Gingerbread Houses

A belated Happy St. Nicholas Day!  Last night I got so wrapped up in celebrating, I didn’t have time to post.

St. Nicholas, who inspired Santa Claus, was known for his kindness and generosity, especially to children.  Many European countries celebrate his feast day on December 6.  It’s traditional for children to wake up that morning to discover small treats and gifts left by St. Nick.

When I was growing up, we celebrated the Belgian tradition of St. Nicholas leaving candy in children’s shoes.  Before heading to bed on December 5, my sisters and I would leave our school shoes (my dad would set out his biggest, tallest pair of snow boots) by the fireplace.  

This year I kept the tradition alive in a different way – I spent the evening playing with candy. For the past few years I’ve been decorating gingerbread houses for one of my bosses to give his grandchildren.  It’s become one of my favorite jobs.

gathering supplies, including the new chocolate molds my sister gave me last year

look at all the cute decorations