Christmas last was really magical. We enjoyed just the right amount of snow! We were able to enjoy the Nativity that J brought back from Jerusalem, decorate a gingerbread house, sing carols, play games and generally enjoy one another's company.
Nikolaus visited the kiddos the night of 5 December, and they awoke to find their shoes filled with goodies! I had quite the time of explaining Nikolaus to my (mostly American) students. Saint Nikolaus was a real man who was born to a well-to-do family in Myra, Turkey. He is known for his many acts of generosity, but one story in particular is the basis for our modern-day Santa Claus. The story centers on three impoverished maidens who are doomed to a life of prostitution since their father is unable to provide them with a suitable dowry. Depending on the version, Nikolaus rides either a donkey or a horse. He travels under the cover of darkness and throws three golden balls into the house of the three maidens. Each golden ball (bag of gold) is enough to allow each girl to marry. One version claims that Nikolaus threw one of the balls high into the air and that it fell down the chimney and landed in a stocking that was hung by the fire to dry.
Santa also stopped by our home and brought many goodies with him: Log received the Lego Harry Potter sets (though he said his favorite gift was the British-version boxed set of Harry Potter books), Littlest received many trinkets and furniture for her dolls, and Bop was happy to get a portable video camera.
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