How To Celebrate Saint Nicholas Day on December 6: Traditions, History, and Sinterklaas
Quick Reference: Saint Nicholas Day, December 6
- Who: Saint Nicholas, a 4th-century Greek bishop in Myra (modern Demre, Turkey), patron saint of children, sailors, and merchants.
- When: December 6 (feast day) in most Western traditions; gifts left overnight December 5-6.
- What kids do: set out shoes on the hearth with carrots or hay for his horse; find candy, coins, or small toys in the morning.
- Celebrated in: Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Hungary, Croatia, parts of Greece and the Eastern Orthodox world.
- Companion figures: Krampus (Alpine), Black Peter (Dutch), Knecht Ruprecht (German), Père Fouettard (French) handle the naughty list.
- Connection to Santa: Saint Nicholas is the direct historical root of Sinterklaas, which became Santa Claus in 19th-century New York.
For many people in North America, the name Saint Nicholas (or “Old St. Nick”) is synonymous with Santa Claus. But in a long list of European countries, Saint Nicholas has his own day, several weeks before Christmas, on December 6. Children leave their shoes by the door on the evening of December 5 and wake up to find them filled with candy, nuts, oranges, and small toys. The holiday is older than Christmas trees, predates Coca-Cola Santa by sixteen centuries, and is enjoying a quiet revival in American households looking for a less-commercial early-December celebration.
Who Was Saint Nick?
You could say the modern-day Santa Claus is based on Saint Nicholas, but Santa is a secular form: a composite of the St. Nick in ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas (1823), the Thomas Nast cartoons of Harper’s Weekly in the 1860s, and the Coca-Cola advertisements painted by Haddon Sundblom from 1931 to 1964. The real St. Nicholas was a bishop in the 4th-century city of Myra, in what is now southern Turkey. Archaeologists believe they have discovered Saint Nicholas’s tomb, beneath the floor of the original Byzantine basilica at Demre. The Britannica entry on Saint Nicholas sketches the historical figure in more depth.
According to traditional hagiographies, Nicholas had pious and virtuous parents who died while he was young, leaving him with a comfortable fortune which he resolved to use for works of charity. He was known for his great kindness and his generous help to people in trouble. The most famous legend, the secret midnight delivery of gold to three poor sisters to provide their dowries, is the direct source of the modern stocking tradition (the gold reportedly landed in stockings hung to dry by the fire).
Today, the St. Nicholas Center documents 318 churches in the United States named after him. One can be found in almost every state, with most being in the northeast and north-central parts of the country.
St. Nicholas is shared by many Christian denominations; his name graces Roman Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Reformed, Methodist, Greek Orthodox, and Russian Orthodox churches. Many of these churches and their surrounding communities celebrate St. Nicholas Day around December 6.
Did St. Nick Wear The Red Suit?
St. Nicholas has been the subject of drawings, icons, and paintings throughout the ages. He is typically shown wearing a bishop’s robe and a miter on his head, and holding a crosier, a clerical staff resembling a shepherd’s hook.
Like the modern Santa, his clothing is often red, with plush white trim. Nicholas is sometimes depicted with a donkey, which carries saddlebags full of gifts, while other artists show him on a white horse. In the Dutch tradition, the horse is named Amerigo, and is the reason kids leave carrots and hay alongside their shoes.
Leaving Gifts
The belief that Nicholas had an incredible love for children probably stems from his help to those in need. And the tradition of secretly leaving presents in the night for children grew from the belief he did not want to be seen. He wanted those he helped to give thanks to God, not to him.
In Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands, gifts have been bestowed on children in St. Nicholas’s name for hundreds of years. The early Dutch settlers of New Amsterdam carried the custom across the Atlantic to what is now Manhattan, where it eventually melted into the December 25 figure of Santa Claus. But these nationalities aren’t alone in their historical affection for Nicholas.
In Russia, he and St. Andrew are joint national patrons. Celebrations of Saint Nicholas Day in Northern Europe traditionally included gifts left in children’s shoes.
Good children received treats: candies, cookies, apples, and nuts. Naughty children found switches or lumps of coal. Sometimes coins were left in the shoes for everyone, the original “stocking stuffer” before stockings became the dominant vessel.
Naughty or Nice?
In some European households, the father of the family dressed up as St. Nicholas on the eve of his feast. He came in, sometimes with his sidekick Krampus or Black Peter, and admonished the bad while rewarding the good. The companion figures vary by region: Krampus is the horned Alpine demon; Knecht Ruprecht is the soot-faced helper of Northern Germany; Père Fouettard (“Father Whipper”) is the French equivalent; Black Peter is the Dutch Zwarte Piet, a figure currently in the middle of a long cultural rethink.
Many of these traditions were brought to the New World by European immigrants, and in towns or neighborhoods with strong German, Dutch, or Belgian roots, children still put out their shoes or stockings to be filled with goodies on December 5.
Saint Nicholas Day Around the World
| Country | Local name | What kids do | Companion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | Sinterklaas | Shoes by the fireplace, carrots for the horse | Zwarte Piet (in transition to “Sooty Piet”) |
| Germany | Nikolaustag | Polished shoes by the door | Knecht Ruprecht |
| Austria, Bavaria, South Tyrol | Nikolaus + Krampuslauf | Shoe filling; Krampus parades on Dec 5 | Krampus (horned, chains) |
| Switzerland | Samichlaus | House visits; sing traditional verses for treats | Schmutzli |
| France (Alsace, Lorraine) | Saint Nicolas | Parades, gingerbread mannele rolls | Père Fouettard |
| Hungary, Croatia, Czechia | Mikulás / Mikuláš | Boots in the window Dec 5 | Krampus or Čert (devil) |
| Greece | Agios Nikolaos | Patron of sailors; ships’ blessings | None |
| United States (Dutch & German towns) | St. Nicholas Day | Shoes Dec 5 in heritage towns | Generally none |
How to Celebrate Saint Nicholas Day, December 6
In towns founded by Dutch settlers, like Holland, Michigan, and Pella, Iowa, there are annual St. Nicholas parades. In New Ulm, Wisconsin, German and Austrian legends of St. Nicholas are told, and a bonfire is made of the sticks that St. Nicholas had brought for bad children but found he did not need because they were all so good.
In Mifflinburg, Pennsylvania, St. Nicholas greets visitors during a three-day Christmas market inspired by the centuries-old traditional German Christkindlmarkt, or Christ Child Market.
If you would like to add a Saint Nicholas Day celebration to your family’s December calendar, here are some suggestions:
- Give treats: On the night of December 5, have children fill their shoes with pieces of carrot or bits of hay for St. Nicholas’s white horse or donkey, and then place the shoes outside bedroom doors, in windows, or on the hearth. A candy treat or simple gift should appear by morning.
- Be extra nice: Encourage children to come up with a kind “Nicholas deed” to do for someone else in secret, like shoveling an elderly neighbor’s walk, cleaning their rooms without being asked, or leaving an encouraging note for a classmate.
- Tell the story of Saint Nicholas: There are dozens of books about St. Nicholas available for both adults and children. The St. Nicholas Center website has a recommended reading list by age.
- Give gifts: In some Dutch homes, simple gifts are wrapped in deceiving ways. A pen might be found inside a hollowed-out carrot, or something small could be nested inside multiple boxes and wrappings. Recipients are often given riddles or clues in order to find where their gifts are hidden.
- Make St. Nicholas cookies: Speculaas (Dutch) or Spekulatius (German) are the classic spiced cookies of the feast day, pressed in wooden molds shaped like the saint himself. They keep for weeks and are a sweet bridge into Advent.
Saint Nicholas Day FAQ
When is Saint Nicholas Day?
December 6 is the feast day across most of Western and Central Europe. Gifts are typically left overnight from December 5 to December 6.
Who was Saint Nicholas?
A 4th-century Greek bishop of Myra, in what is now southern Turkey, famous for secret gifts to people in need. He is the historical figure who eventually became Santa Claus through the Dutch tradition of Sinterklaas.
What countries celebrate Saint Nicholas Day?
Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Czechia, parts of France (especially Alsace and Lorraine), Greece, Russia, and Dutch- and German-heritage towns in the U.S.
Why do children leave shoes out for Saint Nicholas?
The tradition traces back to the legend of Nicholas tossing gold through a window at night, which landed in stockings drying by the fire. Shoes became the European equivalent of the stocking.
Is Saint Nicholas Day the same as Christmas?
No. Saint Nicholas Day on December 6 is a separate feast day. In many European countries it is the main gift-giving day for children, with Christmas Eve and Christmas Day being more religious observances.
Who are Krampus and Black Peter?
They are the regional companions of St. Nicholas who handle the “naughty list.” Krampus is the horned Alpine figure who chases misbehaving children with chains. Zwarte Piet (Black Peter) is the Dutch helper currently going through a contested cultural transformation.
How did Saint Nicholas become Santa Claus?
The Dutch settlers of New Amsterdam (now New York) brought Sinterklaas with them in the 1600s. The 1823 poem ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, then Thomas Nast’s cartoons and Coca-Cola’s mid-century advertising, layered a secular Santa on top of the original saint.
Join the Discussion
Does your family celebrate St. Nicholas Day? Share your good deeds and gift ideas in the comments. For more December folklore, browse our unusual winter traditions guide.
Judy Kneiszel
Judy Kneiszel is a freelance writer from De Pere, Wisconsin. She contributes to regional and national magazines and newsletters, writing on a wide variety of topics including food, farming, health, renewable energy, and running a small business.
- Judy Kneiszel
- Judy Kneiszel
- Judy Kneiszel
- Judy Kneiszel
Merry Christmas 🎄🎁
Hi Judy,
Nice story, a good one to share with my US and Canadian colleagues.
Oliebollen are generally eaten around new years day. During Sinterklaas we eat pepernoten, kruidnoten spekulaas Stuffed or not 😉 and banketstaaf
A good overview of all kinds of sinterklaas ‘food’ can be found here: http://dutchfood.about.com/od/dutchholidayrecipes/a/Sinterklaas.htm
Rob.
actually? the olie bollen are no longer just prepared for New Year’s eve in the Netherlands..they are available from the middle of November in most cities and towns in the Netherlands these days..AND here where I live in this part of Canada? our Dutch stores sell Speculaas all year round!! and in Canada there are many many Dutch grocery stores that sell Sinterklaas and Christmas goodies..from about middle of Nov. or around the first of Dec.. but in the Toronto, Ontario, Canada area.. for decades there is an immigrant organization which has every year a sinterklaas afternoon for the children and their parents. where the Sint and his Black Peters come to visit. the after these days is with a magician but there is plenty of coffee and chocolate milke (imported from the Nls) for all to drink with of course the peculaas en the children all go home with a small bag of the typical sinterklaar goodies.. AND of course Speculaas..
St. Nicholas was an Orthodox Bishop in the Greek city Myra, which is in modern day Turkey. The dowry story is certainly cited on the celebration of his day in Orthodox communities world wide. In 325 at the Council of Nicea he shouted down the heretic Arias.
http://www.stnicholascenter.org/pages/who-is-st-nicholas/
I have celebrated St Nicholas Day since my children were little.@ 32 & 38 along with their children we still celebrate & everyone looks forward to it.It takes the edge off of Christmas anticipation.
Thanks for the St. Nick story. As my four kids were growing up, our household decorations played up St. Nick more than Santa to keep everyone focused on the Christian, not commercial, aspects of Christmas. Good Job! Merry Christmas to all!