tagged: candy, chocolate, coal, Dutch, Scotch tape, St. Nick

St. Nicholas needs no GPS

Posted by Erika in rad*random

Last week, we celebrated St. Nicholas Day, December 6th.  It’s a European tradition, but for some reason, perhaps due to the huge German, Dutch and Belgian emigration to our area, it is still celebrated in our corner of the Midwest.  Maybe the whole Midwest…..I actually don’t know.  What I do know, is that it’s fun.  The kids love it and it’s one more thing for me to use as a behavior modification tool as Christmas grows closer.  The version we celebrate is Dutch since my 1st exposure to the holiday was from Anna, the Dutch exchange student that lived with my family when I was in high school.

Here’s how it goes, St. Nick (actually the Bishop of Turkey) rides to your house on his white horse, and with him, Zwarte Piet (Black Pete).  Kids leave their shoes out on the window and in the morning, if they have been good, it will be filled with small treats, chocolates, little trinkets.  If not, they may find coal.  And if you have been terrible, Zwarte Piet will stuff you in a sack and take you to Spain.  Nice.

While the treats are delicious and always something to look forward to, the lurking (albeit not totally realistic) threat of being kidnapped and becoming a Spanish citizen goes a long way to keeping the kiddos in line, come late fall.

All of the kids at school celebrate this holiday and so there are many discussions leading up to the big day.  The DOF started early, beginning of November, with plans and questions.  How bad was bad enough to go to Spain?  Should she be worried?  Does St. Nick bring things you ask for?  Does he have access to an Apple Store?

She must have decided that being prepared is the only way to guarantee a good result.  This is what I found in her window on the night of Dec.5th.  When I went to tuck her in, she proudly showed me her plan to control the St.Nick event.  She had apparently borrowed my Scotch tape (which is normally rationed for her)…and she said, “I only used 23 pieces, Mom.”  Clearly.

And upon closer inspection: note says ” You see the shoe?  You see it St. Nick?  Please put the candy in it.  Please St. Nick.  Love, G   Here’s what it looks like in a window (with drawing of shoe).

Precise.  No room for error.  She’s going to make a great surgeon.