Last week the Year 8 and Year 9 German classes have been learning about Nikolaustag - St Nicholas’ Day which occurs on December 6th.

This is an exciting day in the calendar for children in German speaking countries as it marks the beginning of Advent and of course, the Christmas season. On the night of December 5th, children in German speaking countries thoroughly clean and polish a boot or shoe. The foot wear is left out on a window sill or at the front door overnight in the hope that Sankt Nikolaus will fill them with treats. Traditionally, this included oranges, nuts, sweets, chocolate coins or a small toy or book for the well behaved children and a lump of coal or a stick for the not so well behaved children - sound familiar?

Both classes coloured in and created shoes from a paper template. Year 8 received Gummibärchen - gummy bears - and Lebkuchen - gingerbread - to fill their shoes for an early St Nicholas treat. The Year 9 class received Gummibärchen for their shoes too.

Year 9 also compared and contrasted Christmas traditions here and in Germany. One aspect, which was particularly enjoyed was icing and decorating their own Plätzchen - Christmas biscuits. Plätzchen are perhaps the most quintessential part of the German-speaking Christmas tradition, defining the sights, smells, and activities of the Advent season. This was a delicious and culturally fitting way to wrap up the Middle School German curriculum for the year.