SAINT NICHOLAS and CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS

When I was a child,
growing up in New York City,
we kept European traditions on Christmas Eve.

After an early seafood supper,
we dressed in our finest outfits,
got on a bus and
walked our way
to an evening Church service.

Those evenings were always
cold and crisp,
but my favorites were
making the trip as
fresh snow fell.
I sang First Soprano in the Children’s Choir and
LOVED
wearing the long white robe and
large red collar that overlaid it.

Each one of us was fussed over and given a candle with
last minute reminders.

 Once the Church bells
stopped pealing,
the Music Instructor gave
a whispered cue to
thirty three of us
waiting outside the door. 

Candles lit and held chest high,
we followed a lucky boy
carrying a GIANT  GOLD CROSS,
the luckiest boy with
a giant candle stick
almost as tall as himself
and the clergy.

Single file, double spaced,
we sang

JOY  TO  THE  WORLD

and neatly placed ourselves stage  left to the Altar.

---

Undine DeFilippo singing OH TANTE BAUM

After the service
we hurried home
for coffee and cake, sweets and
gift giving.


There was always laughter...
once the adults settled in with their Christmas toasts. 


Each child, was expected to perform
a recitation,
song or tune

BEFORE

getting any gifts.


It seemed this part
of Christmas
was something
the adults
waited for
all year !





I had come to understand at a very early age that
Saint Nick,{ the Christmas Man aka Santa Claus },
was a very real person who lived
a  LONG  LONG  LONG  time ago.

---

Illustration By Hedda Obermaier-Wenz

Born in 280 AD,
in what is now Turkey,
he was known as
The Gift Giver of Myra. 

So that his identity
would remain secret,
he gave his gifts
in the dead of night. 

St Nicholas was eventually named the Patron Saint of
children, sailors,
Russia and Greece.

He was a very rich person
and became a
Christian Bishop
with an earned reputation of being wise and kind.

The tradition of hanging stockings at the fireplace followed one of his
middle of the nite
gift giving bonanzas. 

St. Nick dropped

BAGS  OF  GOLD

into the stockings of
three sisters
on their wedding day
because their father
had nothing to give them.

---

Illustration By Hedda Obermaier-Wenz

In the year 303,
the Roman Emperor Diocletian commanded
ALL
to worship him as a god. 

St. Nicholas refusal
landed him
in a nasty tiny cell,
where he suffered from
cold, hunger and thirst for
better than five years. 

When Constantine
became Emperor in 313,
he was released and
continued to carry out
his gift giving,
until his death
at age 63
on December  6 th. 343.

Because of his exceptional
kind heart and generosity,
he was Sainted and thereby
BLESSED
to continue having
the ability to
accomplish kind deeds
during the Christmas season
for the deserving,
ESPECIALLY
CHILDREN  and  ANIMALS.


 
I believe I did see him thru a key hole that year,
as I practiced  "OH  TANTE  BAUM"
but the angle only afforded me his black boots. 

I thought I was singing praises to someone’s age old Aunt
dressed in something frilly and green
which brought knee slapping peales of  laughter from the adults.

MERRY  CHRISTMAS

TO  ALL

AND  TO  ALL

A  GOOD  NIGHT !!!

---