Sankt Nikolaus Day – Dec. 6!

One of the advantages of living in a country foreign to our culture brings the opportunity to celebrate and enjoy their holidays!  Just as Halloween is uncommon to the German community – Sankt Nikolaus Day is not very familiar to us as well. 

This coming Friday, December 6th is Sankt Nikolaus Day. Before German children go to bed on the 5th of December, they put a shoe by the door. They believe that during the night, St. Nikolaus comes to put a little treat, such as a chocolate candy, fruits, or nuts in their shoes. In some German houses "St. Nikolaus" comes in the evening and checks his big book, the golden crozier to see if the children have been good or naughty throughout the year before he gives them presents, coal, or sticks. One of the children gets to hold his golden staff.  Sankt Nikolaus then asks the children if they have behaved, do they do their homework, do they clean their room. Nikolaus then hands out the treats or coal and leaves quickly as he has many places to visit.  He is sometimes accompanied by his companion, Knecht Rupecht.  In The Netherlands the children are visited by Sinterklaas.

 As part of our Host Nation program our Host Nation teacher works with the children to create boots that are brought back to the classroom.  We then fill their boots with a candy cane or sticks!  As we get ready to enjoy the treats from Sankt Nikolaus, we look forward to the start of the festive holiday season here in Germany. 

The following link is for a Sankt Nikolaus candy wrapper.

http://www.stnicholascenter.org/media/assets/candy-bar-wrapper-small.pdf

 

        coal – Rice krispy treats with black food dye.

 

Centers Activities this week:

Sankt Nikolaus boot

Sankt Nikolaus

 

Nutcracker

Pattern block ornaments
 

Care for the Sankt Nikolaus boot pattern?  Here you go!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1oYI5XF1D1bQlFQQlFzNmpLV3c/edit?usp=sharing

Have a wonderful week!