Saint Nick Comes Tonight!

[DisneyFan32WI]

Hi-
I just wanted to remind everyone that St. Nick comes tonight!
What are your kids going to get in their stockings?
My 2 daughters are getting socks, Bath & Body lotions, lip gloss, snacks from World Market and Christmas ornaments to hang on the tree.

 

[Planogirl]

We don't do St Nick even though I certainly did celebrate this as a child. We should though because I love St Nicholas.

Have fun with your celebration!

 

[Octoberbride03]

What is this?

In my house St. Nick aka Santa comes on Christmas Eve. Always has.

 

[ogreenlee]

i'm unaware of this. i thought st. nick = santa.

is this a northern thing?

 

[candykisses]

Our wooden shoes are already on the hearth.

I can't say what Brad getting since he's DISing right now but Ryan will get chocolates, the Glee CD, a Disney ornament and a tee shirt that says Official Mistletoe Tester.

 

[AshleyW]

Hi-
I just wanted to remind everyone that St. Nick comes tonight!
What are your kids going to get in their stockings?
My 2 daughters are getting socks, Bath & Body lotions, lip gloss, snacks from World Market and Christmas ornaments to hang on the tree.

I forgot all about this! My German great-grandma always gave us shoes filled with candy when I was little, but no one kept on with the tradition when she passed away. I might have to stop by Target before I go to work tonight and get DFiance some treats.

 

[Planogirl]

Celebrating St Nicholas is still done in much of Europe and I would assume by extension in some parts of the US. In Holland he is distinct from Christmas and arrives on a ship each year. He then puts treats in children's shoes (or coal if they're naughty but I never saw this!). If I understand it right, Santa Claus evolved from this tradition.

 

[AshleyW]

What is this?

In my house St. Nick aka Santa comes on Christmas Eve. Always has.

i'm unaware of this. i thought st. nick = santa.

is this a northern thing?

Saint Nicholas was always explained to me as "Santa's Helper". Basically, you put a shoe outside your bedroom door on Dec 5th when you go to bed, and Saint Nicholas fills it with candy/small gifts if you've been good or a tree branch if you've been bad. Santa Claus was actually derived from Saint Nicholas. It's mostly celebrated in Europe, I think - and German/Polish/Dutch communities in the US.

 

[clh2]

What is this?

In my house St. Nick aka Santa comes on Christmas Eve. Always has.

I'm having problems posting a link - done it a million times before - GRR.

http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=391

DD, 15 still gets a visit from St. Nick. We always get her an ornament...that way when she leaves the house, she will have a nice collection of ornaments to start off with. And, we always get her ribbon candy and chocolate covered cherries. Then if we were getting her any sort of Christmas apparel, it would be now, so that she could wear it for the month of December. But - this year she is getting a sport-duffel bag for a team that she is on. They have a meet next weekend, and I know she feels out of place not having the "team" bag.

 

[DisneyFan32WI]

It is widely celebrated here in the Milwaukee area. In fact, there are signs on the front doors of Walgreens and Walmart reminding people that St. Nick in tonight! (Milwaukee is "very German" to begin with)

I am of German heritage, so it is something that has always been celebrated in my home. We put out stockings and/or shoes on the fireplace. When the kids wake up in the morning, it will be filled with small surprises.

For those of you celebrating, have a great time! Hope the kiddies have smiles on their faces in the morning.

 

[disneyfreakk]

I have never heard of this, what a great tradition! So, are the stockings still stuffed on Christmas morning? In my house, we opened gifts on Christmas eve and then Santa came to our home and leave small gifts and candy in our stockings during the night. Then we would wake up on Christmas morning to see what Santa had left.

 

[happygirl]

I hadn't heard of that. It's kinda of a cute idea

 

[clovergirl5]

What is this?

In my house St. Nick aka Santa comes on Christmas Eve. Always has.

Yeah, that

 

[clovergirl5]

Hmm, I polish and german and have never heard of this Sounds cute. I like the ornament idea.

 

[Planogirl]

In Holland (I have to keep mentioning them since Texans don't seem to celebrate St Nick), Santa Claus is actually starting to appear. He is celebrated at Christmas time when gifts are exchanged as normal. St Nick is just for the kids and appears early in December.

In many towns, St Nick and Pete (his assistant) will make appearances. They will appear on horseback with St Nick always on a white horse. I remember the kids getting real excited to see them.

Also, tradition said that children should leave carrots and hay in their shoes for the horses. I don't know if any of this is done in the US!

 

[golfgal]

I have remembered to do this ONCE since we had kids. Maybe tonight I will remember for the second time

 

[clgwli]

St. Nicholas is the original Santa. The Feast Day for St. Nick is on the 6th of December.

I know it is odd but we celebrate both the Feast Day and Christmas with presents. We also celebrate Three Kings Day with gifts as well. May sound like a lot but we don't give a whole lot on any of the holidays. Our stockings are hung and we'll have ornaments and little trinkets for everyone (including the pets).

 

[Tinijocaro]

If you say "Saint Nicholas" with an accent-French or some other European accent, it sounds like Santa Claus. My parents always told me this is where the name Santa Claus came from.

 

[kerstfan1]

saint nick is a dutch holiday on dec 5th childeren get gifs and if they are naugty they are taken back to spain in the bag

 

[irishprincess]

Our church has a mass tonight for the children. They leave a pair of shoes in the back of the church and St. Nicholas fills them with candy and an orange.