History & Tradition of Saint Nikolaus
The real Saint Nikolaus lived over 1400 years ago. He is said to have been from a very young aga a "wonderfully saintly child". Many stories are related of his good deeds, and some of them are commemorated to this day in the various churches of Europe
Historically, Saint Nikolaus was a Catholic Bishop in the city of Myra in what is now Turkey. Saint Nikolaus earned his sainthood for numerous miracles, but his neighbors knew him best as a kind and generous man with a great fondness for children. Today, in many parts of the world, Saint Nikolaus delivers gifts on the eve of his Feast Day, December 6, and Christmas is reserved for the religious observance of Christ's birth.
Celebrating Saint Nikolaus Day gives us a good "teaching moment" to remind children that Jolly Santa Claus, is, in fact, Saint Nikolaus. Saint Nikolaus was renowned for his great kindness and his generous aid to those in distress. Among the kind and miraculous acts attributed to him are saving three young girls from prostitution by secretly providing them with dowries, bringing three slain boys back to life, and saving sailors caught in stormy seas. For these reasons, he is considered the patron saint of children, unmarried girls, and sailors, among others.
Traditional celebrations of Saint Nikolaus Day in Northern Europe included gifts left in children's shoes (the origin of our American Christmas stockings). Good children receive treats - candies, cookies, apples and nuts, while naughty children receive switches or lumps of coal. Sometimes coins were left in the shoes, reminiscent of the life-saving dowries the saint provided. Today, especially in families of German extraction, children still put a shoe outside their bedroom doors on the eve of Saint Nikolaus Day, and expect to find candy and coins or small gifts in their shoe on December 6th.
In some households the father of the family may dress up as Saint Nikolaus on the eve of his feast. He comes in, sometimes with his sidekick, Krampus or Black Peter, and helps each child examine his conscience. He admonishes the bad and rewards the good. Through the centuries many stories and legends have been told of St. Nikolaus' life and deeds. These accounts help us understand his extraordinary character and why he is so beloved and revered as protector and helper of those in need.
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