Celebrating Saint Nicholas

My daughters are in their pajamas, but they’re not sleepy. They are bouncing around the Christmas tree. They have been waiting for this night.

“I’m going to stay up to watch for him,” says Rachel, eight.

“Shouldn’t we leave him some cookies or something?” asks Laurel, five.

It’s not Christmas Eve. It is December 5. We put a plastic bucket on the porch and drop in some hay and carrots. We leave the porch light on, go upstairs and take off our shoes, lining them up neatly under the hall table—Daddy’s Rockports, Mama’s patent leather pumps, Rachel’s ballet flats and Laurel’s pink boots.

Tomorrow morning, we will begin our Saint Nicholas Day celebration, hoping to find chocolate “gold” coins in our shoes and seeing whether Saint Nicholas’ horse has eaten the hay and carrots. Sometime during the day, we’ll secretly do a good deed for someone. At night, we will exchange small gifts and read a story about the real Saint Nicholas.

Who was the real Saint Nicholas and what can we learn from him about good deeds? Find out by reading the full text of this article in the September/October issue of Horizons.

Call 800/524-2612 or subscribe to Horizons or order the September/October 2007 issue (HZN-07-240; $4 plus shipping).

Cynthia O'Brien is pastor of Smith Memorial Presbyterian Church in Fairview, Oregon.

Image of St. Nicholas courtesy of Bridgeman Art Library

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Who was the real Saint Nicholas and what can we learn from him about good deeds? Find out by reading the full text of this article in the September/October issue of Horizons. Call 800/524-2612 or subscribe to Horizons or order the September/ October 2007 issue (HZN-07-240; $4 plus shipping).	Celebrating Saint Nicholas by Cynthia O'Brien My daughters are in their pajamas, but they’re not sleepy. They are bouncing around the Christmas tree. They have been waiting for this night. “I’m going to stay up to watch for him,” says Rachel, eight. “Shouldn’t we leave him some cookies or something?” asks Laurel, five. It’s not Christmas Eve. It is December 5. We put a plastic bucket on the porch and drop in some hay and carrots. We leave the porch light on, go upstairs and take off our shoes, lining them up neatly under the hall table—Daddy’s Rockports, Mama’s patent leather pumps, Rachel’s ballet flats and Laurel’s pink boots. Tomorrow morning, we will begin our Saint Nicholas Day celebration, hoping to find chocolate “gold” coins in our shoes and seeing whether Saint Nicholas’ horse has eaten the hay and carrots. Sometime during the day, we’ll secretly do a good deed for someone. At night, we will exchange small gifts and read a story about the real Saint Nicholas. Who was the real Saint Nicholas and what can we learn from him about good deeds? Find out by reading the full text of this article in the September/October issue of Horizons. Call 800/524-2612 or subscribe to Horizons or order the September/October 2007 issue (HZN-07-240; $4 plus shipping). Cynthia O'Brien is pastor of Smith Memorial Presbyterian Church in Fairview, Oregon. Image of St. Nicholas courtesy of Bridgeman Art Library Other Articles Online This Issue The Sabbath Promise Keeping Time Cultivating a Sabbath Heart Everyday Prayers [web exclusive] Builders of a Legacy, Keepers of the Faith How Will You Celebrate? Dispatch from Forbearance Presbyterian Church Supporting Mission Building Community Mosaic Health Connections Faithful Parenting	Current Issue SEPT/OCT 2007 About This Issue Contents FREE Resource How to Use In Our Next Issue Items underlined can be seen in this Web site, all others appear in the September/October 2007 (HZN-07-240) issue of Horizons magazine. to Horizons, call 800/524-2612 or this issue ($4 plus shipping/handling)

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