Saint Nicholas Day

Saint Nick is a famous Christian saint who is attributed many miracles. He is the patron saint of sailors, merchants, archers, and children, and students in Greece, Belgium, Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia, Russia, the Republic of Macedonia, Slovakia, Serbia and Montenegro.

He had a reputation for secret gift-giving, such as putting coins in the shoes of those who left them out and thus became the model for Santa Claus.

In many countries his death day, December 6th, is celebrated as Saint Nicholas Day.
It's mostly a celebration for children - the day before they polish their shoes and leave them out for Saint Nick. If they behaved good the whole year round they get sweets and if they were misbehaving - then they won't get a visit from Nick but from the Krampus/Devil who leaves them black coal or a wooden whip in their shoos.

Is there a Saint Nick day in your country? Do you celebrate it?

I myself, don't celebrate it at all, but am just aware of it because of the huge amount of children activities advertised in the city...

Yep...but I fear I won't be getting anythng this year

I don't think many people recognize Saint Nicholas Day in Canada (at least no one I know does) but, my family has a bit of a tradition associated with it. Every year since I was little this was the night when my sister and I would leave our letters to St. Nick (Santa Claus) out and in the morning they would be gone and there would be a small gift left in their place. In recent years the letters have gotten a little goofy and our husbands have gotten in on the tradition too. It also seems that St.Nick is trafficing mainly in warm socks now . . .

Yes we do well really just Christmas, but not his specific day,(Dec 25th not the 6th) then again this is the US and it seems we always mess something up, and it is so commercialized that it has really lost it's meaning here. :S

yes, we celebrate St Nicolas. Now that I'm an adult it is not like when I was little, but with Mum and my brother, we're still a good meal and Mom gives us candy.

knumpcy wrote:

Yes we do well really just Christmas, but not his specific day,(Dec 25th not the 6th) then again this is the US and it seems we always mess something up, and it is so commercialized that it has really lost it's meaning here. :S

Same in England. The 25th - Christmas. It's very commercialised as well. >.<

I don't think kids these days realise what the lesson is with 'St. Nick'/'Santa' (e.g. Behaving well)..It's just a day where they get tons of presents regardless of their behaviour. You end up with a country full of screaming, bratty children who demand this, that and the other for Christmas. Annoys me.