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St. Nicholas Day, celebrated on December 6th, is a delightful and cherished holiday tradition that had brought joy to families in many parts of the world for hundreds of years… but I had never heard of it until we began exploring Waldorf-inspired homeschooling!
In this blog post, we’ll explore the history of St. Nicholas Day and highlight the heartwarming tradition of placing a boot with a carrot on the porch for St. Nicholas to exchange for gifts of oranges, coins, and candy. Additionally, we’ll dive into the delightful world of Dutch spice cookies, a traditional treat to bake and share on this special day.
History of St. Nicholas Day: St. Nicholas, the patron saint of children, sailors, and merchants, was a 4th-century bishop known for his generosity and kindness. Over time, his legacy evolved into the modern figure of Santa Claus. St. Nicholas Day is celebrated in various cultures around the world, each adding unique customs to honor this beloved saint.
There is a wonderful St. Nicholas resource online, where you can learn more about St. Nicholas and the celebration of St. Nicholas Day, which also includes wonderful children’s stories about St. Nicholas that you can share with your children. Click here to visit: https://www.stnicholascenter.org/
The Tradition of the Boot and Carrot:
One of the most enchanting traditions associated with St. Nicholas Day is the act of placing a boot, often accompanied by a carrot, on the porch the night before.
St. Nicholas, a Saint known for his kindness and generosity, fills the boots with small gifts and treats in exchange for the carrot, which he takes for his loyal donkey.
This simple gesture is a source of magical excitement for children who eagerly await the surprises that St. Nicholas will leave behind.
Gifts of Oranges, Coins, and Candy: As the morning sun rises on St. Nicholas Day, children rush to discover the contents of their boots. St. Nicholas, in his understanding of what will delight children, leaves a delightful assortment of goodies, including juicy oranges or clementines symbolizing prosperity, shiny coins representing generosity, and sweet candies for moments of joy.
These small but meaningful gifts are a testament to the spirit of giving that defines St. Nicholas Day.
Baking Dutch Spice Cookies:
No St. Nicholas Day celebration is complete without the aroma of freshly baked Dutch spice cookies wafting through the air!
These cookies are another treat I had never heard of before, and have now become one of our favorite (if not our favorite) holiday cookies.
The word that best describes them? Delectible. Truly.
The blend of warm spices, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, creates a flavor profile that perfectly captures the essence of the holiday season.
One of the ways we love to make these delicious cookies is to use our Nordic themed embossed rolling pin which leaves a lovely decorative impression on the cookies. You could also try Nordic Ware Cookie stamps, which I have heard wonderful things about but have yet to try myself.
If you visit https://www.stnicholascenter.org/ you can find many traditional recipes, and that often the tradition is to bake one single elaborate giant cookie that is in the shape of St. Nicholas himself using a cookie board like this.
We prefer to keep things a bit simpler, so we often just use our regular holiday cookie cutters to cut out our cookies, and are just sure to include a Santa Clause cut out.
These wooden mini-cookie molds also look amazing, but we haven’t tried them as of yet. I will post an update when we do!
Recipe for Dutch Spice Cookies:
Since we are dairy & egg free, here is a simple, plant based recipe that we use for our cookies. You can easily swap unsalted butter for the Earth Balance, and real eggs for the egg replacer if you prefer.
Ingredients:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ cup Earth Balance brand buttery sticks, softened
- 1/2 cup brown sugar or coconut sugar packed
- Egg replacer of choice for 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions:
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
- In another bowl, cream together the Earth Balance or butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until a dough forms.
- Divide the dough in half, shape each half into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll out the chilled dough on a floured surface and cut out festive shapes using cookie cutters.
- Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden.
- Allow the cookies to cool before enjoying the delicious taste of St. Nicholas Day.
Celebrating St. Nicholas Day provides a wonderful opportunity to create lasting memories and nourishing connection with your children through these timeless traditions.
From the anticipation of finding surprises in their boots to the warmth of baking Dutch spice cookies together, these activities embody the spirit of giving and joy that St. Nicholas himself exemplified centuries ago.
Celebrating this special day with the love, laughter, and magic of these cherished traditions will become endearing family memories that last a lifetime!