[Maité]

Well maybe they'll have better coffee and food there

[KeithUrbanfan]

Lol yeah

[FoxPhile]

There's a quick cafe on the ground floor of the building, so I'm looking forward to exploring what they have there. And we'll have Keurig machines on every floor (bring your own K-cups though). We're also right across the street from a park, so I might be able to take my lunch there when the weather is nice.

[FoxPhile]

Saturday is Saint Nicholas day - anyone here celebrate that?

[KeithUrbanfan]

What is it?

[Maité]

Originally Posted by FoxPhile (View Post) Saturday is Saint Nicholas day - anyone here celebrate that?

No but we celebrate the Immaculate Conception here on Tuesday (it's a national holiday). It's the day where people put up their Christmas trees.

[FoxPhile]

In a lot of cultures, on St. Nicholas Day (Dec 6th), children put their shoes by the door the night before, with a letter to St. Nicholas, telling him what they want for Christmas. If they've been good, when they wake up in the morning, the letter is gone and the shoes are filled with candy and small toys. If they've been bad, their shoes are filled with coal - but with a note from St. Nicholas telling them if they are very, very good from then until Christmas, they may still get some presents.

Like Mai said, about her holiday, St. Nicholas days is often when people put up the Christmas tree.

My mother was German and we did this every year, but most of the kids we grew up with never heard of the custom.

[KeithUrbanfan]

Thanks for telling me

[Maité]

Originally Posted by FoxPhile (View Post) In a lot of cultures, on St. Nicholas Day (Dec 6th), children put their shoes by the door the night before, with a letter to St. Nicholas, telling him what they want for Christmas. If they've been good, when they wake up in the morning, the letter is gone and the shoes are filled with candy and small toys. If they've been bad, their shoes are filled with coal - but with a note from St. Nicholas telling them if they are very, very good from then until Christmas, they may still get some presents. Like Mai said, about her holiday, St. Nicholas days is often when people put up the Christmas tree. My mother was German and we did this every year, but most of the kids we grew up with never heard of the custom.

That sounds similar to Epiphany (January 6th) here. Children put their shoes out and water and grass for the wise men's camels (like the cookies for Santa I guess - we don't do that here) and they get a toy.

It's fun learning about other traditions

And all my childhood I had Santa (Papá Noel here) but before that it was Baby Jesus who brought the presents so my older sister had half Baby Jesus and half Papá Noel. I guess that must've been confusing

[KeithUrbanfan]

This is all interesting

[FoxPhile]

It is fun learning about other cultures and traditions. I remember our friends were always a little jealous that we got that early taste of Christmas.

My mother was so into Christmas that even when we came home from college on Christmas break, even though it was well after December 6th, she would somehow get a pair of our shoes and put them outside our bedroom doors on the first morning we were there, full of little candies and gifts. It was always sort of special that she kept that tradition alive with us long after we were all grown up.

[KeithUrbanfan]

This is a lot of interesting info and enlightening too

[FoxPhile]

Did the last of my Christmas shopping, including getting some last minute cards to send off. I'm hoping that while I'm visiting my family in NC, my bestie from high school can swing by. She just lives about 2 hours from where my family lives, so I'm hoping she can get the time off.

[KeithUrbanfan]

Nice

[Maité]

Originally Posted by FoxPhile (View Post) Did the last of my Christmas shopping, including getting some last minute cards to send off. I'm hoping that while I'm visiting my family in NC, my bestie from high school can swing by. She just lives about 2 hours from where my family lives, so I'm hoping she can get the time off.

Good for you! I'll try to do it all tomorrow, but I'm pretty sure I'll fail