Celebrating the Feast of St. Nicholas :: 2015

Well... Our schedule has been so full lately and, despite ordering books and picking up some chocolate coins and our favorite candy canes, I wasn't as prepared for the feast of St. Nicholas this year as I would have liked! I realized Saturday morning that I only had one new pair of slippers for our oldest... (Giving our children each a new Christmas picture book along with a new pair of shoes or slippers has always been our personal family tradition.)  I had ordered a couple pairs of slippers over Thanksgiving for our two youngest (which finally arrived today! Good thing their birthdays are next week...) and I hadn't been able to get out shopping for the rest. I thought I would go shopping sometime on Saturday, but the three boys had hockey games in the morning from 8:00-12:00, I worked at my Dad's office from 12:00-2:00 (last week was my third week working part-time for him), then took the girls to confession and out with my mom, before hurrying home for dinner then back to the rink with the whole family (and some friends!) for the older boys very first High School game that started at 8:30 pm. I ended up sneaking away during the break between the second and third periods and was able to quickly pick up four more pairs of new slippers (at great prices!) along with some Santa Hat Hershey Kisses and Cherry Pie Filling at a store across the parking lot. Whew!



When we got back home, sometime just before midnight, I quickly finished this year's St. Nicholas Chocolate Coins to go along with our new book, filled each candy bag with three large decorated coins (I'm saving the rest of the large coins for Christmas or O Antiphon Coins), the rest of the small coins, and a handful of Santa Hat Hershey Kisses each, so that they would all be ready for St. Nick when he arrived.  ;) Somehow it all came together!

You can find my review along with additional pictures of Saint Nicholas & the Nine Gold Coins here.

Captain LOVES his new Captain America slippers. 

After being out so late on the eve of the feast of St. Nicholas, everyone woke up late with no time to spare before leaving for morning Mass and our local parish's anniversary brunch. All the treats were still waiting for them when we got back home!

In addition to the new slippers, books, chocolates, and candy cane, St. Nicholas also left an orange and a couple saints (a mix from Catholic Folk Toys, Naturally Catholic, and Tiny Saints) for each of the children. 

Our little guy was very excited about his new St. Nicholas dolls from Naturally Catholic and Catholic Folk Toys! He was also thrilled with his new picture book: Little Blue Truck's Christmas. 

"Daddy! You read it to me?!" 

Rose waited to open her new book, The Message of the Birds, until after her Dad had finished reading. 

She will be receiving her new doll from Naturally Catholic on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. For the feast of St. Nicholas she received an angel and St. Elizabeth of Hungary. 

Snuggles was very excited about his new book, Kristoph and the First Christmas Tree. I was surprised that my older boys recognized and remembered the legend right away from one of their Blue Knights meetings many years ago! It was a perfect pick for this 8 year old of ours. 

"Mom, look! He's holding my candy cane as his staff!" 

Chiquita received Apple Tree Christmas...

... and our Tasha Tudor loving Twinkle Toes received The Christmas Cat. 

The older boys also loved their new books, Confederate Night Before Christmas and An Irish Night Before Christmas. The themes were perfect for them and they have enjoyed reading them to their younger siblings. You are never too old for picture books, right?

The rest of our Sunday afternoon was spent resting and reading!

... and I still managed to make our annual Cherry Cheese Candy Cane Coffee Cake(s) as an afternoon treat for my family. Sometimes sticking with my AIP diet is SO hard! ;)

God, we pray that through the intercessions of St. Nicholas

you will guide and protect our children. 

Keep them safe from all harm and help them grow

to become loving disciples of Jesus in your sight. 

Give them strength to always mature into deeper faith

in you, and to keep alive joy in your creation. 

Through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Bargain Priced Books :: Little Blue Truck's Christmas, Kristoph and the First Christmas Tree & More

I'm in the middle of putting together a post with some pictures from St. Nicholas Day and happened to notice that one of our New Christmas Books for the Feast of St. Nicholas is 47% OFF right now over at Amazon! I posted additional pictures of Little Blue Truck's Christmas here.

Kristoph and the First Christmas Tree is also on sale. At 25% off, it's currently a better deal than I received (20% off), but not quite as good as Little Blue Truck's Christmas. You can combine it with the coupon code below for a great deal! 

While I was looking through Christmas books I also noticed a few we don't own at great prices: Humphrey's First Christmas (Paperback) 42% off and only $4.63; 30th Edition of The Polar Express (Hardcover) 49% off and $10.28; and this 2014 edition of The Twelve Days of Christmas (Hardcover) 33% off and $11.98. A couple of these might end up in our Stacks of Books on Christmas morning or saved for next year's feast of St. Nicholas.

Amazon also has another great promotion that can be used to receive an additional 25% off any ONE (1) book, with a maximum discount of $10, using promo code "BOOKDEAL25" at checkout. Valid December 7, 2015 at 12:00pm EST and December 8, 2015 at 02:59am EST.

I'll be back later with the rest of the pictures from St. Nicholas Day. Don't forget to enter the Christmas Giveaway by tonight, if you haven't already! 

Saint Nicholas & the Nine Gold Coins

Saint Nicholas & the Nine Gold Coins by Jim Forest

The figure of Saint Nicholas stands apart from nearly every other Christian saint: his fame spread across empires and generations to make him one of the most recognizable Christian saints in history. But the popular perception of Saint Nicholas today diverges greatly from his original veneration as a compassionate almsgiver and defender of the poor. Saint Nicholas has been reduced to the pop culture figure of Santa Claus, a jolly old man who brings presents to good little boys and girls. This book reacquaints those boys and girls with the authentic Santa Claus Nicholas, a man who found greatness not simply in spreading "good cheer," but in being a true icon of Jesus Christ in word and deed.

The feast of St. Nicholas is coming up on December 6th, a week from tomorrow! I already shared the list of new Christmas books our children will be receiving this year and you can find lists of our additional St. Nicholas theme books in my Advent & Christmas Book Collection, in my post of Christmas Gift Ideas, or in our December Book Basket (which I still need to update for this year). 

I mentioned that I included another new book in our 2015 Advent Book Basket and wanted to share a few more pictures with you all, since Amazon doesn't provide the "look inside" feature on this beautiful new release.

Saint Nicholas & the Nine Gold Coins, an Eastern Orthodox "retelling of the legend of Saint Nicholas illustrated in exquisite iconographic style", is still temporarily out of stock, but they are saying they will have it back in stock on December 1st (there should still be enough time to get it for his feast day with prime shipping!!!) and the price has dropped 14% from the full MSRP of $20 down to $17.28, PLUS right now you can save an additional $5.18 (30% off one book, up to $10 and one time use so make it count!) with coupon code HOLIDAY30 (good through 11/30/15) which would bring it down to only $12.10.

Here is a little peek inside our copy for those who would like a closer look...

ZOE'S FATHER PROMISED NOT TO TELL, 

but of course he told his wife, who felt it necessary to tell her brother, who told his best friend, who whispered it to his next-door neighbor, who mentioned it to her husband. Each person who knew the secret thought of one other person who could be trusted not to tell. Before many days passed, everyone in Patara knew what Nick had done.

At last the story reached his uncle's ears. I'm so proud of you, Nick," the bishop told his nephew, "and I know your parent's would be too. You cared more about your neighbor than yourself." 

(This page made me laugh, and will present a great opportunity to talk to the kids about how easily "secrets" and rumors can spread, especially in small communities.)

It is a beautiful and inspiring book. I'm looking forward to unwrapping and reading it on the feast of St. Nicholas this year!

Scroll through all of our past St. Nicholas posts here.

New Christmas Books for the Feast of St. Nicholas

Every year on December 6th, the feast of St. Nicholas, our children wake up to find new slippers (or sometimes as new pair of shoes for winter) filled with treats and chocolate gold coins (last year the bags from Trader Joe's worked perfectly so I picked up seven more bags last week), along with a new Christmas picture book to add to our ever growing collection.

This year, while I was creating the labels for our Advent Book Basket, I made some little Saint Nicholas labels as well. You can download them from my Dropbox (Black Text or Green Text) if you'd like to use them too.

Here is the list of books my husband and I choose to give our children this year, in addition to Saint Nicholas & the Nine Gold Coins which is in this year's Advent Book Basket:

For Captain:

An Irish Night Before Christmas

'Round Christmastime, things are a little different on the Emerald Isle. Instead of logs thrown onto the fire, we find turf blazing bright. Instead of cold eggnog spiced just right, the mother and father are enjoying their stout. You'll find no Donner or Cupid or Blitzen, but Ould Neddy the donkey and his small cart. Father Christmas with his Irish eyes twinkling ushers in his seven elves, and thus begins the wondrous Irish Night Before Christmas. This humorous tale, in the same vein as the famous Cajun Night Before Christmas, is the Irish version of Father Christmas's yearly visit. Told in delightful brogue, it will have everyone wishing "Nollaig sona agut!'' (Merry Christmas to you!)

The Angelus chimed

While into their beds

Climbed eleven "T'ank Gods" 

to rest wee sleepy heads. 

*"T'ank Gods" - children

I know that our all-things-Irish loving oldest son will get a kick out of this book! I found myself laughing as well.  ;)

For Ranger: 

Confederate Night Before Christmas

“Mark Vogl has given us much more than a parody of the classic Christmas poem. He has infused his version with the spirit of the Confederate soldier, who gladly makes yet another sacrifice for the good of his country. Stephanie Ford’s illustrations are stunning in their authenticity and beauty.” —Charles H. Hayes, author of Civil War Limericks"

For Twinkle Toes: 

The Christmas Cat 

"It is Christmas Eve. An abandoned gray cat shivers alone in the cold, snowy forest. Not far away in a warm and cozy farmhouse, Jason anxiously asks his brother Nate if Santa Claus will be able to come in such bad weather. But soon the bitter wind stops howling and the sound of sleigh bells rings clearly through the woods. Neither the cat nor the boys know it, but a small Christmas miracle is about to occur.... Tasha Tudor's radiant illustrations illuminate this story, perfectly expressing the loving spirit that shines through the simple text. Efner Tudor Holmes skillfully combines down-to-earth reality with just a hint of seasonal magic."

For Chiquita:

Apple Tree Christmas

"Originally published over twenty years ago, and out of print since 1998, Sleeping Bear Press is proud to bring this beloved Christmas tale to a whole new audience. Moving and nostalgic, and brought to life by glowing watercolor paintings, it reveals the joy of a very special present and the love that a father and daughter share."

For Snuggles: 

Kristoph and the First Christmas Tree

"It's Christmas Eve 722, and Kristoph, a young orphan boy, is accompanying the missionary priest Boniface through the German countryside. They are hurrying to reach the next village by nightfall when they come upon a group of people in the forest worshiping an oak tree and preparing to sacrifice the son of the village chieftain. To prove that the oak is powerless and that there is only One True God, Boniface miraculously fells the giant tree with a single ax stroke. In its place stands an evergreen. Calling it "the tree of the Christ Child," he instructs the men to mend their lives and take the tree home where it will shelter "loving gifts and lights of kindness." Now rescued, the son of the village chieftain invites Boniface and Kristoph to share Christmas with his family ...around another evergreen that Kristoph cuts down for their own celebration."

For Rose: 

The Message of the Birds

"An old owl tells the Christmas story to the community of birds as he has done so many times before, but when he tells of the special message from the Baby Jesus, a little bird questions why they no longer sing the message. “People no longer listen,” is the sad realization. The birds decide to share the message once more, but this time to the children of the world. And what unfolds is surely a Christmas wonder."

The book ends with the message:

"Let there be peace.

Peace on Earth!"

Originally I had planned to give her Katy's Christmas Gift, until I realized we already had it under the old title of  The Christmas Bird.  I don't like this one as much, but it's a simple, sweet story that any little bird lovers will enjoy.  Bird Bingo is a favorite game around here, so I think my little ones will especially enjoy the illustrations of all the different birds in this book.

For Bud: 

Little Blue Truck's Christmas

"It's the most wonderful time of the year! Little Blue Truck is spreading cheer by delivering Christmas trees to his animal friends. Can you help count each green tree from one to five and back again? Don’t forget to save one for Blue! Beep! Beep!

With the gentle rhythm and signature illustration style that made Little Blue Truck a household name, Blue's new adventure is full of holiday warmth. Sturdy cardstock pages, a compact and child-friendly text, and flashing colored Christmas lights on the final page come together in a novelty gift book that’s sure to be the favorite treat of the season."

With a forester for a daddy, I think our little Bud with love this new addition to his Little Blue Truck collection.

.: Giveaway :. 

This year I have a copy of the hardcover edition of The Twelve Days of Christmas to give away to one of my visitors!

Please enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter box below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For additional Christmas book suggestions you can find some of our lists in the archives: 

Our 2015 Advent Book Basket and Printable Labels {and a Christmas Mosaic Giveaway!}

Feasts & Seasons :: Advent & Christmas Collection

35 Favorite Christmas Picture Books for Children

New Christmas Books for the Feast of St. Nicholas (2014 Edition)

Stacks of Books on Christmas Morning (2014 Edition)

You can find the rest of our booklists here or scroll through all our past St. Nicholas Day Celebrations in the archives.