Happy St. Nicholas Day!

Today is Saint Nicholas Day for those who recognize a differences between St. Nick and Santa Claus. This third century bishop had a reputation for anonymously giving gifts to the needy, as well as evangelizing in what is now Turkey.

Image from Wikipedia published under the Creative Commons License.

My family observed St. Nicholas Day a few times while we we living in Germany during the 1960s. We put our shoes outside our bedroom doors and the contents the next morning were generally eaten -- unless you were on the "naughty" list, in which case you got a lump of coal.

As you can see, the traditions are similar to the stockings hung on the mantel, and of course most people meld St Nicholas and Santa Claus into the same person.