Articles about 'St. Nicholas Day'
December 6th, 2011
Today is St Nicholas Day!
Many children in Europe receive gifts and treats in the shoes they left out last night for St. Nick.
Read all about the traditions of St. Nick here.
December 5th, 2011
St. Nicholas is very popular in Germany!
There are various traditions of St Nick there, depending on the region. In some places he walks from house to house giving treats. In other places children leave out their polished shoes and boots to be filled with treats and gifts in the middle of the night of December...
November 15th, 2011
Krampus is a nasty demon with horns and a long red tongue. His name comes from the word for "Claw". He accompanies St. Nick on his rounds the night before St. Nick’s Day (December 6th). St. Nick gives all the good little boys and girls gifts. Krampus, on the other hand, gives the kids who...
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December 5th, 2007
Ed Gawlinski wrote to me about his family’s holiday traditions. His letter shows how you can be creative and expose your children to many different customs around the world at this time of year…
Lisa,
The Polish Custom is for Saint Nicholas (świętego Mikołaja) to bring children presents on December 6th …. The traditions that go...
December 6th, 2006

Today is St. Nicolas Day. St. Nicholas was a bishop who lived in Myra, Turkey, from around 280 A.D. to December 6th, 342 or 343. His greatest legend is that he gave gifts to poor children.
There’s one specific legend surrounding St. Nick about an impoverished man who had three daughters. ...
December 4th, 2005
Rudy Welvaert wrote to me,
“…in the French speaking part of Belgium, La Wallonie (Wallonia), the children are waiting for Saint Nicolas to bring them sweets and presents in the night of the 5th to the 6th of December. Here is a traditional Saint-Nicolas song in French, with its English translation.”
Saint Nicolas, Patron des écoliers
Saint...
December 4th, 2005
Kirsten Kerkhof wrote me the following about St. Nicolas Day in Holland…
“In the Netherlands, Christmas is not as important for children as Sint Nicolaas (Saint Nicholas) on December 5th. It’s on this day that children get their presents, instead of on Christmas Day. Sint Nicolaas is the patron saint of children. He is said to...
December 3rd, 2005
Rudy Welvaert wrote to me about how the St. Nicolas holiday is celebrated in parts of Belgium and Holland…
Dear Mama Lisa,
Every year, in the night of the 5th to the 6th of December, Saint Nicolas brings presents to all the children who have been good. That evening children put out a shoe in front of...
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