St Nicholas Day, 19 December 2007
A greeting for the morning of the small gift, and a note on the birch twig that used to come with it.
A happy St Nicholas Day to every house with a child in it.
The older version of this tradition had two possible outcomes. A child who had behaved received a gift; a child who had not received a small birch twig, placed under the pillow in its stead.
Almost nobody does the twig now, and the few who mention it do so as a joke the child is in on. But it explains the letter, the accounting of the year, and the slight seriousness that still attaches to the evening before.
A holiday that once contained a genuine possibility of disappointment has kept the shape and dropped the sting, which is generally how customs age well.
A good morning to your household tomorrow.
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