The Feast of St. Nicolas Fast Approaches

As December 6th, the Feast of St Nicolas approaches
I am thinking of my favourite Greek, Ernie.

my favourite Greek, Ernie.  

While many legends of St. Nic prevail,
we must not forget that he was first and
foremost, a Greek!;  and a bishop as well.
Like Ernie, he was kind with a generous
spirit.

St. Nicolas, 1994 Russian Icon

I am also thinking of my favourite husband, Jeff,
former member of the Coast Guard.

 St. Nicolas is the patron of the Greek navy
so perhaps Greeks and Coasties are allies.


We are living in the the region of Lorraine,
in the Northeast of France, where in
the 15th century, Duke René II consecrated
Saint Nicolas as Lorraine's Patron.
(http://frenchmoments.com/Saint_Nicolas.html)

From every boulangerie and patisserie one
can see icing-decorated spiced cookies of
 St. Nicolas and of course the hand-painted
chocolate version.



Numerous legends abound but the one
most recounted and sung by French school
children is the most gruesome;
Complainte des Enfants au Saloir
To make a long story short, three boys,
after gleaning in a field all day
entered a home of a butcher who,
there is no delicate way to say this,
chopped them up into pieces and put
them in brine.  Seven years later,
St. Nicolas happened upon the butcher's
home, discovered the children, brought
them back to life and restored them
to their families.  (I didn't realize
gleaning could be so dangerous.)
Alas, St. Nicolas has become the patron
saint of children.

On the eve of this day, shoes will be
placed by fireplaces or doorways
in the hope that St. Nicolas will pass
by bearing gifts.


While December 6th  may be a day for children,
I will be putting out my shoes in anticipation of
a visit from St. Nicolas, the chocolate version;
you receive charcoal or a twig tied in ribbon if,
during the previous year, you have been bad.

I wonder why shoes were the
first receptacles for the gifts from St. Nicolas?
I wonder how these small, utilitarian vessels evolved,
at least in North America, into immense spaces
underneath giant Christmas trees?

I wonder, where have the shoes gone?










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