The legend lives: St. Nicholas and his veneration among children
St. Nicholas is one of the most popular little gift festivals. The beautiful celebration with long tradition and above all with mighty much fun for all small and big children enjoys every year again great popularity. Various Christian denominations and faiths, as well as non-believers, venerate St. Nicholas, the kind and gentle bringer of gifts. St. Nicholas, St. Nicholas Day and the cult around the great man have a long history. That’s what this article is about.
That’s why on the day of St. Nicholas there are St. Nicholas gifts in the St. Nicholas boot . That’s why almost everyone likes to send greetings to Santa Claus . Many children love reciting St. Nicholas poems . Some celebrants sing delightful St. Nicholas songs with the family . And together until today naturally again and again gladly something beautiful to the Nikolaus is tinkered.
In preparation for Christmas or at least overlapping the beginning of December, the celebration of St. Nicholas is often a nice reminder. St. Nicholas is the personified recollection of happy childhood days. The day of St. Nicholas is truly a day of remembrance. Because The figure of St. Nicholas stands for goodness, justice and devotion to the family. No one has to earn a present for Santa Claus. He just gives the gifts.
How we celebrate St. Nicholas Day on. December today
According to legend, St. Nicholas Day is celebrated every year on the 6th day of the month. December. St. Nicholas Day is originally a Christian day of remembrance, a Christian festival. Legal holiday, on the other hand, is the 6. Not in December, at least not in this country. The fixed date goes back to the date of death of the real St. Nicholas. St. Nicholas, who was the consecrated bishop of Myra in his time.
Why and who is the real St. Nicholas?. to his true commemoration we will come in a moment. Let’s first start with how St. Nicholas Day is celebrated by our children nowadays. For the feast is as varied as it is individual. It is a celebration of life and love. And above all, every child is eager to see it.
In essence, the core of custom and tradition to St. Nicholas today:
- Small and sometimes still large children firmly believe in St. Nicholas. Every child knows him. St. Nicholas really exists for children. His figure is certainly a legend for them, but just more than a metaphor. The idea of Santa Claus is an ideal for them.
- Santa Claus comes every year precisely like clockwork in the night of the 5. on the 6. December, while all the children are asleep. Secretly, quietly, he sneaks into the hallways, apartments and houses before the day dawns.
- There St. Nicholas leaves his sweet greetings, small presents and pretty gifts. Every child discovers the gifts from St. Nicholas joyfully when getting up in the morning. Many girls and boys get up especially enthusiastically and early on St. Nicholas Day.
- Santa Claus likes to deposit his gifts, his funny and tasty articles especially in freshly cleaned boots, socks and shoes. Thus it has become accepted in the present (in the meantime differently than for a long time in the history of the Nikolaustag). The boots are at the door. Sometimes it happens before the apartment door, sometimes before the door to the children’s room.
- For St. Nicholas there are usually only smaller gifts. Gladly it may be chocolate, fruits and sweets. St. Nicholas Day is not Christmas and also not a birthday. The figure of St. Nicholas is not Santa Claus and not the Easter Bunny.
In the sum- and this is what makes him different from other legends and traditional figures St. Nicholas is simply the friend of all children. St. Nicholas gives gifts just like that out of pure love and affection! He has no educational mission. Every girl and boy can look forward to St. Nicholas Day (strictly interpreted in Catholic terms) without any regulations or duties. At least that’s how it should be, as we’ll learn in a moment when we look at the facts about the history of St. Nicholas.