Traditions in December

Today is the feast of St. Nicholas.  When my kids were little, and sometimes still, they would put their shoes out on the night before St. Nick's Day (Dec. 5) and their shoes would be filled with candy and a small Christmas themed toy or decoration. Now that they're grown, St. Nicholas Day festivities seem to only happen at school, where each student puts out one shoe.

My son and granddaughter Carly have their own tradition.  They adopted an elf on a shelf.  Her name is Sparkle.

What ever happened to advent Calendars?  As a kid, I remember getting them in church - the paper kind that you opened a door each day and it revealed a surprise.  When I became a mother, I purchased a more permanent one, made of fest with pockets.  Each of the 25 pockets held an ornament that was placed on the tree above it. (It large and I hung it on a door.)