St. Nick's Night~~

St. Nick's night is something that we grew up with as kids living in Wisconsin. Ask any Arizona native about this night and they will look at you like you are crazy. Basically the night of Dec 5th you hang your stockings so St. Nick can come and either fill them w/goodies if you have been good or fill it w/coal if you have been bad. Both the kids have been good, so they received goodies. Below is the story of St. Nick's that I got from Holli--another Wisconsinite that lives here in Arizona. Thanks Holli!! Enjoy.......

St. Nick's Day

Observed in Milwaukee for generations, the holiday has grown more popular in the past few years.
Like the fish fry and frozen custard, the celebration of St. Nick's Day, though not exclusively a Milwaukee tradition, is especially strong here. Tradition calls for children to hang their stockings or put out their shoes in the hopes that St. Nicholas will visit in the night, leaving a trinket or two for good children. Naughty kids will find a lump of coal or a switch instead.Like many ancient traditions, the history of St. Nick's is debated. Some say St. Nick's Day is a decidedly German observance. Others say it is Spanish or Dutch. What is known is that St. Nicholas lived in the fourth century. He was a Christian prelate and the patron saint of Russia. Nicholas was a native of Patara, in the ancient district of Lycia in Asia Minor (now Turkey). He became archbishop of the metropolitan church in Myra, Lycia.How he came to be so famous is a little bit of a saucy tale, not suitable for tender ears. Legend has it that he took pity on a poor man who was about to abandon his daughters to - get the kids away from the newspaper - prostitution. The story goes that he left trinkets for the man in his chimney. From this came the custom of secret gifts on the eve of the feast day celebrating St. Nicholas. Because of the close proximity of dates, Christmas and St. Nicholas Day are now celebrated simultaneously in many countries.