St. Nicholas night

One of the celebrations that my family and I used to celebrate is St. Nicholas night.Where we would leave our shoes out and find them filled with candy the next morning. We would run around trying to find the biggest pair of shoes we had.

I get to have the fun this year with my own tot. I am sure he will pick his cowboy boots.

But this is an unusual tradition for the US, and I have not met many other people who have celebrated it. Wondering if anyone else had such a custom.

st. nicholas day

saint nicholas

i heard about this as the precursor to hanging stockings.

we always hung stockings christmas eve, but that's the closest.

i think in that old stop motion santa clause is coming to town, st. nicholas puts the treats in the shoes at first...but it's been years since i've seen it.

Happy Saint Nicholas today to all the people who don't follow it. *laughs*

reply to post by nixie_nox

and a happy st. nicholas day to you too!

shoes are going out tonight!


and you know what...i just remembered something from child hood.

at the catholic school i went to, we did celebrate this. we would be told to put a shoe outside the classroom, the teachers would distract us, the rooms would smell, and we would hear sleigh bells in the hall ways and then go out and our shoes would be filled with candy.

i dont know what triggered this thought, and it really contributes nothing other then a story. oh well.

[edit on 12/5/2009 by iamsupermanv2]

Over here in the UK and in the 60's, my family used to celebrate
Christmas like many others in this country, except my Mom had
some rules!
My Mom wasn't very strict about things, but I was surprised when
she told me of a event one Christmas before I was born.

One of my older sisters, who was pushing the grand old age of 15,
commented that she didn't believe in Santa Clause.
My Mom tutted and told her that all Santa would leave her would be
a sack of coal!
My sister laughed and slept safe in the knowledge that these old tales
belonged to another time.

The next morning, my two sisters rushed downstairs to see what goodies
lay waiting. My Mom told me that my sister who had doubted Santa's
existence looked around, her eyes widening on the large sooty sack of
coal near the fire.

I laughed and said, "sure, but afterwards you gave her the gifts?" My Mom
smiled a smile that in later years I would understand belonged to the
wise. " No son, she didn't believe in Santa" she whispered.

Later, I asked my sister about this tale, she said it was true. She quickly followed with the information that from that point on (she was 43 when
I asked her) that she firmly believed in St. Nick...
and that he was listening.

On New Year's eve, I have for the last 40 years, stood shivering outside
many doors and waited for the stroke of Midnight. I bang loudly on the door,
fumbling with the piece of coal and a tangerine in my pocket.
When the door opens, with a solomn voice, I wish all in the house a
happy new year and step in.
Hopefully, good luck steps in with me.
I usually wear all black with a long flowing black coat... it's quite a thing to
see and many relatives ask of my services!

I believe the tangerine represents good food and the coal means that
the residents will be warm from the passing Winter's cold.

reply to post by nixie_nox


I would love to leave my shoes out over night and find them filled with candies. But alas, where I live the shoes would be gone in an instant and not even a cigarette butt would be put in their place.

I think all of my traditions should be indoors..

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/c1e70da5798b.gif[/atsimg]

reply to post by iamsupermanv2


You know what? someone asked me if I was catholic. So that must be where it came from.

reply to post by A boy in a dress


Thank you for sharing that story BIAD. I will have to think of one.

reply to post by nixie_nox


maybe a bit more to this tradition...

i caught santa clause is coming to town for a few minutes the other night when it was on

they were filling hte stockings with toys because th ebig bad fat hitler guy was trying to stop toys.

i know i mentioned a bit of it before, but its a little more to the myth.

i bought my old lady the whole christmas special collection...i should just take a look at the whole thing soon.