Jolly Old St. Nicholas (340/365)

 
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugarplums danced in their heads;

Clement Clarke Moore (1779-1863), U.S. poet. A Visit from St. Nicholas (l. 3-6). . . Anthology of American Poetry. George Gesner, ed. (1983) Avenel Books.

TIME:  10:24 PM
PLACE:  On top of the piano
SUBJECT:  Santa figurines

Do you celebrate the Feast of St. Nicholas?   St. Nick was Nicholas of Myra, a saint and Bishop of Myra (Myra was located in Turkey.)  His MO was to give secret gifts – such as leaving coins in the shoes of those who left them out for him.  He is said to be the model for Santa Claus.  On December 5, the Eve of St. Nicholas Day, when I was a small child, we would put stockings at the edge of our beds or on our bedroom door before we went to sleep. The following morning, we would wake-up to find that St. Nick had filled our stockings with candy and small presents – for us, there was always a pair of socks included in the mix.  Supposedly, if we were bad, he would leave coal – but we never saw that (although, a few times, we probably would have deserved it!).  I have continued this tradition with my children.  St. Nick always leaves a fancy toothbrush (Spinbrushes this year), a family DVD (Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian), along with candy and other small items.