The story of Santa Claus starts with St. Nicholas, a saint who was known for anonymous gift giving to the poor and needy. Although it is mainly a European holiday, many families inside the US celebrate aspects of St. Nicholas Day on December 6th as apart of Advent or as an activity in their Christmas countdown.The tradition is that on the eve of December 6th, children place their shoes/boots outside their doors for St. Nicholas to fill with chocolates and candies, fruit and nuts and small gifts.
Harvest Moon by Hand, has observed this tradition with her children for a couple of years years now. "It is something that they look forward to each year. It's such a simple tradition, but one that I know they'll remember when they're older." She also uses the opportunity to teach them about who St. Nicholas was - his life, how he lived it and the impact he had on the world.
If you'd like to learn more about St. Nicholas and see what parts of the tradition you might like to enjoy with your family, the St. Nicholas Center website has many resources for individuals and families, religious and non-religious.
Many EtsyKids sellers have little gifts perfect for slipping into a child's shoe to help make the morning fun and exciting. And putting in a couple for sharing with friends and siblings helps to continue the legacy of St. Nicholas and warmth of the season. Here are just a few suggestions:
Set of 6 Saddle-stitched Pinwheel bows by thebitsybeau
Felt Play Black Cherries by pippiclippies
Dragon Fly Wooden Yo-yo by applenamos
Snowmen Pencil Toppers by MFCrafts
Red Rocket Moleskin Cahier Notebook by ClareBears
You can search shops participating in our EtsyKids Christmas in July sale by searching EK christmasinjuly or EK CIJ on Etsy. Each shop promotion is a bit different, so read each shops announcement or see this list of participants for the details.
2 comments:
We have been celebrating st Nick day for years. I think we started when we got married. There are so many celebrations to attend at the end of the month and we wanted a day for our family. It is the perfect time to celebrate and gives us a touch of excitement at the begining of the month too : )
We celebrate St. Nicholas Day, too! We use stockings. My kids love it, because it's like getting a "head start" on Christmas. :) I love it because we read the story of St. Nicholas and his generosity it helps us all focus more on "giving" than "getting" for the month of December and to remember what Christmas is all about.
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