St. Nicholas' Day in Edan

  As we approach Advent and Christmas we also approach the Feast of St. Nicholas, a 3rd class feast and a favorite of the Royal Family. Quite a bit of tradition has grown up around this day, the 6th of December, in Edan. What follows is how the Royal Family typically celebrates this day.
  At bedtime on the night of December 5th all the princes place their shoes on the hearth and then each prince places a single carrot into one of his shoes. Once the princes are asleep the King and Queen also go off to bed.
  In the morning the princes awake to find that St. Nicholas' horse has eaten all the carrots (leaving behind just a few small nibbles) and that St. Nicholas has filled the shoes with candy! The saint has also left each prince a small toy or two and a book.
  This is usually the first day that Christmas music is played in the royal household. Throughout the day the family speaks of the coming of Christmas and the meaning of charity. That night after dinner the King reads from the bible about Our Lady and St. Joseph travelling to Bethlehem in preparation for the birth of Christ and everyone enjoys some egg nog before bed.