Who is St Nicholas And Why Do People Celebrate Him
December 6th is St. Nicholas Day! (observed on December 6th in Western Christian countries, December 5thin the Netherlands and December 19th in Eastern Christian countries, as the feast day of Saint Nicholas) Yes, there was a real Christian named Saint Nicholas!
This holiday is a blast from the past for me! When I was younger I attended a Catholic school in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and I remember celebrating with my classmates. We would put our shoes outside in the hallway and wait for St Nicholas to leave us candies and little gifts in our shoes.
Who is he?
Maybe you’re thinking … Who the heck is St Nicholas? He was born in the third century in a village called Patara, which at the time was under Greek rule.
He was raised as a devout Christian, and was taught to be generous and donate to the poor. He became the Bishop of Myra, Italy later in life, and was known as a very giving man. Legend has it that Saint Nicholas would take small bags of gold coins and throw them through open windows of poor homes. Children would hang stockings by their chimneys, in hopes that they would catch the bags of gold!
Saint Nicholas passed away on December 6th in 342 AD, and we dedicate this day to celebrating the generosity of a wonderful man. His acts teach us the importance of giving and love. Here’s to you, Saint Nicholas!
So I know you’re a little late but maybe … just maybe if your kids put their shoes out tonight, St Nicholas might pop by and leave a little something for them!
