The Feast of St. Nicholas

So RA asks on the feast of St. Nicholas, how come you don't see St. Nicholas in purple, or green, or white? He was a bishop after all.

For the feast, we fill the kids stockings. It is a great way to celebrate the feast and spread the traditions of the season all throughout, instead of overwhelming them on Christmas day.

I was able to find two really good books from the library about St. Nicholas: The real Santa Claus / Mayer, Marianna and A gift from Saint Nicholas / Kismaric, Carole.

So before we went downstairs, to investigate the stockings we read about the real Santa Claus.

In each stocking, they get candy and one "big" gift. In past years at Christmas, Nana has given them snow globes. This year they got their snow globes with their stockings.

Before they got to their stockings

Sorting

This is good stuff, Mom

"A chocolate penguin?"

So I mentioned before that PG's Godparents gave him this really neat Advent calendar. If you can find one on sale, they are really amazing. But one word of advice. After attending a party with an hour and a half drive both ways, returning home at 10:30, putting excited and exhausted children to bed and then filling stockings might not be the time to assemble 24 small boxes and fill them with tiny toys.

PG got a Veggie Tale movie in his stocking. For you VG fans and for those who have small children. Run out and get St. Nicholas. It is fantastic and other than not making him a bishop is really spot on. I am so impressed. There is even a religious sister in the movie. A few years back they did a bit on St. Patrick in one of their movies (Summo of the Opera) and DG now has a huge devotion to St. Patrick. They have their saints down and do them with a great message for kids.

For those of you who are curious, RA got a VG Christmas CD. Which by the way was poor planning on my part as we don't start listening to Christmas music until the third Sunday of Advent. Opps!

DG got an Altar Gang CD about Advent. Yet another plug -- I really like the Altar Gang. This was my first experience with the CDs!

And the snow globes: PG and DG got Veggie Tales ones, they are so cute. RA got a Nutcracker one as the girls (my mom, grandma, aunt, sister, RA and I are going on the 4th Sunday of Advent to see the ballet).