Bill,  THANK YOU FOR SENDING THAT OUT!    All of the celebrations you have noted are exactly as my dad's family celebrated!

     I do remember dad saying many times that on St. Nicholas Day all the children in their family (10) would get a rock or potato in their shoe as well as little candies or a cookie.  My dad and his brothers were pretty ornery so the girls would usually get a little potato or a smaller rock along with their piece of candy.  My mom and dad then carried on that tradition but incorporated it with our Christmas stockings on Christmas Eve night.

    There were a few times I and one of my other sisters received a potato instead of an orange and candy in our stockings like our other sisters had in their stockings.  I've also done the same for my children.  There were some times when the kids were smaller that we'd talk about St. Nicholas Day and I'd have my kids put their shoes outside their door and the next day they'd find a piece of candy.  My Sara found a couple of Hershey kisses in her shoes just this last week because I remembered about the custom on December 6th. 

 

I'm sure I'll see you beforehand, but, if not - have a very Merry Christmas!