Sarah Mitchell
Saint Nicholas, also known as Nikolaos of Myra, was a fourth-century saint and Greek bishop of Myra, a city in modern-day Turkey. He is widely venerated in the Orthodox Church and among Catholics of the Eastern rites, particularly in Central and Northern Europe. Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of several groups, including sailors, merchants, and children, and is celebrated on his feast day, December 6th, especially by children. His reputation for secret gift-giving and performing miracles has led to his association with Santa Claus (Saint Nick) in popular folklore. While his historical details are scarce, various legends emphasize his generosity and goodness, such as the story of the three bags of gold, which is the origin of gift-giving on St. Nicholas Day.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 6 December |
| Who celebrates it? | Catholics, Orthodox Christians, and Episcopalians. Also popular in the Midwest, especially Wisconsin. |
| Traditions | Children leave shoes, boots, or stockings out to be filled with treats and small gifts. |
| Children in Poland and Ukraine put presents under their pillows. | |
| Children in the Netherlands and Belgium put out a shoe filled with hay and a carrot for Saint Nicholas' horse. | |
| In some places, Saint Nicholas is dressed like a bishop and rides a horse. | |
| Saint Nicholas | Patron saint of Russia, Greece, and children. |
| Known for his generosity. |
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What You'll Learn
St. Nicholas Day traditions
St. Nicholas Day, celebrated on December 6, is a holiday that is observed in many Catholic churches, as well as Orthodox and Episcopal churches. The day celebrates Saint Nicholas, a 4th-century bishop and the patron saint of Russia, Greece, sailors, and children. He is known for his generosity, especially towards those in need, and his legend formed the basis for the modern-day Santa Claus. Here are some traditions associated with St. Nicholas Day:
Leaving Shoes Out for Gifts
A common tradition is for children to leave their shoes or boots by the fireplace or door on the evening of December 5. The next morning, they wake up to find their shoes filled with small gifts like coins, candies, and oranges. The coins signify the dowry St. Nicholas provided to girls in need, while the oranges represent the gold he gave to the poor.
Gift-Giving and Checking on Children's Behaviour
In some countries, St. Nicholas or a fellow dressed as him arrives by boat or horse and goes from town to town, checking on children's behaviour and giving gifts to those who have been good. In Germany and Poland, boys dress as bishops and beg alms for the poor. In Slovenia and Croatia, St. Nicholas or his equivalent visits children on his day, rewarding good behaviour and exhorting children to continue being good.
Food Traditions
Spicy ginger cookies, known as speculaas or Sinterklaas cookies, are often baked in the shape of St. Nicholas. In Albania, the eve of St. Nicholas Day is marked by abstaining from meat and preparing a feast of roasted lamb and pork, served to guests after midnight.
Acts of Kindness
St. Nicholas Day is also about imitating the saint's legacy of kindness and generosity. People may anonymously help those in need, such as by donating gifts or paying utility bills for those in financial hardship.
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Saint Nicholas' generosity
Saint Nicholas, also known as Saint Nicholas of Myra, was a fourth-century bishop from modern-day Turkey. He is widely celebrated for his generosity, which has inspired gift-giving traditions around the world.
Saint Nicholas is said to have had a profound understanding of Jesus's ministry and the importance of serving the physical and material needs of others. He is especially known for his generosity towards children. One famous story involves a widowed father who could not afford dowries for his three daughters, putting them at risk of being sold into slavery. Saint Nicholas is said to have thrown bags of gold coins through the window on three separate nights, providing the dowries and saving the daughters from their fate. This story inspired the tradition of children leaving stockings or shoes out for Saint Nicholas to fill with gifts and treats.
Saint Nicholas Day is celebrated annually on December 6, particularly in Catholic, Orthodox, and Episcopal churches. The eve of his feast day is marked with various traditions, including children leaving their shoes out in front of the fireplace, eagerly awaiting small gifts, coins, and treats from Saint Nicholas. This day is especially popular in certain regions of the United States, such as Wisconsin, where the holiday spirit is palpable.
Saint Nicholas is also the patron saint of Russia, Greece, and children. His generosity and compassion have left an enduring legacy, with his legend merging with various cultural traditions to create the beloved figure of Santa Claus.
Saint Nicholas's example of generosity and care for the less fortunate continues to inspire people to spread joy and give to those in need, embodying the true spirit of giving.
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Saint Nicholas' popularity in different countries
Saint Nicholas, or Nicholas of Myra, is one of the most popular saints in the Eastern and Western churches. He is now traditionally associated with the festival of Christmas. Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of multiple countries, cities, and professions.
Albania
Saint Nicholas, known as Shen'Kollë, is venerated by most Catholic families in Albania, even those from villages devoted to other saints. On the eve of his feast day, which falls on December 6, Albanians light a candle and abstain from meat, preparing a feast to be served to guests after midnight.
Greece
Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of Greece.
Russia
Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of Russia.
Germany
In Germany, Saint Nicholas Day is celebrated with children placing their shoes in the foyer for Saint Nicholas to deliver presents. In Northern German folklore, Nicholas is portrayed as being accompanied by Knecht Ruprecht, who inquires about the children's prayers.
Poland
In Poland, children wait for St. Nicholas to come and put a present under their pillows, provided they were good during the year.
Ukraine
The same tradition is followed in Ukraine.
Netherlands and Belgium
In the Netherlands and Belgium, children put out a shoe filled with hay and a carrot for Saint Nicholas' horse.
United States
In the United States, Saint Nicholas Day is celebrated in cities with strong German influences, such as Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Cincinnati, Ohio. One custom associated with the day is children leaving their shoes out for Saint Nicholas to fill with treats.
Lebanon
Saint Nicholas is celebrated by all Christian communities in Lebanon, including Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Armenian communities.
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Saint Nicholas' tomb
Saint Nicholas, also known as St. Nick, was a Greek Christian bishop born in the third century in Asia Minor, modern-day Turkey. He is known for his generosity, especially to the poor, and is revered as the patron saint of children and sailors. The legend of Santa Claus is inspired by Saint Nicholas, with the name deriving from the Dutch nickname for Saint Nicholas, "Sinter Klaas".
The location of Saint Nicholas's tomb has been a subject of debate and intrigue for centuries. The Church of St. Nicholas in Demre, Antalya, Turkey, is believed to have been built over his original burial site. Recent excavations at this site have revealed a limestone sarcophagus that may belong to Saint Nicholas. The sarcophagus was discovered within the church's two-story annex, measuring approximately two meters in length and buried at a depth of 1.5 to 2 meters. It features a raised lid and a pitched roof, consistent with burial styles of the region. The discovery of this sarcophagus is significant as it lends credibility to the theory that this was the saint's original resting place.
However, the whereabouts of Saint Nicholas's body have been a mystery, with various churches across the world claiming to possess relics of the saint. It is believed that in the 11th century, his bones were stolen and taken to the Basilica di San Nicola in Bari, Italy, with additional remains transported to Venice during the First Crusade. Scientific studies in 1953 confirmed that bones from both Bari and Venice belonged to the same individual, but it could not be conclusively determined if they were indeed Saint Nicholas's remains.
The Basilica of St. Nicholas in Bari, Italy, has one of the strongest claims to Saint Nicholas's final resting place. It is said that during the takeover of the Turkish region by the Muslim Seljuks in 1087, merchants from Myra moved the bones to Bari. A few bones were also reportedly taken to Venice, and further remains may have ended up in various other locations, including a church in Newtown Jerpoint, Ireland, and even a church in Virginia, in the United States.
The discovery of the sarcophagus in Turkey and the ongoing research efforts provide important archaeological insights into the life and burial place of Saint Nicholas. While the contents of the sarcophagus remain to be fully determined, the findings have sparked interest and excitement among historians and devotees of Saint Nicholas alike.
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Saint Nicholas' portrayal in folklore
Saint Nicholas, also known as Nicholas of Myra, was a 4th-century Greek Christian bishop of Myra (now Demre) in the region of Lycia in the Roman Empire, today in Turkey. He is said to have been born in 270 and died in 343. Saint Nicholas is a popular subject in Eastern Orthodox icons, especially in Russia and Serbia. He is often depicted wearing the omophorion and holding a Gospel Book, sometimes wearing the Eastern Orthodox mitre and sometimes bareheaded. In some depictions, Christ is shown over his left shoulder holding out a Gospel Book to him, and the Theotokos is shown over his right shoulder holding the omophorion. Given his patronage of mariners, he is also sometimes shown standing in a boat or rescuing drowning sailors.
Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors, merchants, archers, repentant thieves, children, brewers, pawnbrokers, toymakers, unmarried people, and students in various cities and countries around Europe. He is especially popular among Greeks and Italians, and is the patron saint of several coastal cities. In Greek folklore, he is seen as "The Lord of the Sea", a Christianized version of Poseidon. He is also the patron saint of Russia, Greece, and children.
Saint Nicholas is a legendary figure in European folklore, known for his generosity and gift-giving. On Saint Nicholas Day, celebrated on December 6, children leave their shoes or boots out overnight, waiting for Saint Nicholas to fill them with gifts. Children who have been good may wake up to find treats such as coins, candy, and oranges, while those who have misbehaved may find only a twig or a piece of coal. In some traditions, Saint Nicholas is accompanied by a devil or monster, such as Krampus or Knecht Ruprecht, who scares bad children into being good.
The legend of Saint Nicholas has influenced the modern figure of Santa Claus, who is often portrayed as a jolly, white-bearded man in a red coat and hat, bringing gifts on Christmas Eve. The popular conception of Santa Claus is an amalgamation of various ethnic holiday traditions, including the folkloric traditions surrounding Saint Nicholas, the English figure of Father Christmas, and Odin's role during the Yuletide period.
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Frequently asked questions
St. Nick, or Saint Nicholas, is a unifying figure among Catholics and Orthodox Christians. He is also celebrated in many parts of Central and Northern Europe, especially by children.
St. Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors, merchants, archers, repentant thieves, children, brewers, pawnbrokers, toymakers, unmarried people, and students.
St. Nicholas is known for his generosity to the poor. One famous legend tells of a widowed merchant whose business went bankrupt. Nicholas threw bags of gold coins through the merchant's window on three consecutive nights, providing dowries for his three unmarried daughters.
There is a grisly legend that during a famine in Myra, three young boys were killed and brined in a wooden barrel to be sold as "ham". St. Nicholas worked a miracle, bringing the pickled children back to life.
There is debate over the location of St. Nicholas's burial. In 2009, the Turkish government requested the return of his skeletal remains from Italy, asserting that they were illegally removed from his episcopal town. In 2024, a sarcophagus possibly holding his remains was found in a church in Demre, Turkey.
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