Eating St. Nicolas' Elbow

This weekend is the HUGE celebration of St. Nicolas here in Nancy. St. Nicolas is the saint of La Lorraine, of children and something else...I can't remember what. Apparently, a butcher cut some children up (when I asked why, my French story-tellers shrugged and didn't seem to think it was important. I know it's a legend, but seriously, WHY?) and St. Nicolas sewed them back together and they came to life.

I find this children's story gruesome. And weird. But the children love this holiday here in the Lorraine (it isn't celebrated in western France) and it used to be bigger than Christmas! Now they're about the same. Children get chocolate St. Nicolas's the mornng of the 6th and lots of other goodies too. They're selling man-shaped bread right now in the bakeries. Must admit, I don't quite get it, but am happy to eat the chocolate St. Nicolas that Natalie and Pedro left on my doorstep. At the beginning of this blog I was eating his elbow...now he has no head and his torso is falling fast.

Last night went to the most amazing fireworks show I've ever seen! It was soooo amazing. I realize I've never actually seen fireworks outside the context of the 4th of July. This was so different...magical and cute and beautiful. There was classical music played along to the fireworks, and everybody standing together in the huge, old square called Place Stanislas. And they made snow and had glitter in the air that they then put lights on to make it look like fairydust. I was grinning like a 3 year old the whole time. It was sheer happiness.

Must go. Must finish my chocolate St. Nicolas. And then there's a parade this afternoon. I kinda like Chrismas in Nancy. Though can't wait to come home for Christmas. 12 days!