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It's Saint Nicholas Day!

December 6th is Saint Nicholas Day, observed by much of the German-speaking world and elsewhere.  Strangely, I was roused from a deep sleep during the night by some heavy footsteps and rustling in our entryway.  Clearly, it was just my imagination.  Or so I thought, as I drifted back to sleep a short while later.  But this morning, there are a number of small chocolate treats in pairs of the Grand Duchess Sonja's and Young Master Pauls' shoes.  A bit of pre-Chirstmas magic I suppose.

 Here are a couple of old traditional German images of Saint Nick himself with children relating to the above visit.  I like the top illustration especially, because it looks like the old Hanseatic town of Luebeck in the background with its Holstentor off to the left and the twin-spired Mariakirche just behind Nicholas.

Finally, the Grand Duchy of Stollen blog now has 16o followers.  Not as many as others, but still kind of exciting.  Hello and welcome to all of you.  Happy Saint Nicholas Day!


Later. . . 
Forgot to mention earlier that, along with the chocolate treats and a large, soft molasses cookie in her pair of shoes, the Grand Duchess also received a birch switch, carefully threaded through the bow tied on the right shoe.  She chuckled, that naughty girl, when she noticed it this morning!

Comments

Conrad Kinch said…
Nice stuff Stokes - funny St Nick always manages to find Mrs Kinch wherever she is too.
2:43 PM
CelticCurmudgeon said…
My Dear Ulrich,

Everyone here at the Chencellery joins me in wishing you, the Grand Duchess and your noble princeling a most wonderful and blessed holiday season. Merry Christmas!!

Gerardus Magnus
Archbishop
12:28 PM
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