Saint Nicholas Day

6 grudnia 20235 grudnia 2023 by CJO_ANS

Saint Nicholas Day is a holiday awaited¹ by children on December 6. On this day children get small gifts from Santa Claus. St. Nicholas Day is a wonderful holiday because we can make others cheerful (Of course, children believe in Santa Claus).

But wait, is this day celebrated the same everywhere?

In Poland, on the night of 5 to 6 December, Santa Claus leaves gifts for polite, reliable, honest and good children – under the pillow, in shoes or in socks hanging by the fireplace.
In the United States and the United Kingdom, Santa Claus or Father Christmas only comes with gifts on Christmas Eve.
In the Netherlands, children are given gifts by Sinterklass, which arrives on December 5 on a ship from Spain. The traditional gift on this day is chocolate letters.
In Italy, it is not custom² to celebrate St. Nicholas Day on December 6. What a pity!
In the Czech Republic and Slovakia, children receive gifts from Santa Claus on December 6. It is believed that Mikuláš walks with an angel and a devil and if children were good, they receive something sweet, however, if they were naughty, the devil might take them to hell with him. An only way to escape this unfortunate destiny is to croon a song or a poem. Mikuláš leaves small gifts in shoes, in places prepared at the door or on the windowsill.
There are two days on which Santa Claus visits Belgium. First, on December 4, he checks whether the children have been good and deserve³ a gift, and then on December 6, he shows up with gifts or horns⁴.

And now a bit of history!

Saint Nicholas Day has a long tradition, dating back to the Middle Ages⁵. The tradition of gift-giving is a memory of the good bishop of Myra who was generous and helpful. Myra is a city in present-day Turkey.

Interesting facts about St. Nicholas Day

A modern image of Saint Santa Claus appeared⁶ in a 1930 Coca-Cola advertisement.
The person who gives gifts has many names, depending on⁷ the state and tradition.
Until the 19th century, St. Nicholas Day was a day off from work.
In Austria, Santa Claus is accompanied⁸ by Krampus – half-goat⁹, half-demon.

Vocabulary

¹awaited/ to await – oczekiwany/ czekać na

²a custom – zwyczaj

³to deserve – zasłużyć

⁴horns – rogi

⁵Middle Ages – średniowiecze

⁶ to appear – pojawić się

⁷ to depend on – zależeć od

⁸ accompanied – towarzyszyć

⁹ a half-goat – półkoza

Sources: 1 , 2, 3