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Saint Nicholas

Saint Nicholas: Feast Day Dec. 6th

“Jolly old Saint Nicholas, lean your ear this way..." Growing up, we’ve heard, and if you’re like me, sang the above lyrics of “Jolly Old Saint Nicholas, and I'm sure you've also heard, "I knew in a moment, it must be Saint Nick...” from Clement Moore’s classic, The Night Before Christmas. With all of the commercialization and secularization of Christmas by modern society, however, it’s not surprising that Saint Nicholas’s name has been replaced by images of a jolly elf, dressed in red-and-white, known as Santa Claus. But even though Santa Claus has become the widely accepted name in homes, the tradition of giving gifts at Christmas time derives from Christianity and draws further inspiration from a Saint. God gave humanity the ultimate Christmas gift through the birth of his son, Jesus; and the Magi (three wise men) gave the first gifts to the Christ Child. Saint Nicholas later gave gifts without seeking anything in return. When Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, heard that a father did not have dowries for his daughters to marry, it is said that he threw bags of gold through the window at night. May we all learn from his example to be generous without seeking anything in return, and may we also open our hearts, in welcome and love, and give them as gifts to the Lord this Christmas.   

Celebrating Through Food: 

Since Saint Nicholas's Christmas inspired character, "Santa Claus," lives in the North Pole, make Pampered Chef's North Star appetizers. These fun and delicious treats not only pull in the "North Pole" connection of "Santa Claus" but with their name "star," you can make the connection of the Star of Bethlehem with your children. Another yummy food you can make is this delicious breakfast hash brown casserole  (Recipe from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe). My sister makes this casserole for brunch and it is delicious! One of my absolute favorites! You can add diced green and red bell peppers to it for a dash of Christmas color, and dub it “Bishop’s Breakfast Bake” in honor of Saint Nicholas who was a bishop.

Other Activities: 

  • In Europe, there is the tradition of leaving your shoes out the night before Saint Nicholas's feast day so that he can fill them with goodies. You can have your children leave their shoes out and fill them with small treats like chocolate coins and/or oranges.

  • Give a combined family faith gift to your children that will help them grow in their faith. This is what my family did. We decided to get our children a Mass kit so they can learn about the various parts of Mass and vocations through play. Each year, you can get a different faith gift to help your family grow together spiritually.  
  • Watch the “Saints and Heroes”episode about Saint Nicholas or the "Veggie Tales" episode about Saint Nicholas together as a family.  
  • You can also make homemade orange garland to decorate your table and your Christmas tree. Slice oranges and bake them at 200 degrees Fahrenheit for 2-3 hours. You can then arrange them around your Advent wreath with chocolate coins and after dinner string the oranges together to hang on the tree.


Prayer: 

Here is a prayer I wrote that you and your family can say together. 

Saint Nicholas, patron of children, please pray that through your example of kindness and charity, my family and I may grow in these virtues and live by your example of being anonymous givers seeking no reward. Amen. 

Happy Feast of Saint Nicholas to you and your family! May you have a truly blessed day celebrating and wonderful rest of the Advent Season! 

Additional Reading: 

Here is some additional reading about Saint Nicholas from Franciscan Media. 













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