Saint Nicholas Day, also called the Feast of Saint Nicholas, is observed on 6 December or on 5 December in Western Christian countries, and on 19 December in Eastern Christian countries using the old church Calendar. It is the feast day of Nicholas of Myra with particular regard to his reputation as a bringer of gifts. The American Santa Claus, as well as the British Father Christmas, derive from Saint Nicholas.
About Saint Nicholas Day in brief
Saint Nicholas Day, also called the Feast of Saint Nicholas, is observed on 6 December or on 5 December in Western Christian countries, and on 19 December in Eastern Christian countries using the old church Calendar. It is the feast day of Nicholas of Myra with particular regard to his reputation as a bringer of gifts. In the European countries of Germany and Poland, boys have traditionally dressed as bishops and begged alms for the poor. Among Albanians, Saint Nicholas is known as Shen’Kollë and is venerated by most Catholic families, even those from villages that are devoted to other saints. The American Santa Claus, as well as the British Father Christmas, derive from Saint Nicholas. On Saint Nicholas Day in the Netherlands, Dutch children put out a clog filled with hay and a carrot for Saint Nicholas’ horse. On the eve of his feast day, Albanians will light a candle and abstain from meat, preparing a feast of roasted lamb and pork, to be served to guests after midnight. In Greece, St. Nicholas does not carry an especial association with gift-giving, as this tradition is carried over to St. Basil of Caesarea, celebrated on New Year’s Day. In Belgium, they celebrate Sinterklaas or Saint-Nicolas on the days leading up to 6 December. In Serbia, and among the Serb people living across the world, Saint. Nicholas is the most widely celebrated family patron saint, celebrated as the feastday of Nikoljdan.
Since NikoljDan always falls in the fasting period preceding Christmas, it is celebrated according to the Eastern Orthodox fasting rules. In Bulgaria, families invite relatives, sponsors and neighbors for a meal of loaves of bread, all of which are blessed at home. The bread is then lifted over the table, then lifts and breaks and breaks over the name of the church of Nikolay, Nikolay, Nikolina, Neno, Nenka, Nikleta, Niko, Nikola, Nikolai and Nikola Kolyo. This entails the complete avoidance of animal-sourced food products. Fish may be eaten on certain days in Bulgaria, and all of these days are celebrated as Nikulden. In Romania, the day is also observed as 6 December for those with the name Nikola, Nikolyo, Nikolaay,Nikolayo,Nikolao Kolya andNikolai Kolyayo. In Poland, children put their shoes in front of their front door on the morning of 5 or 6 December, when his day is celebrated. In Ukraine and Poland,. children wait for St. Nicholas to come and to put a present under their pillows provided that the children were good during the year. Children who behaved badly may expect to find a twig or a piece of coal under theirpillows. In the United States, one custom associated with St Nicholas Day is children leaving their shoes on the foyer on Saint Nicholas Eve in hope that Saint Nicholas will place some coins on the soles.
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This page is based on the article Saint Nicholas Day published in Wikipedia (as of Dec. 11, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
