I spent much of my childhood in Germany, so my family celebrates a Christmas tradition that you might not. It is called Nikolaustag, or St. Nikolaus Day. On the evening of December 5th, children place their shoes outside of their door. If they have been good all year, those shoes will be filled with treats from St. Nikolaus when they wake up on the morning of December 6th. Of course, my sister and I were ALWAYS very good, so we would discover candies and small toys in our shoes every year. And, though we’ve grown up, we still participate in the tradition. But instead of a visit from St. Nikolaus (or, as Americans would refer to him, St. Nicholas), we receive a special delivery from our parents via the United States Postal Service. No, they do not mail us a shoe filled with goodies. But they do tuck a picture of a shoe inside the package. Every. Single. Time.
Would you like to do something special to honor this holiday this year? You’re in luck! I found an excellent template for making 3-D paper shoes that you can decorate, assemble, and fill with YOUR favorite holiday treat.
Fröhliche Weihnachten!
