St. Nicholas was a Christian bishop.
In some countries, the term St. Nick is synonymous with Santa Claus. But in many parts of the world, St. Nick is a separate entity who has a separate holiday. St. Nicholas was a bishop in Asia Minor in the third century. He traveled around the Mediterranean Sea, spreading Christianity. His feast day is Dec. 6. This is a day of celebration in many European households.
St. Nicholas Crafts
In Germany, children leave their shoes outside their bedrooms and St. Nicholas fills the shoes of good children with treats. Make a pair of shoes to welcome St. Nicholas. Print out the paper pattern (in References, below) and cut the foot- shaped piece out of craft foam and the toe piece out of fabric. Stitch the edges together and hang from the child's door. Cover a small box with paper and decorate to look like a shoe and place the box outside the child's door. Fill the crafts with small candies while the child sleeps.
St. Nicholas Snacks
In the Netherlands, St. Nicholas, or Sinterklaas, travels the country by river on a steamboat. He wears his red robe and bishop's miter, a tall pointed hat. He also carries a crozier, or bishop's staff. Add a red paper bishop's hat and crozier to a small foil-wrapped chocolate Santa figure and convertible it into a small chocolate bishop. Or, glue a walnut on top of a bright red apple. Draw a face on the walnut and add white cotton batting for a beard and a paper bishop's miter.
St. Nicholas Drinks
It's traditional for children to leave a hot beverage for St. Nicholas as he stops with gifts on a cold December night. Help your children make a cocoa mix to make for St. Nick, or give as a gift. Mix 8 cups of powdered milk with 16 oz. of instant cocoa. Add 1½ cups powdered sugar and 10 oz. of powdered non-dairy creamer. Scoop a half-cup of the mix and pour into a coffee mug filled with hot water. Mix well before drinking. For adults, mix Bisschopswijn, the traditional Dutch drink. Warm red wine with lemons, oranges, sugar and cloves. Serve with a cinnamon stick.
St. Nicholas Decorations
For a St. Nicholas party, offer treats in a miter treat cup. Measure the base of a small paper cup. Cut a triangle out of red construction paper that's wide enough to go around the cup with some overlap. Make sure that the triangle is two inches taller than the cup. Draw a cross in the center of the triangle or use a small cross sticker. Wrap the base of the triangle around the base of the paper cup. Use a stapler to secure the paper triangle to the cup. Staple through both overlapping corners of the triangle and the side of the cup. Fill the cup with treats.
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