St Nicholas Eve

Christmas for some begins December 6th and goes through January 6th. Tonight is the Eve of St Nicholas so if you have stockings to put out, do so tonight. You should awaken to small toys, candy and fruit.

As children, my sibs and I were always so excited because St Nicholas Day was the official start of the Christmas season. Even though we had been pouring over the toy sections of  Sears and JC Penney catalogs since Halloween, it was receiving a chocolate morsel or small stuffed animal in our stocking that set off the excitement.

Trying to control us after St Nicholas Day was a challenge. The house became littered with construction  paper, scissors, glue and  Christmas ornaments. Then came the wrapping supplies, thrown all over the floor as we kept coming up with things to wrap. My  baby sister was big on wrapping up spools of thread and rocks. My mother had her sewing machine out and we'd be called into her room to try on our Christmas dresses or nightgowns.  Not much was sewn for my baby brother.

Christmas needs to be up by the 6th of December or it just doesn't feel right.