December 6 - Saint Nicholas Day

We all know Santa Claus, aka Father Christmas, but what we don’t always know is what his true origins are. Santa Claus is actually a derivation of the various translations of Saint Nicholas, such as Sinterklass in The Netherlands. Saint Nicholas, Patron Saint of schoolchildren, bringer of gifts and a saviour of children, is fêted in many European countries on 5^th or 6^th December (depending on the country) every year, and to many children in Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands or the North East of France such as Lorraine, Saint Nicholas is just as important, if not more so, than Father Christmas. Countries that celebrate St Nicholas Day do have Christmas as it marks Jesus’ birth and is part of the Christian calendar, but contrary to us in the UK they also celebrate Saint Nicholas at the beginning of December, and treat St Nicholas like we do Santa Claus.

How St Nicholas Day is celebrated in Europe

One of the most famous legends of Saint Nicholas (especially in France) states that he saved three little children from a butcher called the Père Fouettard (whipping father). The legend says that the butcher lured the three children into his butchery where he killed them and planned to sell them off as ham due to the local famine at the time. When St Nicholas arrived in the area to feed the poor and hungry he resurrected the children and forced the butcher to follow him in penance for all eternity.

Traditional celebrations in France (typically the North of France, in Alsace and in Lorraine where St Nicholas is Patron Saint) involve baking gingerbread men and mannala, creating poems and singing songs while a man portraying St. Nicholas, often on the back of a donkey and with the Père Fouettard close by, gives away small gifts and oranges/clementines to good children. Traditionally children who have been bad are supposed to receive lumps of coal instead (in some villages children did receive real lumps of coal), but now just like Santa Claus Saint Nicholas tends to offer gifts to naughty children too!

St Nicholas - Sinterklaas - Santa Claus

In Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands many children put shoes in front of chimneys or at the door and sing songs about Sinterklaas. Children then wake up to gifts in their shoes the next morning. The night before December 6^th it is traditional for Sinterklaas to visit children who have been good and deliver gifts, usually by leaving sacks full of presents outside of homes or living rooms. Other celebrations include dancing and singing and actors portraying Sinterklaas ride into towns on their donkeys to bring gifts and treats to good children.

Other European countries such as Ireland, Malta and Italy organise local masses and church ceremonies to celebrate the memory of St Nicholas; gifts may be given to children on the morning of the 6^th December, but compared to the festivities in Germany, Belgium, France and the Netherlands the celebrations are far more low key and isolated to smaller groups.

Do you have any European residents in your care home? If you’re celebrating St Nicholas Day with them we’d love to hear from you. Also don’t forget that the festive period can be a very lonely time for elderly people living in care homes or who receive care at home. Try and organise as many festive events as possible to help the elderly enjoy their Christmas.