What Does It Mean to Celebrate the Feast of St. Nicholas?

December 6 is the feast day of St. Nicholas, the patron saint of children! Did you know that St. Nicholas is the original gift bringer to children? Many think it is Santa Claus, but they are mistaken. It is St. Nicholas, the fourth century bishop of Myra.

What does it mean to celebrate? To celebrate means to honor a person or an event. On December 6th, we honor St. Nicholas for his holy life and the virtues he exemplifies, especially generosity toward the poor and love of children. Those are great reasons to celebrate! We celebrate the many actions he took on behalf of those in need, and we celebrate his love for children, who depend on adults to love and care for them. St. Nicholas loved and protected children. He delighted in bringing gifts to them. A wonderful website, www.stnicholascenter.org has much to offer in explaining the history of St. Nicholas and providing many free resources and also items to purchase. I encourage you to explore this website, if you aren't familiar with it.

Recipe can be found in Celebrating Advent and Christmas with
Children, page 21

The feast of St. Nicholas is a wonderful day to share treats with friends. Here are some St. Nicholas cookies we made and decorated with St. Nicholas papers. Below are more ideas for St. Nicholas day treats, and at the end is my very favorite St. Nicholas day prayer.

Besides sharing treats with your friends, you might imitate St. Nicholas by collecting items from your school friends, home school community or parish for those in need.Things like mittens, scarves, gloves and hygiene items can make a big difference for a person who is on a very limited budget.

Recipe can be found in Celebrating Advent and Christmas
with Children, page 32

Recipe can be found in Celebrating Advent and Christmas
with Children, page 30

PRAYER TO ST. NICHOLAS

Heavenly Father, as Christmas draws near we commemorate the feast day of your beloved Bishop and Saint, Nicholas. We love and honor his memory because of his tender concern for children and the poor. We thank you for the merriment that his feast has brought down all the centuries. We ask you from the bottom of our hearts to  help us to remember on this, his feast day, that we should try to retain the innocence of childhood and a sincere faith in you all our lives. Show us, too, how to share the good things that we have with others, and to imitate St. Nicholas in generosity and goodwill. We ask him to pray for us from his place in heaven.