Ewing Girl Crossing: December 6th HAPPY SAINT NIKOLAUS DAY!!

The German holiday Nicholas Day (Nikolaustag) just happens to be based on an old tradition that was celebrated in the 16th century. Back then, children would carve marks in pieces of wood to show what good deeds they had done that year and then give them to St. Nicholas. Depending on whether they had been "naughty or nice", they would either get treats or a piece of birch.

Today in modern Germany, Nicholas Day is celebrated a little differently! On the night of the 5th of December kids put their shoes outside their bedroom door. At night supposedly Saint Nicklaus comes and fills their shoes with treats like chocolate, candy, cookies, fruits, nuts, or little presents. BUT if you were a bad kid that year in your shoe in the morning you would find a birch twig (I think for your parents to hit you with) although funny enough NOBODY ever gets the birch!!!

On top of all that excitement, it's tradition that on the 6th men dress up as Saint Nick and his little helper: sometimes known as the Ruprecht or Knecht Ruprecht or even Krampus. He travels with St. Nicholas and punishes kids who have been bad. Any way the men will go into schools and do the whole Santa thing!

So, carrying on the long tradition that we picked up from living in Germany, every 6th of December we enjoy a small present left in our stinky shoes! Even Rachael last year got a chocolate Santa when she was rooming with a house of Germans, at university!