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St. Nicholas Day

 Dec. 6th is St. Nicholas’ Day

Saint Nicholas’ Day is more of a European celebration than an American one. Most Americans relate St. Nicholas to Santa Claus. Who was he? He was St. Nicholas of Myra (in modern Turkey) an early church Bishop in the 4th century.   
St. Nicholas was born into a wealthy household, but decided to become a Priest, and after his parent's death, he took the inheritance and gave it away to the poor.  In fact, St. Nicholas' reputation was based on what he did for the poor. 
In one story, he gave a large sum of money so that a poor man's daughters would not be forced into slavery.  "the stockings were hung by the chimney with care in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there", goes the oft-repeated Christmas rhyme. In the story of Nicholas rescuing the poor daughters from being sold into slavery, he reportedly threw three bags of gold coins into the window and the bags landed in the stockings that had been left to dry by the mantle fire. Certainly, there is a myth in the traditions, but it’s clear that St. Nicholas was a Bishop who ministered to the poor. 

St. Nicholas's Day is celebrated today and inaugurates the Christmas festivities in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Italy, and Germany.  Traditionally, on the night of December 5, St. Nicholas brings gifts for good children, who before going to bed, set out shoes or stockings for him to fill. The Dutch call him “Sinterklass”, and make the biggest production of Nick's arrival, gathering to watch his ship land in Amsterdam. 

When the Reformation came, the reformers generally distanced themselves from his life but replaced it with other forms. In Germany, Martin Luther replaced St. Nicholas with the Christ child, "KristKindl", or as we would come to know him – Kriss Kringle. 

American immigrants adapted their ethnic backgrounds to keep the story of St. Nicholas alive. It was the story of St. Nick's coming that inspired Clement Moore to pen the now-famous "The Night Before Christmas" poem.

In our family, my wife Linda, grew up celebrating St. Nicholas' day.  While our kids were growing up, we hung up stockings on the fireplace mantle on St. Nicholas eve and filled them with “goodies”.  Why? We wanted them to understand while they were still young that Christmas was not just Christmas day, but a celebration of the Advent season all over the world. Besides, being German gives us a chance to hang on to one old-world part of our past.  

A Happy St. Nicholas Day to You

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