St. Nikolaus at Rella’s Spielhaus — A Tradition That Travels Through the Week

At Rella’s Spielhaus, traditions rarely arrive all at once. They unfold. They repeat. They take on different shapes depending on who is present, how old the children are, and what the moment allows. St. Nikolaus is one of those traditions — not a single event on the calendar, but a gentle thread woven through the first days of December.

This year, that thread moved through our daycare, our Saturday School, and our community gathering on Sunday, December 7th. Sometimes St. Nikolaus came in person. Sometimes he didn’t. And sometimes, he was already there — in the quiet anticipation, in the careful crafting, in the shared understanding of what this season means.

When St. Nikolaus Comes to Daycare

For our youngest children, St. Nikolaus arrived softly and with great care. The daycare visit was shaped by calm excitement and age-appropriate wonder — not by spectacle, but by presence.

When St. Nikolaus finally appeared, the room filled with that unmistakable mixture of curiosity and awe that only very young children bring to such moments. There were wide eyes, careful observations, and a quiet seriousness that felt almost ceremonial. For many of the children, this was their first encounter with St. Nikolaus — and we made sure it was grounded, reassuring, and gentle.

Each child received a small gift, accepted with great focus and concentration — sometimes shyly, sometimes with visible pride. What mattered most here was not the gift itself, but the shared moment surrounding it: being together, listening, and experiencing something special as a group. In this way, St. Nikolaus became less a character and more a shared experience — one rooted in trust, familiarity, and collective attention.

When St. Nikolaus Does Not Come

At our Saturday School on December 6th, St. Nikolaus did not come in person. And that, too, was intentional. Instead, the morning was devoted to preparation, imagination, and hands-on creativity. The children gathered for songs on the carpet — including “Lasst uns froh und munter sein” — moved their bodies, played rhythm instruments (with particular enthusiasm for the little glockenspiels), and then transitioned to arts and crafts. We painted, glued, and created, using watercolors and stickers to bring our ideas to life — not as a substitute for a visit, but as a different way of engaging with the tradition.

At Rella’s, we do not measure the value of a tradition by whether someone “shows up.” Sometimes, the meaning lies in what we do while waiting — and sometimes, quite simply, in the making. Through crafting, the children explored the idea of St. Nikolaus in a way that belonged fully to them. They asked questions. They shared what they already knew. They imagined. They remembered. In doing so, St. Nikolaus became something they carried with them — not someone they passively receive.

This approach reflects a core belief of our Saturday School and our German language program more broadly: that traditions grow deeper when children are invited to participate actively, to shape meaning with their own hands, and to experience continuity across years. Even without a visit, St. Nikolaus was very present that morning — in the focused quiet at the craft table, in the proud showing of finished work, and in the shared understanding that this season is about more than one moment.

A Community Comes Together on Sunday

On Sunday, December 7th, St. Nikolaus arrived once more — this time for our broader Rella’s community. Parents were present, children between one and four years old filled the room, and the atmosphere felt noticeably different from earlier in the week: fuller, warmer, and distinctly communal.

Two craft tables invited families to create together. There were coloring templates, ornaments to color, and felt ornaments to assemble — hands busy, conversations flowing, and siblings occasionally helping one another. When St. Nikolaus appeared, each child again received a small gift, accepted with that same mixture of excitement and seriousness we had already seen earlier in the week.

Here, St. Nikolaus was not just visiting children; he was visiting a community. Parents smiled at familiar moments, children watched one another closely, and the room carried the warmth that comes from seeing a tradition repeated year after year. Songs, words, and gestures felt known — and that familiarity created a sense of belonging that extends far beyond a single event. And yes — just like earlier in the week, St. Nikolaus gently reminded a few children to listen carefully, and encouraged others to be brave and try new foods. Even St. Nikolaus, it seems, knows that these small life lessons belong naturally in early childhood.

One Tradition, Many Shapes

Looking back at this week, it becomes clear that St. Nikolaus at Rella’s Spielhaus is not defined by one visit or one day. He appears in different forms — sometimes quietly, sometimes visibly, sometimes through hands busy with glue, paper, and felt. What ties these moments together is intention. Preparation. Repetition. Care. At Rella’s, traditions are not performances. They are lived experiences, shaped by the needs of the children and the rhythm of the community. St. Nikolaus reminds us that generosity is not loud, that anticipation can be just as meaningful as arrival, and that shared rituals help children feel anchored in time and place — even far from where these traditions began.

As December continues, we carry these moments with us. Not as isolated memories, but as part of a larger story — one that unfolds each year, in many small and meaningful ways.