Saint Nicholas
"The giver of every good and perfect gift has called upon us to mimic God's giving, by grace, through faith, and this is not of ourselves"
- St Nicholas, Bishop of Myra
Feast Day: Dec 6
EAT This
Make this recipe together
St Nicholas Cookies
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Yield: Makes 4 dozen cookies
Time: 12 minutes baking
Description: simple holiday spice cookies with almonds
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Sift flour with spices in bowl. Add baking powder and salt; set aside.
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In large bowl of electric mixer, at high speed, beat butter with sugar and egg until mixture is very light and fluffy.
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With wooden spoon, stir in half of flour mixture, then beat in rest of flour mixture and almonds, mixing with hands, if necessary.
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Refrigerate dough, covered, several hours.
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Preheat oven to 350°F Lightly grease several cookie sheets.
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Remove 1/4 of the dough at a time from the refrigerator. With hand, flatten dough or roll out to 1/8-inch thick. Cut with cookie cutter.
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Repeat with rest of dough, 1/4 at a time. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown around edges.
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Remove cookies to wire rack; cool completely.
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Dust lightly with icing sugar. Store cookies in covered container.
Ingredients:
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3 cups all-purpose flour
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1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
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1 teaspoon ground cloves
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1 teaspoon ground ginger
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1⁄8 teaspoon baking powder
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1⁄8 teaspoon salt
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1⁄4 cup light brown sugar, packed
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1 egg
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1⁄2 cup blanched almond, sliced
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PRAY This
Pray this prayer together
1. Light your Advent wreath for the appropriate week
For information on Advent wreaths and a wreath blessing, click here.
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2. Share something you would each like to pray for
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3. Pray the St Nicholas Prayer
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God of joy and cheer,
we thank you for your servant,
the good bishop Nicholas.
In loving the poor,
he showed us your kindness;
in caring for your children,
he revealed your love.
Make us thoughtful
without need of reward
so that we, too, may be good followers of Jesus.
Amen
WATCH This
Watch this movie together
As you eat your St Nicholas Cookies, watch the film:
Nicholas, the Boy who became Santa.
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Available at: Amazon ; Formed.org
Movie Run Time: 27 min
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Description:
Nicholas was still a young child when he discovered a very special secret that changed his life forever. It was the gift of giving, by which he brought happiness to many people. Nevertheless, in sharing this gift, Nicholas had to face many dangers.
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Here is the fascinating story of the boy whose love and care for others make him one of the most popular figures of all times. Today, more than sixteen centuries later, the entire world celebrates the kindness and generosity of the man we call Santa Claus.
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Based on historical facts and traditions, Nicholas: The Boy Who Became Santa, is the beautifully animated film worth watching all year long.
DISCUSS This
Share together as a family
After watching the movie, use any of the following questions to share as a family.
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1. How did Nicholas come to know who Jesus was?
2. How did Nicholas respond to the soldiers? How would you have responded?
3. Why do you think Nicholas was always trying to help people in his town?
4. How did Nicholas keep the faith when he was imprisoned?
5. How can we be generous and give to others like Nicholas did?