 St. Nicholas' feast day, December 6th,
kept alive the stories of his goodness and generosity. In Germany and
Poland, boys dressed as bishops begged alms for the poor—and sometimes
for themselves! In the Netherlands and Belgium, St. Nicholas arrived on
a steamship from Spain to ride a white horse on his gift-giving rounds.
December 6th is still the main day for gift giving and merrymaking in
much of Europe. For example, in the Netherlands St. Nicholas' Day is
celebrated with the sharing of candies (thrown in the door), chocolate
initial letters, small gifts, and riddles. Dutch children leave carrots
and hay in their shoes for the horse, hoping St. Nicholas will exchange
them for small gifts. Simple gift-giving in early Advent helps preserve
a Christmas Day focus on the Christ Child.
Additional reading: "The Saint
Nicholas Secret" |
