Is it St Nicks tonight?

[Paul77]

It's 1am and I just remembered I need to hang a few stockings for the kids. Is it tonight/Tomorrow morning or Tomorrow night/Thursday Morning?

[brewcrewman17]

No worries 20fry, I can never remember either.

[trwi7]

December 6th. So hang them today and fill them tonight for the kids on Thursday morning.

[Paul77]

Thanks guys. I was in a mini panic this morning.

[Barbs4339]

Can someone give a brief explanation of the St. Nick thing. Like what do you tell the kids is going on? I never celebrated it as a child but would like my children to. I also understand that St. Nick is largely a Wisconsin thing.

[TURBO]

In Southwest Wisconsin where I grew up, we did not do the St. Nick thing, but here in the Fox Valley, they do..

 

It was all new to me...

 

When we were kids, we did the stockings, but Santa filled them up on X-mas eve, at the same time he put the presents under the tree.

[Patrick425]

I have lived in the Milwaukee area my whole life and it wasn't until 6 or 7 years ago that I realized that St. Nicks was just a Wisconsin thing (and that it's even regional in Wisconsin). I just always assumed that everyone in the country did St. Nicks. I guess it makes sense. Never saw a St. Nicks special on TV.

What kills me is the level that some parents have taken St. Nicks to now. My son goes to school and comes home telling us how some of his friends got video games for St. Nicks (and not cheap used ones, new $20-$30 types). People, it's suppose to be candy, some little cheap toys, maybe a pack or two of baseball or football cards. Sorry son, I guess St. Nick doesn't like you as much. This is the first year my son has dropped his belief in Santa and St Nick and all the other holiday characters. So, it will be easier to just explain to him that this is just the way it is. I try to limit it to $15 or $20 tops. I remember when I was a kid my parents would always put fruit (like an orange or apple, gee thanks - I'll put this back in the fridge now), candy, some comics and a sports illustrated in my stocking and maybe, if I was lucky, something like a wind up airplane, or silly putty, or a baseball.

My brother's birthday is also on Dec 6th, so I never forget St. Nicks.

[bball123h2]

St. Nicks is the appetizer before Christmas. My family tradition is receiving candy and a $10 item. Mine was always the Bob and Brian CD, and my siblings would get little games/books, cheap toy(s), gloves, etc.

[NeedMoreFans]

My parents had no idea what St. Nick's day was when we moved to Wisconsin. My mom had a cousin who lived here, and she told my mom about it. My mom started getting us stuff when we started school so we didn't feel left out when all of the kids were talking about what they got for St. Nick's day.

[uecker9]

From wikipedia

 

Celebration in the United States

While feasts of Saint Nicholas are not observed nationally, cities with strong German influences like Milwaukee, Cincinnati, and St. Louis celebrate St. Nick's Day on a scale similar to the German custom.^{[5][/sup] On the previous night, children put one empty shoe (or sock) outside, and, on the following morning of December 6, the children awake to find that St. Nick has filled their previously empty footwear with candy and small presents (if the children have been "good") or ostensibly, coal (if not). For these children, the relationship between St. Nick and Santa Claus is not clearly defined, although St. Nick is usually explained to be a helper of Santa. The tradition of St. Nick's Day is firmly established in the Milwaukee community, with parents often continuing to observe the day with even their adult children}

[uecker9]

Not a good St. Nick's for Lance Nix.

[Paul77]

I'm with Patrick on this one. St Nicks has always been a bit of fruit, candy, other treats and a small present. This years gift is a Halo 3 poster. Last year it was Yu Gi Oh cards. Save the real gifts for Christmas.

[Chio151]

Yeah, we always got like a $10 item. This year I got a small toy for my son.

[TheBwaz]

I got it mostly from my Mom who grew up in a stongly German region of NW Ohio (although my Dad may have been behind it too, fill me in Dad). Its a German thing; my wife was raised in a non-German area and remembers her German teacher bringing it up in HS.

[craigharmann]

Yeah, grew up in Mayville, didn't do St. Nicks. Didn't hear about it until I moved to Sheboygan. Guess I was a deprived child.

[trwi7]

I guess since my dad's whole family is German we did St. Nick's from the beginning. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[dadofandrew]

Never heard of it 'til now. My dad was 100% German too.

[Patrick425]

Wait a second dadofan. Your profile says you are located in Germantown, WI and you never heard of St. Nicks until now??! Did you grow up in Germantown, or the area? If so, didn't any of your friends talk about it at school?

[berniebrewer4life]

We did it every year as kids. My family is part German and moved to Wisconsin shortly before i was born.

[valpocrewsader]

St. Nick's is awesome, one of my favorite memories from childhood. Now, I'm 27 and my sister is 24 and still we meet for a St. Nick's dinner with my mom every year (including last night) and receive gift bags of candy and small gifts.

[Invader3K]

*scratching head*

 

I've lived in Wisconsin all my life, and I've never heard of a St. Nick's Day (or whatever), or getting stocking gifts before Christmas. I guess it's more of a Milwaukee-area thing.

 

Usually we got to open one gift on Christmas Eve, and then all our presents Christmas morning.

[dadofandrew]

I'm from Richland Center.

[TooLiveBrew]

My mom started getting us stuff when we started school so we didn't feel left out when all of the kids were talking about what they got for St. Nick's day.

SE Wisconsinite with the same. It never made sense to me, but I always thought it was sweet.