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St. Nicholas Day is celebrated on December 6th. This is the Feast of St. Nicholas. It is the anniversary of the death of a Catholic saint in the third century who inspired the modern-day Santa Claus. This day is about giving which is based on the Saint’s generosity. He was born into a wealthy family but is known for giving large parts of his inheritance to the poor.
St. Nicholas is the Patron Saint of Greece and Russia, and of sailors and children along with several other groups. In parts of Europe, St. Nicholas Day still remains a day of giving children candies, special cookies, and toys. Children leave letters for St. Nicholas along with carrots or grass for his horse or donkey. In the morning, children will find these presents under pillows, or in shoes or stockings they left out. Oranges and chocolate coins are the most common treats which represent St. Nicholas’s rescue of three impoverished girls by paying their dowries. Candy canes in the shape of a bishop’s crosier are also given. There are many legends centered around St. Nicholas.
Let Children Put Out Shoes or Stockings by the Fireplace
Once your children put out their shoes or stockings, place carrots for St. Nicholas’s horse. Remember to put the little treats out before your children get up in the morning. When the children way up, they should find their shoes filled with little treats and small toys. Golden coin candies are the traditional choice. However, other small treats, toys, and candies will be fine.
Make a Bishop’s Miter
At a young age, St. Nicholas was appointed Bishop of Myra. Those under him deeply loved him. While you are making the Bishop’s Miter, you can discuss St. Nicholas’s time as Bishop with your children. Click here for the instructions to make the Miter or google Bishop’s Miter and you will get more details on how to make this simple art project.
Make a St. Nicholas Puppet
A great art activity for St. Nicholas day is to make a paper bag puppet. This is a fun art activity. However, you can take it one step further and use the puppets to put on a puppet show about St. Nicholas after your children have learned more about him. The St. Nicholas Center has instructions to make the paper bag puppet. It has the pdf with the pattern. Click here to go directly to the instructions.
Plays, Skits, and Skripts
The St. Nicholas Center has resources to create plays or short skits. They range from one to two-person presentations to full dramatizations. You can find these here at the St. Nicolas Center website. It is a fun way to learn more and create opportunities to have fun learning as a family.
Make a St. Nicholas Ornament
Make a St. Nicholas ornament out of felt. When finished, hang the ornament on the tree or around the house where everyone can see it. The St. Nicholas Center has put up the instructions, pdf file with the pattern along with pictures to help you make the ornament. The website is a great resource for more information on St. Nicholas. Click here to get the instructions for the St. Nicholas Ornament.
Learn About St. Nicholas Day Customs from Around the World
It can be a lot of fun learning what other countries do to celebrate a special day, such as St. Nicholas Day. Although most are very similar, there are still many differences in the customs depending on the part of the world celebrating. The St. Nicholas Center has a special page dedicated to learning what people do all over the world to celebrate St. Nicholas Day. It even talks about his fifty names in thirty-two languages. For further information on different traditions, click here.
Read Stories about St. Nicholas
Take a trip to the library and see if they have any books on St. Nicholas, especially biographies or books which talk about traditions around the world. Check online as many libraries now subscribe to digital services and there might be ebooks on St. Nicholas.
Color Pictures of St. Nicholas
There are many places to get pictures online available to print and color for free. Look for pictures that portray St. Nicholas as a Bishop instead of the commercialized Santa Claus most people think of today. This will help your children understand it is about giving and not receiving. Click here to get a coloring page of St. Nicholas which includes a very short prayer about it being better to give than to receive.
Play Games and Other Activities
The St. Nicholas Center is a great website with lots of resources and information on St. Nicholas. They even have a special section just for kids. There are games and things to do on the computer and other projects to print and do offline. They have coloring pictures including 16 pages that tell the life of St. Nicholas. They have cut-outs, word searches, puzzles, and games. Online, they have games, coloring, a map of where St. Nicholas lived, and a video to learn how to draw saints. This can be a fun way to celebrate St. Nicholas Day. Click here to go directly to the kids’ section of the St. Nicholas Center website.
Bake a Cake to Celebrate
Many celebrations, such as birthdays we always celebrate with cake. St. Nicholas Day does not have to be any different. Why not have some fun with the cake? St. Nicholas Miter Cake is fairly easy to make. Just make sure you cut off the corners to make the miter shape. Just add a little red food coloring to the icing and it becomes a red miter. You can create the cross by adding yellow dye to the frosting. Click here to see and get the recipe for the St. Nicholas Miter Cake.
Watch Movies
There are a couple of great movies for kids that stress the story of St. Nicholas. VeggieTales has the movie Saint Nicholas: A Story of Joyful Giving. CCC also has a movie called Nicholas: The Boy Who Became Santa. We have watched both of these movies and found them very enjoyable.
Say the Prayer of St. Nicholas
The prayer of St. Nicholas is short and easy to learn. Introduce your children to this prayer as you make decorations and bake as part of the festivities of St. Nicholas Day. The prayer is as follows:
The Prayer of St. Nicholas to Bless Your Day:
We call upon your mercy, O Lord, Through the intercession of St. Nicholas, keep us safe amid all dangers so that we may go forward without hindrance on the road to salvation. Amen
