Happy Feast Of Saint Nicholas: December 6
Happy Saint Nicholas’s Feast Day!
Saint Nicholas is the Patron Saint of Russia and was born near the end of the 3rd century. He was ordained a priest and became the abbot of a monastery. On the death of his uncle, the former Archbishop of Myria, Lycia, he was appointed to take his place.
The tradition of Saint Nicholas’s gift giving is derived from his generosity during his life. The most well know event is when he provided bags of gold for a man who had fallen into poverty and intended to abandon his three daughters and live a life of sin. The gold Nicholas gave to the man was used for his daughters dowries and Nicholas thereby saved both the man’s soul and the souls of his daughters.
He died in 342 and in 1087 his relics were rested in the crypt of the Basilica di San Nicola, Bari, Italy. They rest there to this day.
In 1957, the Italian anatomy professor, Luigi Martin, examined his bones. Since then, many depictions of what Saint Nicholas may have looked like have been formulated. (Read More About What Saint Nicholas Looked Like Here.)
And now… two Saint Nicholas Feast Day traditions
To celebrate his feast day, I baked Speculoos, a spice cookie which I bake every December 6. My younger siblings leave these cookies for Saint Nicholas when he comes down from heaven to fill their stockings. (If they were good).
(Here you can but Saint Nicholas cookie cutters from the Saint Nicholas Center.)
Another tradition, which is popular in Europe, in places such as France or Belgium, is Pere Fouettard. Pere Fouettard means “Father Whipper,” in French. He accompanies Saint Nicholas on December 6 and he “takes care of” the naughty, sinful children. He gives children coal or a beating, depending on how naughty they have been. Finally, for the extremely naughty children, he brings along a wicker basket, which he shoves them into and drags them through the woods.
Have a very blessed feast of Saint Nicholas.
Remember. Christmas does not start till December 25 and ends on Candlemas.
Saint Nicholas, Ora Pro Nobis.
Sources: Butlers Lives Of The Saints, https://www.forbes.com/sites/kristinakillgrove/2015/12/17/bones-of-saint-nicholas-reveal-what-santa-claus-really-looked-like/?sh=50bd797d29a1, https://www.stnicholascenter.org/who-is-st-nicholas/real-face
