes on.

I took the fall decorations out of the front window today but haven't put up the Christmas lights yet.  Hopefully tomorrow.  I want to get the door done also.

I bought Joe a hoagie for dinner but I didn't eat anything.  I am still feeling sick.  I don't know what is wrong with me but I don't want to eat.  I feel pretty good in the morning and will eat breakfast, but as the day goes on I feel worse and worse.  I hope this goes away soon.

So since I am not feeling great, I am just going to end now.  Hope your Advent Season is going great.

Kathy