Friday, Day 6 - The Story of St. Nicholas

For Kids and Parents too:

Christmas is when we celebrate the birth of Jesus.  There are lots of ways to celebrate his birth.

At our house, we bring in a Christmas tree and put up lights and ornaments, with ribbons and a star way up on the top.  Music is playing,

We have an Advent wreath – a circle of evergreens - with candles on the table.

We put lights in the windows and in other places around the house. 

We decorate the house because we’re having a party – it’s Jesus’ birthday.

There are stockings hung by the chimney (with care). 

Why do people hang stockings?

This involves the story of Santa Claus – who is also known as St. Nicholas, or Father Christmas. 

(Parents, bear with me, a lot of Christians don’t know what to do with Santa Claus and Christmas, but I think you’ll see that embracing the story is possible when you, and the kids, know just how this man fits into the Advent season.)

Did you know that Saint Nicholas was a real person? 

Did you know that tomorrow – all around the world – is Saint Nicholas Day? 

December 6, every year, is the celebration of St. Nicholas Day.

He is called “Saint” because he loved God and served Jesus with his life.

Now, Nicholas lived a long time ago – long before anyone who is alive today could have known him (4^th century).

When he was a young man, he received a large amount of money.  (inheritance) 

When he asked God what he should do with the money, he heard Jesus' words:  "sell what you own and give the money to the poor”.

Nicholas decided to use his wealth to help people who were needy, or sick, or suffering.  

Throughout his life he was known for his giving gifts.  That’s how we see Saint Nicholas, or Santa Claus, or Father Christmas today.

He didn’t want people to praise him, so He often helped people secretly, not telling people he was the one who gave the gift.

Eventually, he became a Bishop, or a Pastor of the city church in Myra (Turkey). 

One story about his life involves a poor man with three daughters.

In those days a young woman's father had to offer prospective husbands something of value—a dowry. In those days a woman had a better chance of marrying if she had a dowry.

The problem was that the man was poor and his three daughters had no dowry.

Mysteriously, on three different occasions, a bag of gold was dropped down the chimney and each time they provided the needed dowries.

The story is told that the bags of gold are said to have landed in stockings or shoes left before the fire to dry.

This led to the custom of children hanging stockings by the fireplace, or putting out shoes out eagerly awaiting gifts from Saint Nicholas.  So that’s why some people, including us, hang stockings by the chimney (with care J).

Tomorrow – December 6^th – is called St. Nicholas Day and it reminds us that Christmas is a season of gifts, goodness and generosity, not just “getting”.

When our kids were growing up, we put treats in the stockings on St Nicholas day.

We wanted to help them learn that being generous was part of the Christmas story.

It’s good for us to give gifts to others – secretly if we can.

In our church we put together shoeboxes of gifts for children who don’t have as much and live in other countries.  We put the shoe boxes together with toys, books, and sometimes even things like toothbrushes and toothpaste.  Just think, some kids don’t have toothbrushes to brush their teeth!

Another thing you can do is that in many places there are people who stand outside, ringing bells, and they have a red kettle and are collecting money for poor people.

If you see one of those people and have some money, you can put that money in the kettle and it will go to help people who don’t have the things we often take for granted. 

Like Saint Nicholas, giving is good for us to do.  Giving to someone who doesn’t know who we are and can’t personally thank us, but we can give secretly in a way that helps them and do it for God.

Perhaps we can think today of a way to give to someone in secret?

On the next page is a picture of St. Nicholas to color:

For Parents and Other Not Kids: 

Did you know that a Professor of Theology, Clement Moore, took the story of Saint Nicholas and decided to pen a poem for his children for Saint Nicholas Day.  

It was from this immortal story, “A Visit from Saint Nicholas”, that Santa Claus became a part of American culture.  The poem was later changed to “Twas the Night Before Christmas”, but has remained a part of American culture – “arguably the best-known verses ever written by an American.”

The story is that he was inspired by a man who drove a "hack" - a horse drawn taxi cab - who had a long white beard and a reddish nose.

He wrote the story for his children and it was meant to be a private poem just for them, but the following year it was made famous when it was published in a New York paper.

The story changed Santa Claus' visit from St. Nicholas day on Dec. 6th, to instead occur on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24^th, after the children had gone to sleep.

Moore wrote of Santa as a gift giver who came secretly – much like Saint Nicholas did.  

When he wrote he imagined Santa came with a sleigh drawn by 8 reindeer, all of whom had names! 

He wrote: 

"When what to wondering eyes should appear,

But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer,

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick…

down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound...” [and after he] 

"filled all the stockings; then he turned with a jerk, 

and laying his finger aside of his nose,

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,

'Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night."

Santa has evolved, but what hasn't changed is that this character once lived as a generous, faithful Christian leader who inspired others to love and be generous.

So, tomorrow, St. Nicholas' day, go ahead and give a gift to someone who doesn't deserve it, who doesn't know it's from you, and for the sake of Christ alone.

Happy St. Nicholas Day!

The immortal classic poem, “A Visit From Saint Nicholas” is worth reading to the kids.  You can find it at:  http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/visit-st-nicholas

Peace