Happy St. Nicholas Day!

Who was Saint Nicholas?  If you read yesterday's post, you know that people all around the world celebrate St. Nicholas Day on December 6th.  You can read the beautiful story of his life on  St. Nicholas Center.org, which is a wonderful website that has lots of history, recipes, crafts, and other ideas for celebrating St. Nicholas Day.  You might consider starting some fun family traditions to honor this good Bishop of Myra, who gave gifts and did good works in secret.

Illustrator: Elisabeth Jvanovsky

One story is that Nicholas tossed bags of gold through an open window of a destitute family.  The bags are said to have landed in stockings or shoes left by the fire to dry. This led to the custom of children hanging stockings or putting out shoes, eagerly awaiting gifts from Saint Nicholas. Kids can put out their own shoes or hang their Christmas stockings, but I found an adorable blog post by one of my favorite author/artists, Carol Baicker-McKee, with her tutorial on how to make paper shoes (or her new boot template) for "St. Nicholas" to fill (traditionally with gold coins, oranges, fresh baked gingerbread cookies, chocolates, or small gifts).

St. Nicholas Day is a perfect reminder that we shouldn't forget the less fortunate during this Holy season of Advent.  Take time with your kids to bring canned goods to a food bank, try to find a day to work at a local soup kitchen, make gingerbread cookies to take to a lonely neighbor or shut-in ...the list is endless.  In keeping with the "shoe" theme, consider a company like Tom's Shoes to buy gifts from this year - with every pair you purchase, Tom's will give a pair to a child in need.



The Legend of Saint Nicholas by Demi (ages 8 and up)


St. Nicholas:  The Real Story of the Christmas Legend by Julie Stiegemeyer, illustrations by Chris Ellison. (ages 4 and up)


St. Nicholas:  A Closer Look At Christmas by Jim Rosenthal, Joe L. Wheeler.  This is a gorgeous coffee-table type book full of pictures and information about St. Nicholas.  Great for the whole family and a wonderful resource!

I wanted to share this yummy (and easy) dessert that I've made during the Advent Fast for St. Nicholas Day:
GINGERBREAD WITH LEMON SAUCE
2-1/4 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. sugar
2 t. ground ginger
1 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. ground cloves
1/4 t. salt
3/4 c. margarine, softened
3/4 c. water
1/2 c. molasses
Preheat oven to 350.  Grease 9x9x2-inch baking pan.  In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, cloves and salt.  Stir in margarine, water and molasses until well blended.  Pour into pan.  Bake 40-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out dry.  Cool slightly on wire rack.  Serve warm with Lemon Sauce (see below).  Makes 9-12 servings.

LEMON SAUCE:
1/2 c. sugar
2 T. corn starch
1-1/3 c. water
3 T. margarine
2 t. lemon zest
2 T. lemon juice
In 2-quart saucepan combine sugar and corn starch.  Gradually stir in water until smooth.  Stirring constantly, bring to boil over medium heat and boil 1 minute.  Remove from heat. Stir in margarine, lemon zest and lemon juice until well blended.  Pour into serving bowl; cover with waxed paper or plastic wrap.  Cool slightly.  Serve warm on Gingerbread.  Makes about 2 cups. (can top with Cool Whip)

THE CHRISTMAS BOOK LIST

O-V-E-R-W-H-E-L-M-E-D!  Most of us feel that way at some point during the holidays.  To avoid feeling un-prepared and un-organized, I pray, keep my calendar handy, and try to make lists - gift lists, shopping lists, to do lists, and Christmas card lists.  So here's a list you don't have to make!  I wanted to post this on the first day of Advent, so that you'll have plenty of time to find some of these good books to share with your children - or give as gifts - this hol(y)day season.

The fact that I observe 40 days of Advent as an Orthodox Christian led me to come up with a list of 40 books.  You by no means have to read them all!  You can tailor the books to your own family.  I tried to find books for all ages, some that capture all the beauty and meaning of Christ's birth, and some just for fun.  Several are by authors and illustrators that you'll have come across in my past blog posts.  There are picture books, poetry, and classics.  Most, I'm sure, are available at your local library.

I'm posting the list in its entirety today, but I plan between now and December 25th to write about each book.  I listed books for younger children and the more secular stories first.  The books I assigned to  December are those that are especially meaningful leading up to the Holy Nativity.  Many of these were our family's favorites, but some are recently published.  Do you have any to add? Please let me know!  You have until midnight tonight to post a comment and be part of a drawing for my Advent Gift GIVE-AWAY. (11/15/10 - Giveaway is over)

IDEAS FOR MAKING AN "ADVENT CALENDAR OF BOOKS":
-My sister puts a basket filled with all her kids' Christmas books by her fireplace and they read a book each night of Advent (or each night of December) until Christmas.
-My niece told me that she and her husband started a tradition of wrapping books in Christmas paper and either putting them in a basket or under the tree so their twin girls can take turns opening one book each night during Advent (or December) to read aloud - you can supplement with library books - just mark the outside somewhere, so they are read early on and won't be overdue!


40 BOOKS FOR 40 DAYS LIST
November 15 GOD GAVE US CHRISTMAS by Lisa T. Bergren
November 16 MY FIRST CHRISTMAS, by Tomie DePaola
November 17 HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS by Dr. Suess
November 18 WHO IS COMING TO OUR HOUSE? by Joseph Slate
November 19 THE TOMTEN by Astrid Lindgren
November 20 I SPY CHRISTMAS
November 21 THE JOLLY CHRISTMAS POSTMAN by Allan Ahlberg
November 22 LOOK ALIKES CHRISTMAS by Joan Steiner
November 23 CHRISTMAS TROLLS by Jan Brett
November 24 BABAR AND FATHER CHRISTMAS by Jean De Brunhoff
November 25 CHRISTMAS IN NOISY VILLAGE by Astrid Lindgren
November 26 THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY by Ezra Jack Keats
November 27 THE NUTCRACKER by Susan Jeffers
November 28 MERRY CHRISTMAS, CHEEPS! by Julie Stiegemeyer
November 29 CHRISTMAS MICE By Richard Scarry
November 30 CAN YOU SEE WHAT I SEE? THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS by Walter Wick
December 1 ONE WINTER'S NIGHT by John Herman, Diane Dillon, Leo Dillon
December 2 UNCLE VOVA'S TREE by Patricia Polacco
December 3 LETTERS FROM FATHER CHRISTMAS by J.R.R. Tolkien
December 4 THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS: A MAGICAL CUT-PAPER EDITION, Niroot Puutapipat
December 5 SANTA, ARE YOU FOR REAL? by Harold Myra
December 6 (St. Nicholas Day) THE LEGEND OF ST. NICHOLAS by Demi
December 7 CHRISTMAS IN THE MANGER by Nola Buck
December 8 B IS FOR BETHLEHEM, by Isabel Wilner
December 9 THE CHRISTMAS MIRACLE OF JONATHAN TOOMEY
December 10 THE GIFT OF THE MAGI, by O. Henry, illustrations Lizbeth Zwerger
December 11 THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER by Barbara Robinson
December 12 THE FIRST CHRISTMAS; THE FIRST NOEL by Jan Pienkowski
December 13 BABUSHKA AND THE THREE KINGS by Ruth Robbins
December 14 THE FRIENDLY BEASTS by Tomie DePaola
December 15 CHRISTMAS NIGHT FAIR AND BRIGHT by Julie Stiegemeyer
December 16 THE MIRACLE OF ST. NICHOLAS by Gloria Whelan
December 17 TAKE JOY! TASHA TUDOR CHRISTMAS BOOK
December 18 WE THREE KINGS by Gennady Spirin
December 19 ANGELA AND THE BABY JESUS (Children's version) by Frank MCourt
ANGELA AND THE BABY JESUS (Adult Edition)
December 20 THE NATIVITY by Ruth Sanderson
December 21 CHRISTMAS POEMS Edited by Hayes and Laughlin
December 22 CHRISTMAS! by Peter Spier
December 23 CHRISTMAS ANGELS by M.J. Hummel
December 24 (Christmas Eve) PREPARE O BETHLEHEM By Niko Chocheli
December 25 (Nativity) THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD by Mother Melania

REMEMBER TO POST A COMMENT TO ENTER MY ADVENT GIVE-AWAY!