“Have you heard about Christmas?” I ask my students while introducing my St. Nicholas lesson. In the first four classes, the dumb stare was popular. In the fifth class, a few people said a few words such as “Santa, gifts, Christmas tree.” Then in class 6, everyone said, “OF COURSE!” So I asked “Tell me what you know.” A few students were able to say a sentence or two, “Eat turkey.” “Apples.” (I don’t know why the Chinese think apples are so important as a gift at Christmas, but they do.) “I know about the star on top of the tree.” “People give gifts.” Then, my “star” student stood up. I usually call on him after everyone else has had a chance. I will quote him as I remember his words, perhaps not exactly.
“The God wanted to come to earth, so he spoke to this girl named Maria and told her she would have a baby. She was engaged to a guy Joseph who was very angry when he found out she was pregnant and he wanted to —how shall I say this? ( I said, divorce) something like that, yes. But God talked to him in a dream and said, ‘This is ok. This baby is mine.’ So, they went to Bethlehem and the baby was born there. Then the king was jealous, because people said the baby was a king, so he killed all the babies in that area, so Joseph and Maria had to escape and the baby was ok. Now the calendar used to be only 365 days, they didn’t know about leap year when we have an extra day. So when the king of the Church in Rome (the Pope, I said) yes, his name was Gregory, he changed the calendar to allow for the leap year, so this is why December 25 is Christmas day.”
The young man had his mouth open ready to go on, but as I was probably the only person in the room who had any idea what he was talking about, I said “Thank you, Nate, excellent,” and went on with my presentation about St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, 270—353 AD. Nate had set us up for the calendar part AD and BC, so that went more smoothly than in the other classes.

I ask you, dear reader, do you know a 13 year old child who could give such an account? How about that calendar note, though? And how about IN A SECOND LANGUAGE? Would that I could be so effective a teacher as Nate’s previous teachers have been. I am honored to be his teacher now.