Several years ago, a group of ladies I was in a Bible study with informed me about St. Nicholas Day. They hosted a celebration each year. It looked like so much fun, but I could not make it that year. Every year since, I have dreamt of hosting a St. Nicholas Day party. Unfortunately, I planned a trip to my parents' house before I realized that it was over St. Nicholas Day. So... maybe I'll inspire some of you & you'll inspire me to do it next year!St. Nicholas Day - December 6th
Some people celebrate St. Nicholas Day on December 5th and some on December 6th. It is mostly celebrated in European countries. St. Nicholas is the real person behind the story of Santa Claus. We don't celebrate Santa Claus in our house (I'll have the details of that for another post!), so I liked the idea of recognizing the truth behind the myth on St. Nicholas Day. St. Nicholas was a wonderful man who was kind & generous. He gave gifts to those in need & was apparently very jolly.
Who is St. Nicholas? [info borrowed from www.stnicholascenter.org]
The true story of Santa Claus begins with Nicholas, who was born during the third century in the village of Patara. At the time the area was Greek and is now on the southern coast of Turkey. His wealthy parents, who raised him to be a devout Christian, died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still young. Obeying Jesus' words to "sell what you own and give the money to the poor," Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He dedicated his life to serving God and was made Bishop of Myra while still a young man. Bishop Nicholas became known throughout the land for his generosity to the those in need, his love for children, and his concern for sailors and ships.
Under the Roman Emperor Diocletian, who ruthlessly persecuted Christians, Bishop Nicholas suffered for his faith, was exiled and imprisoned. The prisons were so full of bishops, priests, and deacons, there was no room for the real criminals—murderers, thieves and robbers. After his release, Nicholas attended the Council of Nicaea in AD 325. He died December 6, AD 343 in Myra. The anniversary of his death became a day of celebration, St. Nicholas Day.
Widely celebrated in Europe, St. Nicholas' feast day, December 6th, kept alive the stories of his goodness and generosity. In Germany and Poland, boys dressed as bishops begged alms for the poor—and sometimes for themselves! In the Netherlands and Belgium, St. Nicholas arrived on a steamship from Spain to ride a white horse on his gift-giving rounds. December 6th is still the main day for gift giving and merrymaking in much of Europe. For example, in the Netherlands St. Nicholas is celebrated on the 5th, the eve of the day, by sharing candies (thrown in the door), chocolate initial letters, small gifts, and riddles. Dutch children leave carrots and hay in their shoes for the saint's horse, hoping St. Nicholas will exchange them for small gifts. Simple gift-giving in early Advent helps preserve a Christmas Day focus on the Christ Child. [end of borrowed info]
How can we celebrate St. Nicholas Day?
The website that I borrowed the above information from has many ideas on how to celebrate the holiday. They have recipes, games, songs and more. My friends would gather together, have the kids set out their shoes (to be filled with chocolate coins & chocolate initial letters), serve Turkish food, and tell the children all about St. Nicholas. Each child brings a present and they donate all presents to a local toy drive. One friend in particular said that when they decorate the house for Christmas (the day after Thanksgiving), they decorate with Santa Claus decor also. Then, after their St. Nicholas Day celebration, they take everything Santa-related down so that they can focus on Jesus for the remainder of the Christmas season. I love that idea!
St. Nicholas Day Resources:
- Information about St. Nicholas from above: http://www.stnicholascenter.org/
- Chocolate letter initial molds & chocolate coins : http://www.amazon.com/ - search for "chocolate letter mold" or "chocolate coins"
- More info about St. Nicholas & Speculaas cookies: http://www.wf-f.org/st.nicholas.html
- Book: Saint Nicholas: The Real Story of the Christmas Legend by Julie Steigemeyer & Chris Ellison
- Book: Santa, Are You For Real? by Harold Myra
If you google or look it up on Wikipedia, use the keywords: "St. Nicholas" or "St. Nicholas Day" and you will find a plethora of resources! Enjoy!
No comments:
Post a Comment