20 november

Saint Nicholas comes to Ukraine before Santa Claus comes to America. So, before you feel bad about all of those Ukrainian kids having to wait a few extra weeks for Ukrainian Christmas to come after American Christmas (Wait, what? Yes.), relax. Saint Nicholas comes early enough in December that kids can take it easy.

Saint Nicholas, however, and select parent helpers, have quite a challenge: presents left by Saint Nicholas are left not under a tree but in that most convenient of places favored by the tooth fairy—under a sleeping child’s pillow. What? It’s one thing to slide a tooth out from under a pillow and slip a quarter or some other money or small gift back in its place, but Saint Nicholas brings legit presents.

Let’s return to Ivan/ John the Fabulous, son of Oksana the Creative and Bob the Hilarious for more on this holiday.

 

While Ivan is generally a good little boy, no child wants to take any chances prior to a holiday in which there is a potential to receive gifts. Therefore, he took great pains to draw attention to his being-good-ness in the weeks preceding Saint Nicholas Day. Having recently made the move to a big-boy bed, he regularly announced his retirement to said bed without prompting or fuss, please note, bade good night to his parents, and marched off to bed. In bed, he counted off softly aloud from one to five and pressed together his pinkies, ring fingers, middle fingers, pointers, index fingers, and then thumbs, finally inserting his hands below his head on his pillow in the perfect pre-sleep formation. This, indeed, was a little boy ready to be rewarded.

When the big day came, Oksana and her mother-in-law were sitting in the room outside of Ivan’s, with his door open just far enough so that they could see him when he woke up. When he did wake, she saw his eyes flutter, then fly open, then flutter to slightly shut again, as if to simulate uncertain wakefulness. Perhaps Ivan was not ready to be awake just yet. Then, however, she saw one little hand slip between his pillow and head to just under his pillow. This exploratory hand reached around, feeling all of the space beneath the pillow, feeling… nothing? His eyelids still flickering, mostly shut, Ivan’s expression changed from feigned sleep to rising concern. Suddenly, realizing its mission was a failure, Ivan’s exploring hand returned, empty, and his eyes and body clenched quickly shut. It was as if by imagining that he had never woken up he could start the whole process again. If he hadn’t woken up yet, Saint Nicholas couldn’t have come yet. If Saint Nicholas hadn’t had the chance to come, he still might come.

Concerned, Oksana started to get up, but she needn’t have bothered. The sudden movement of her son’s body had moved his pillow just enough that it had bumped into something just behind it, something wrapped in crinkly cellophane. In his heightened state of intensely fake sleep, Ivan heard this, bolted up, and noticed the pile of presents just beyond his pillow.

“Mom! Mom! Saint Nicholas came!” he yelled, far past relief and straight on through to joy.