This year we are adding another tradition to our list…I know…adding another thing? And I am adding this at the last minute. I have always had a list of things I wanted to do…some get done, some don’t. I always have a vision of doing “Christmas School” in December, but that hasn’t happened yet. And that’s okay. But I do like to try to add some new things that give meaning to the season and some special memories for my family.
As I grow older and as a lover of history, I am doing more reading into traditions and world church observances. We are adding in some things that we believe are good for our family. It doesn’t take away from the season, but adds to it. It is also a good way to separate the Man in the Red Suit and the birth of Christ.
Santa Claus.
A touchy subject in many homes.
We have never been adamant either way. They know the true meaning of Christmas ~ that is our focus. They get to enjoy a little magical fun in their childhood as well.
Did you know that there really was a man named St. Nicholas? He was a real man and more importantly a very real figure in the church.
St. Nicholas Day is on December 6th…I know… I am VERY last minute with this, but this is a super simple thing to do! You don’t need one more thing to add to your already busy schedule, but this may be something you want to add to your repertoire.
Who Was St. Nicholas?
So who was this man that has a whole day of celebration? We learned a little more about him in Kirk Cameron’s move, Saving Christmas.
The legend of Santa Claus distributing gifts and filling stocking is based on the real-life story of Saint Nicholas. He was born in the 3rd Century in modern day Turkey. He was left a large sum of money when his parents died when he was young and he gave it away to the poor and sick in his village. He was known for his humility and for his generosity. He put the Gospel into action. His generosity grew out of his love for God. He was made bishop in his village.
He lived during the reign of Roman emperor Diocletian who was known for his persecution of Christians. Nicholas was put in prison and exiled. He was also present at the Council of Nicaea, where he signed the Nicene Creed.
One of my favorite stories about St. Nicholas involves his defending the faith in word and deed. The Truth was being attacked by a heretic, Arius, who sought to undermine the deity of Christ at the Council of Nicea. Nicholas spoke up, unashamed to defend the truth. He not only defended in word, but in deed as well, by smiting him on the cheek. He leaves us with the example that sometimes you have to take action and don’t just get uncomfortable and turn away.
There are many legends surrounding St. Nicholas. The most famous legend of involves three poor sisters who had no dowry so they would be unable to marry. They could possibly be sold in to slavery, which was a custom in those days. To dry the stockings, they were hung by the fire to dry. The family woke to three bags of gold waiting for them in their home that would allow the girls to marry. Nicholas had tossed the bags of gold into their window at night to remain anonymous.
The St. Nicholas Center has more of legends involving the bishop. He was known for being generous Overall, he was known for his generosity and showing the love of God by sharing his wealth to the ones that need it most.
Why Celebrate St. Nicholas Day?
Advent has become part of our family’s tradition in recent years. It was something new to me. Advent has made Christmas even better, since we are preparing our hearts daily in the four weeks leading up to Christmas Day.
It takes on a different light each year. Some years I am well prepared, but most of the time life is really trying to push it out so it is harder to make time for it. One thing I have learned is that I am not going to let the lack of preparation or having “all the ducks in a row” before I do things with my family. I am just moving forward and doing the best I can. Like tonight and the last minute adding of St. Nicholas Day.
Adding in St. Nicholas Day on December 6th is a way of adding to our Advent Celebration. It helps to answer the “what does Santa Claus have to do with Christmas and Jesus” question. It also helps us focus on loving like Jesus and being generous and caring for those in need.
By talking about St. Nicholas near the beginning of December, it seems to “free up” up their minds to be generous and really focus even more on the birth of Christ. There are so many different traditions and cultural celebrations of Christmas around the world. Families and religions do it differently, but the focus is the same: the birth of Christ ~ the love, joy and hope of the world.
Ways to Celebrate St. Nicholas Day
Children around their world leave their shoes out on the night of December 5th…some outside, some by the door, by the fireplace or outside their bedroom door. In the morning, they can find: candy, chocolate coins (to remember St. Nicholas giving the gift of gold coins, nuts, a candy cane, fruit, new ornament, small toy, or a new book. You can put some things in a little fabric bag and place it by the shoes.
You can read the story of St. Nicholas when placing the shoes out before going to bed or in the morning after receiving their gifts. It is a great time to talk about being generous and caring for others without the need of recognition. It is also important to talk about WHO we are doing this for.
Some families have a special meal on the night of December 5th. If you haven’t decorated for Christmas yet, the days following St. Nicholas Day would be a nice time.
Putting Giving into Action
The most important part of this for our family is putting it into action. It is nice to celebrate who St. Nicholas was and enjoy reading about his strong faith, defending the faith and loving others the way Jesus loved. We want to do the same.
It is easy for Christmas to become a time when selfishness abounds. It is important to love others in practical ways. We like to support a ministry as a family. We always do several shoeboxes with Operation Christmas Child and this year will be shopping from Samaritan’s Purse Christmas Catalog and donating that way. This year we are helping to donate dairy animals {and you can be a part of our giving!}
Some other ways to give include:
Adopt a family in need ~ leave money, gift cards and food for them (anonymously like St. Nicholas did and to remind them that God is the one watching)
Baked goodies for neighbors and secretly deliver them.
Adopt a family from the Angel Tree or donate toys to Toys for Tots. There are many places to give. Involve your children in the choosing, shopping and delivering.
Choose to Make a Difference this Christmas
Resources and Books:
The St. Nicholas Center has more resources than you can imagine. They also share how this is celebrated all over the world.
What’s in the Bible has a great video explaining our Christmas traditions. We enjoy these cute videos that help teach us lots.
Here are some clips from them:
In The Legend of St. Nicholas captivates audiences and tells the story of a young man named Nicholas, who was moved by the plight of the poor and needy. Nicholas spent his life secretly helping the poor all over the world, giving gifts on Christmas Eve to remind people of the greatest Gift of all, Jesus Christ. This gentle Christmas book introduces the original St. Nicholas and offers inspiration for readers to become cheerful givers themselves. The final pages in the book include fun Father Christmas traditions in other lands.
This wonderful Christmas tale, set in the late 1800s, shares the touching story of a young boy named Peter. He sells newspapers to help his family while his father is away at sea, and he’s been saving a bit of his earnings to buy a model schooner in the woodworker’s shop. But after Uncle Jim, the woodworker, tells him the story of St. Nicholas, Peter discovers the meaning behind the hanging and filling of Christmas stockings and learns a heartfelt lesson in kindness and generosity. Filled with the rich, realistic illustrations of Jim Griffin, children ages 4 to 8 will discover the depth of God’s love shown through others as they learn the Christian meaning revealed in The Legend of the Christmas Stocking.
The book is designed to unveil the heart and life of someone who lived so long ago—and yet whose life remains an example for all people everywhere—an example that calls each of us to a higher order of generosity, giving, and devotion to others. A historical yet touching rendition of the origins of our modern-day Santa written by an in-demand spokesperson whose penchant for reminding us of the importance of virtue reacquaints us with the true meaning of Christmas.
If you don’t do this in your family but would like to, add it to your traditions. And did you know it would be fine to do it another day in December? That’s right! Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t do things when you would like. Jump in where you are. Enjoy the moments with your family. Treasure the season and keep it simple!
Do you celebrate St. Nicholas Day? What are your favorite ways?
This post made my day. I’ve always celebrated this day and give a little gift to my hubby and kitty. When I was in school, the nuns would tell us to sit out shoes outside the classroom door and at the end of the day there would be goodies in our shoes.
This brought back so many memories for me. God bless!
I am glad that you enjoyed it! This is something new for us and we have enjoyed it!!