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Dec 5, 2023 · La fête de la Saint Nicolas (Saint Nicholas Day) is inspired by Bishop Nicolas of Myra who was born in the third century in what is present-day Turkey. The bishop was known for protecting children, widows, and vulnerable people, and for being a kind and generous man.
- Saint Nicholas Day: The Feast of Sinterklaas. At the beginning of the Advent season is St. Nicholas Day (December 6—or December 19 on the Julian calendar).
- Saint Nicholas Traditions. You may find it interesting that some of our Santa Claus traditions truly came from St. Nicholas Day. If your children are confused about Santa Claus, perhaps tell them the story of St. Nicholas who was a real saint who bestowed gifts onto others to demonstrate his faith.
- When Is St. Nicholas Day? Year. St. Nicholas Day. 2020. Sunday, December 6. 2021. Monday, December 6. 2022. Tuesday, December 6.
- St. Nicholas History: Who Was the Real St. Nicholas? In the 3rd century, in the village of Patara in Turkey (part of Greece in those days), a wealthy couple gave birth to a boy they named Nicholas.
Dec 6, 2023 · WHEN IS ST. NICHOLAS DAY CELEBRATED? St. Nicholas Day is celebrated every year on Dec. 6, typically by filling the stockings and shoes children leave out overnight with sweets and toys.
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St. Nicholas Day, feast day (December 6) of St. Nicholas, the 4th-century bishop of Myra. St. Nicholas is the patron saint of Russia and Greece, of a number of cities, and of sailors and children, among many other groups, and was noted for his generosity. Some countries celebrate St. Nicholas Day on December 5.
After the Reformation, St. Nicholas was largely forgotten in Protestant Europe, although his memory was kept alive in Holland as Sinterklaas. There St. Nicholas is said to arrive on horseback on his feast day, dressed in a bishop’s red robe and mitre and accompanied by Black Peter (Zwarte Piet), variously described as a freed slave or a Moor, to help him distribute sweets and presents to good children or lumps of coal, potatoes, or switches to bad ones. The Dutch took the tradition to New Amsterdam (now New York City) in the American colonies, where he was transformed into Santa Claus by the English-speaking majority. His legend of a kindly old man was united with old Nordic folktales of a magician who punished naughty children and rewarded good children with presents. The resulting image of Santa Claus in the United States crystallized in the 19th century, and he has ever since remained the patron of the gift-giving festival of Christmas. In Britain he was largely replaced with Father Christmas.
Britannica Quiz
In parts of northern Europe, particularly the Low Countries and some German-speaking areas, St. Nicholas Day has remained a time when children are given special cookies, candies, and gifts. In many places, children leave letters for St. Nicholas and carrots or grass for his donkey or horse. In the morning, they find small presents under their pillows or in the shoes, stockings, or plates they have set out for him. Oranges and chocolate coins are common treats that represent St. Nicholas’s legendary rescue of three impoverished girls by paying their marriage dowries with gold. Candy canes, which have the shape of a bishop’s crosier, are also given.
It is thought that over the centuries the legendary St. Nicholas was merged with similar cultural and religious figures. Significant among these were the pagan Knecht Ruprecht and the Roman figure of Befana, as well as the Christ Child (Christkind, or Kris Kringle). A number of countries have traditions in which a malevolent character accompanies St. Nicholas. In France, Père Fouettard, who legend holds tried to cook three boys in a barrel of brine, is said to whip naughty children or give them coal. In Germany, Knecht Ruprecht serves as St. Nicholas’s servant and gives children who do not know their prayers sticks, stones, or coal. The terrifying devil-like Krampus is common in many central European counties and carries chains, bells, and sometimes a large basket with which to threaten naughty children.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Dec 1, 2022 · It is mainly eastern France that celebrates Saint Nicholas day - particularly Flanders, Alsace, Lorraine, Champagne and Franche-Comté. The reason why these areas recognise the saint is said to date back to the Battle of Nancy in 1477.
Oct 28, 2023 · The tradition. Every year, on the night of December 5 to 6, Saint Nicholas rides by with his donkey loaded with goodies, rewarding children who have been good. He's dressed like a bishop, with his mitre (his hat) and crosier (his staff).
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Dec 6, 2023 · The legends surrounding jolly old St. Nicholas — celebrated annually on Dec. 6 — go way beyond delivering candy and toys to children.
