My favourite holiday of the year was here : Kleeschen / St Nicolas / Nikolo / Nikolaus / Sint Niklaas ! Whatever you call it - I still think this day is magic!
As a kid, Kleeschen always came to our house in the evening of the 5th. Family and friends gathered at my parent's house - we sang songs as loud as possible until HE showed up. After his arrival, everybody went very serious - he told us to behave better and be nicer to our siblings (well that's what he told me every year and what I remember)! At the very end of his visit, he handed out the gifts!
On the 6th, it is kid's holiday in Luxembourg - so no school until you are 12 and you have all day to play , eat mandarines, nuts and sweets!
This year was the very first time I took Léonore to see St Nick. Since the Italians do not celebrate my favourite holiday, we joined our Austrian friends, Klara and her son Matteo for the celebration at the Austrian community centre. I must say St Nick with a Viennese accent is even more charming!
Léonore was very impressed by the old Saint and she was the only one crying, of the 50 something kids, when she got up close to him to get her bag of goodies.
I must say I was less impressed by the old Saint - not by himself perse but I realised if only a handful of European countries are celebrating Kleeschen, it is not that difficult to reach all the kids in one night - opposed to go around the whole world what I imagined when I was little!
Léonore with her bag of goodies from St Nick!
When we got home, Léonore helped me to bake my favourite baked goods of the season - Boxemännecher ! Living abroad makes me miss these yeast dough / brioche like buddies even more! I found the recipe here! Enjoy!
