The event comprises four hours of traditional holiday activities for children, including a tree lighting ceremony, gingerbread house making, puppet show and traditional holiday songs. Children will also have the opportunity to add their names to the Saint Nikolaus book of names that keeps the name and age of every child who has visited St. Nikolaus since 1985.

The Old-World St. Nikolaus is celebrated on Dec. 6 in German-speaking countries and in Holland and Belgium as well, where he will go from house to house in the evening, and reward good children with little gifts. He may be followed by a Krampus or a Ruprecht who may dole out switches to those children who misbehaved during the year.

Tickets for this family event can be bought in advance at athfound.org. All proceeds from this fundraising benefit will go toward the care and maintenance of the historic Athenaeum.