GMTS Newsletter: St. Nick explained

Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2012

There are many – shall we say – interesting things about the Tri-State that you learn only upon moving here.

Only out-of-towners call the city or the school “Cincy.”

“Please” means “excuse me.”

A three-way isn’t what you think.

"Dutchy" means predictably, symmetrically old school. And it does not mean you’re from The Netherlands.

And then there’s St. Nicholas Day. Or St. Nick Night or whatever. I’m still a bit confused, but thanks to my knowledgeable friends on Facebook, I’m a little more informed.

Let’s start at the beginning. I’m a Southern Protestant. I was born and raised on mild fire and brimstone, hopping over the course of my adolescence from one church to another. In fact, I’ve pretty much covered the gamut of Protestantism, which is why I can say this:

I had never heard of St. Nick Night until moving here.

And outside of this area, and other predominantly Catholic/German areas, no one else has either. It’s in the same category with “please” and three-ways.

I’ve gotten bits and pieces of what St. Nick is all about over the years, but hadn’t really learned the whole story until today.

These days, you have two choices when it comes to finding stuff out: Google it, or put it on Facebook.

I did both. But the Facebook comments were the most helpful.

First of all, it’s not necessarily a Catholic thing. It does appear, though, to be a German thing. And in these parts, if you’re not one, you’re the other. Or you’re a transplant.

It involves kids putting out their stockings or shoes so that St. Nick can fill them. With what, you ask?

There seems to be some constants: oranges and nuts.

(OK, now this orange-in-the-stocking-thing I’ve heard of before.)

Sometimes, kids get chocolate coins to represent St. Nick giving to the poor. Basically, stocking stuffers.

So there you have it. St Nick: Explained. I’ll let you know when the E! True Hollywood Story comes out.

From Today’s Show:

-How Does This Happen?: An Australian radio host called the hospital where Kate Middleton is staying, and pretended to be the Queen . A nurse bought it and shared private information with her.

-Not What You Would Call a “Steel”: On the heels of a $7 cup of coffee offered in some locations, Starbucks has outdone itself. It’s creating a $400 gift card made of steel. The card costs $450, though, because of the cost of actually making the card. Oh, and Starbucks is only making 5,000 of them. Only.

-UC Flunks PR: So says John Popovich. This is a must read , regardless of your opinion.

Today’s Distracting Link:

I have to contain my excitement. A new word game.

http://dynamo.dictionary.com/