Five Things to Know Today, Dec. 6

Welcome to Tuesday and St. Nicholas Day. Here are some things to know about today.

The weather: Rain is likely today, with an 80 percent chance of precipitation. The high will be about 63 degrees. We may have showers tonight, too, and the low will be around 53 degrees.

Gas prices: Prices in Lilburn for a gallon of regular reported to www.georgiagasprices.com in the past 24 hours ranged from $3.14 (at Shell, 5474 Lawrenceville Hwy at Rockbridge Road) to $3.29 ( at Murphy USA, 3950 Lawrenceville Hwy near Lester Road). The average price in Georgia is $3.193, and in the U.S., it's $3.276, according to AAA.

Saint Nicholas: People in many European countries and descendants of Europeans celebrate St. Nicholas Day today. It honors a 4th century Greek bishop whose name and exploits helped lay the basis for the anglicized version we know as Santa Claus. This is a day when children get sweets and small treats, and in some countries there will be a parade, storytelling, or a school visit by Nicholas. In Germany and some other places, children put out a specially cleaned shoe the night before and wake up to find their treats inside. Or, if they were bad, a stick or lump of coal. Legend has it the gift-giving comes from an act by the original Nicholas, who heard of a poor man with three daughters who couldn't afford dowries. One night Nicholas crept to their house and threw three bags of money over the wall into their courtyard, allowing the girls to marry.

Life before digital. Remember records? That was at least three technologies back, when music was confined to scratch-prone discs that you had to get up and turn over halfway through. Well, before that, in the beginning, there was Thomas Edison and his recordable cylinders. He made his first recording on this day in 1877, reciting "Mary had a little lamb." And that little children's ditty led to all those piles of LPs, CDs, cassette tapes, and who knows, maybe 8-tracks?, in your attic.

Action. Seniors can load up on activities hosted by the county parks department, including recreation clubs that meet this week at park activity centers at Mountain Park, Bethesda Park and Pinckneyville Park. There's also a full monthly calendar of things like bingo, canasta and bridge, as well as tai chi, yoga and softball. What's your preference?