A friend of mine posted a link to an article on FaceBook that I think you will enjoy. It details 4 Holiday facts that you didn't know about Albany, and I found it particularly fascinating! Even if one is not interested in the Capital Region, you probably would be astounded at the etiology of these 4 traditions. Below please find an excerpt of the article:
The fable surrounding the origin of "a baker's dozen" places it's beginning to a successful bakery owned by Baas [Boss] Volckert Jan Pietersen Van Amsterdam in present day Albany. Each year around December 6 when the Dutch celebrate Saint Nicholas Day, Van Amsterdam baked fine gingerbread cookies that resembled Saint Nicholas.When an elderly customer insisted that thirteen cookies made up a dozen, Van Amsterdam refused, and exactingly gave her twelve. Soon after, his bakery started losing customers and his business began to fail. Only when the customer returned and her request was granted by Van Amsterdam did his luck change for the better. He continued this practice to safeguard against future bad luck. In fact, Van Amsterdam grew so wealthy that the other bakers in town began doing the same. From there, the practice spread to other towns, and at last through all the American colonies.
Read the full article HERE.
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