...and Saint Nicholas too!
- mrymntcpw
- Nov 30, 2025
- 2 min read
11/30/25
Today is the first day of Advent, so in deference to Saint Nicholas Day (December 6), I offer "manna" excerpted from the link below:
Saint Nicholas was an early Christian bishop of the ancient Greek city of Myra (modern-day Demre, Turkey). [He died there on December 6, AD 343.] During his life he gained the reputation of uncommon concern for the needs of his people, and after his death he became renowned as a great miracle worker.
[The most well-known St. Nicholas Day tradition] is a fun one. The night before the feast day, children will leave their shoe or boot out in front of the fireplace. When they wake up the next morning on December 6, they’ll find their shoe filled with small gifts like coins, candy, and oranges. The coins are given in remembrance of the coins St. Nicholas left the girls in need of a dowry. The oranges are given to signify the gold that St. Nicholas gave away to those in need. This tradition comes from the legends of St. Nicholas’ generosity and led to the celebration of Santa Claus on Christmas Day today. In some countries, like Germany and Austria, St. Nicholas is accompanied by his counterpart the Krampus. Much like the legend of Santa Claus, the Krampus will leave coal in the shoes of misbehaving children. Children are encouraged to participate in acts of kindness to stay off of the Krampus’ naughty list.
Being a non-Catholic, I, non-the-less, endorse the central lesson of Saint Nicholas Day-the recognition of the poor and the responsibility of us all to be generous when providing for their needs. Let us be advocates for the poor and disenfranchised among us, both in our political ideology, and through random acts of kindness.
During the season ahead, I will be looking for special ways to demonstrate generosity.
In conclusion, I offer an excerpt from Saint Nicholas, a cantata, by Benjamin Britten. Click on the link below.
CPW
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