St. Nicholas Day

At our house we celebrate St. Nicholas Day, a holiday that is widely celebrated in Europe. We first learned about it when we lived in Germany, and now that we have kiddos, it's a fun tradition to uphold.

The night before St. Nicholas Day, we read the story of the real St. Nick, who was a kind young man who helped many people secretly, especially children. Then, we go out to the front porch with our "Magic Dust" (aka glitter), sprinkle it liberally so that St. Nick will see it and know to visit our house, we yell out, "Welcome St. Nicholas!", and then turn around 3 times. I'm fairly certain our neighbors think we're nuts, but it was fun anyway. The kids leave their shoes on the porch overnight, and when morning comes, there are small presents inside them.

I think it's a fun way to learn about the kindness of St. Nick, and I'm trying hard to teach the kids about what in the world Santa has to do with the birth of Jesus. I was getting in deeper and deeper with my made-up explanations as Nicholas asked me increasingly pointed questions, such as "If St. Nicholas lived so long ago, how can he still be alive today?" and "If St. Nicholas lived in Turkey, then why does he live in the North Pole now?" Good grief. At least for now, the part of him that wants to believe is stronger than the logical part. I'll enjoy it while it lasts.