Amy Wydner, Senior
Every year on the night before December 6th, children put their shoes outside their bedroom doors before they go to bed and wake up to small gifts placed inside by St. Nicholas.
December 6th is a day reserved to celebrate St Nicholas, the 4th-century bishop of Myra; the 6th being the day that he died. St. Nicholas was known for helping the needy and after his death, the lore of gift giving continued. He is considered the inspiration for Santa Claus; Santa is also referred to as “St. Nick” by many. The creation of Santa Claus created a long-lived tradition that was incorporated into Christmas, a holiday celebrated by over 2 billion people around the world in over 160 countries.
The celebration of St. Nicholas was traditionally most well known in northwestern Europe, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. The date is also known as the Feast of St. Nicholas and is rooted in the tradition of giving, similar to how St. Nicholas had. They say that St. Nicholas would sell all that he owned so that he could give money to the poor. Germany holds the tradition dear to their hearts as children will tidy their rooms, clean their toys, and polish shoes and boots to put outside their door or on a windowsill. Similar to how many will write letters to Santa alongside leaving out both cookies and milk for Santa and carrots for his reindeer, German children often leave letters alongside treats for St. Nick’s donkey. When they wake up the next morning, their boots and shoes will be filled with candy, nuts, and small gifts.
There are multiple legends and accounts of St. Nicholas; one tells the story of him helping three poor sisters. The story goes that their father was unable to pay the girls’ dowries, money given to a woman at the time of her marriage, and had contemplated selling them into servitude. In secret, St. Nicholas would sneak three times into their house at night and put a bag of money inside. The father used the money so that one of his daughters could marry and on St. Nicholas's third visit, the man thanked him for his kindness.
On December 6, 343, St. Nicholas was believed to have passed. Stories passed around of his miracles and good deeds he committed over the years. The stories spread across the world and he was recognized as a popular saint in Europe. The evolution of St. Nicholas to Santa was long and complicated as St. Nicholas became “Sinterklass” who turned into “Santa Claus”, and rather than the gift giving tradition being primarily on December 6th, Santa would be integrated into the Christmas holiday. Although Santa Claus is most recognized as being a figure on the night of Christmas and Christmas Day, St. Nicholas is still recognized on the 6th.
When you celebrate the Christmas season through gift-giving, remember who started the tradition and why it all started over 1,600 years ago with St. Nicholas.
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