December 5

December 5 is remembered through the Saint Nicholas celebration attended by the young Van Glecks. Its clearest role in the account is as a point of reference: a later gathering on the ice brings the earlier appearance of the saint back to mind and invites a mistaken identification.

The Saint Nicholas Celebration

The narrative recalls the young Van Glecks seeing Saint Nicholas on December 5. The evidence identifies the date through that remembered encounter, rather than supplying further details about the celebration or establishing its year.

A Later Reminder

At a skating gathering, a gentleman among the spectators somewhat resembles the Saint Nicholas the young Van Glecks had seen on December 5. The resemblance is limited: unlike the saint, the gentleman has a smooth face, and the narrator notes that he is not as large around the body. Those differences resolve the comparison—the gentleman is not Saint Nicholas—and make the remembered celebration a small but distinct measure of recognition.