La Croque Madame [lah croak mahdam]: Happy Saint Nicolas Day!

Bonjour tout le monde!
Today is the 6th December, in France that is Saint Nicolas Day. Primarily celebrated in the eastern part of France, the day is for the children. Often they will put a shoe out by the fireplace, where it will either be filled with candies for the good children, or coal for the bad ones. In Alsace and Lorraine, Saint Nicolas is often accompanied by the Père Fouettard, who has a whip for the bad kiddies.
I loved to celebrate this day when I was in the classroom, although I must admit that it would often sneak up on me. I usually reserved the tradition for my upper division classes, in the vain hope that the students would take French 4 just for the food, but of course that wasn't it. One year, I had a small Christmas tree thanks to my good math teacher friend, Mr. Hagopian. I told my AP class to make sure to bring a shoe to put by the tree. Naturally a couple of them forgot a shoe, so I had my "emergency car tennis shoes" on hand and that made it just perfect! While they took a test (hey, Saint Nicolas day only goes so far on the test calendar), I filled the shoes with a bag of candy that I had put together the night before. It was pretty fun.
The Christmas holidays last a long time in France, and the 6th of December is just the start. The different dates include Christmas Eve, celebrated with a midnight mass followed by a meal (Reveillon or Gros Souper) and the adults exchange small presents. The 25th is a quiet day, after all, there is no Christmas Day football on the television!
December 31 is the Saint Sylvestre, a time to thank those who perform services for you. Little envelopes containing a small cash gift are given to the butcher, baker, even sometimes the firemen! Of course there is a party with champagne to bring in the New Year.
Last year, my husband and I were fortunate enough to spend time in Paris between Christmas and New Years. We had a great time wandering around the city, which was decorated with lights and even Christmas trees in seemingly random spots. It was crisp, cool, and wonderful. Down the Champs-Elysées there was a Christmas Fair selling all sorts of cool things that couldn't fit into my suitcase, plus lots and lots of fun stuff to eat, including "barbe a papa", or cotton candy. The streets were filled with families out to see the sights; it was so very nice. On New Year's Eve, our group went to Bouillon-Chartier, a traditional restaurant, for a fun and very delicious meal. You should try this place (http://www.bouillon-chartier.com) but if you're a vegetarian, it is not the place for you.
So, enjoy the start to the holiday season! There is still time to put your shoes next to the fireplace for Saint Nicolas; fill them with candy and enjoy the small pleasures. Make gingerbread houses, or perhaps just eat the cookies and pretend that you made the house. Have friends over to help you decorate the tree, or maybe just have them over for some wine while you admire the tree. Whatever you do for this holiday, have a great time with friends and family. And don't forget football :)
Joyeux Noel.