Get the Kids Shoes Ready for St. Nicholas Day

On the night of December 5, St Nicholas Day (Nikolaustag in German), is celebrated by having kids put their shoes outside the door.  Legend has it that the spirit of St. Nicholas, the patron saint of children, will go from house to house carrying a book of sins in which all the actions of all kids are written.  Good little boys and girls will have their shoes filled with tasty treats while naughty kids will have twigs in their shoes.  

Being the candy loving kid that I was (and still am!), I naturally rooted in my closet for my tallest pair of boots expecting them to be overflowing with candy.  My sister and I put our boots outside our bedroom doors (wouldn't want any racoons absconding with even one bite of our treats!) and fell asleep dreaming of sugar plums (and Skittles, Snickers and Starburst).

Lo and behold, St. Nicholas obviously confused us with two other little girls because we found lots of yummy surprises the next morning! 

This is a such a fun tradition and a great way to kick start the holiday season!