St. Nick

So Wisconsin is full of Germans. I myself am easily over 50% German heritage-wise. It's awesome. Germans are so legit. And here's one reason why: St. Nick coming on the night of December 5th and finding treats the morning of December 6th.

I used to know the whole story of St. Nick and why he comes on the night of the 5th but I no longer remember. We seriously learned it in elementary school. A few times. From what I do remember, kids would leave out their shoes and then the next morning there would be little treats in them. And by little treats I mean candy and other things filled with sugar. Thanks to Wikipedia, I now remember that it has to do with the Feast of Saint Nicholas. I don't think I ever actually learned why he was a big deal and I don't really care to, though I probably should since it is my heritage and all.

And at 20 years old, I am proud to say that St. Nick still comes. And my 23 year-old brother feels the same way. Over the years we've gotten various toys and treats but a few things always stay the same: huge navel oranges and candy from a small candy shop downtown. Since coming to college, another thing has been included: a gourmet caramel apple from Amy's Candy Kitchen. These apples are beastly and easily weight a pound or two. Mine are always covered in dark chocolate and cashews. It is so goodly and delicious.

I'm not writing this to brag. Well, maybe I am a little bit. But basically I just wanted to publicly announce  how awesome my parents are for still doing this stuff. My brother is practically engaged and I'm not exactly a kid anymore myself, yet they still keep it going. It's pretty much the best tradition ever, one that I will totally be using in my own family someday. And somehow every year I never cease to be surprised by how well my parents know me, especially my dad. An additional gift this year is wool socks. In my family, nice winter socks are sought after. It's totally normal, even expected, to get multiple pairs of socks for Christmas. In a package I received back in October, my dad even included a container of chocolate frosting, because I like to participate in the delicious habit of eating frosting with a spoon. Disgusting? Yeah, maybe a little. But so worth it. I don't think I've mentioned my love of eating frosting straight up in years, but my dad is totally on top of things.

Do you guys have any family/heritage/Christmas traditions? As finals approach, I know I will be even more thankful for these little tastes of home. Yeah, I'll be home 10 days from now, but that doesn't stop me from loving having Wisconsin things in Utah.

Last YouTube video I watched: The Biggest Shake-Up in YouTube History: Explained