Celebrating St. Nicholas Day

[@LoveRachelXOXOXO]

Thank you for the ideas Sarah! Our family is Orthodox Christian and we prefer to keep the focus of Christmas religious so gifts are kept pretty simple. Our church was incredibly fortunate a couple years ago to be visited by a relic of St Nicholas (his finger bone) so my children have no delusions of the American version of a magical Santa. I love your ideas for tiny gifts for the shoes. It is also customary to perform some act of service or make a donation in honor of the Saint on that day, and little children’s books about him can be found which also make a nice small gift to include.

[@nataliebourgeois3581]

We are learning to make our own peg dolls! They will be perfect for celebrating this. Our family loves everything Waldorf! Thanks for all the videos. I am using them for our homeschooling and family rhythm.

[@ellenh5976]

It’s funny to hear this :) here in the Netherlands we celebrate st Nicolas, aka Sinterklaas as big as you guys do Santa Claus :) and it’s very commercial! Somewhere in november Sinterklaas arrives on his boat in every big city. It is also on the news and he gets his own show. We have a special tv show every day “sinterklaas journaal” (like a news show about him). Children do put their shoes out and recieve these things you speak about, but they can do it every night from the moment he arrives officially until december 6th. And on the eve of the 6th, children get a big bag filled with toys. Sometimes parents ask a neighbor to knock on the door and put the bag on the doorstep and then run away. Sometimes they ask a family member to dress up like Sinterklaas and let the toys be delivered “in person” by ‘the man himself’. We celebrate Sinterklaas very big, but are way less into the gift giving on Christmas. Most ppl anyway :) we try to focus on the nativity story and family on Christmas.

[@laurasalsa]

And sometimes kids put a carrot in their shoe for his horse to eat. Similar to the cookies and milk kids give Santa.

[@kaykepop4084]

This sounds like so much fun. And more festive. I live in the US and of course we celebrate Christmas. Recently my kids asked if Santa is real. I remember reading about Saint Nicholas so I told them about him for the first time and my kids love hearing about all the wonderful things he did for people. My friend in Germany asked me this morning if we celebrate Saint Nicholas Day. I've never heard of it before, so I came straight to KZbin to find out all I can. I'm surprised to learn this is a day celebrated around the world, in different ways. But I love that no matter how it's celebrated it focuses on giving or at least teaches about the giving of Saint Nicholas. I missed the 6th for this year (it was yesterday). But I can't wait to start this tradition next year.

[@ellenh5976]

Actually; santa claus has been brought to the states in the 1800’s by european settlers. Back then it was also st nicolas. But he just got a makeover ;) and instead of shoes, you guys now have stockings and instead of black assistants he now has elves. But he still comes through the chimney ;) he was a real man once; a bishop who gave real coins to children. Sint er klaas -> santa claus. And before he was reformed by the church to “sinterklaas” he was, in pagan culture, the god wodan who rode through the sky on a sleigh with black horses and black ravens as his helpers. It’s another pagan holiday reformed by the church ^.^

[@mamaof2528]

I love this one! I started a tradition of giving my twins their holiday pajamas from St. Nicholas then taking their picture for our holiday card in front of the tree in their pajamas that night. They also get a holiday book from him to read throughout the season. Peg dolls are another favorite.

[@c.e.9280]

We brush our shoes now. And we always ad a little sweet over here. ( a lot of people do way to much over here too) Greetings from Germany.

[@lifewithfourlittlemen6030]

Can you recommend any books about St. Nicholas?

[@Moni-uo3sc]

We, in Hungary, place the child's polished boots into the window ledge, on the inside.

[@PhotographyFieldNotes]

Any books you recommend on Saint Nicholas? Having trouble finding one!

[@jwhippet8313]

A wonderful Methodist minister told me that St Nicholas's skeleton was once scanned so that his features could be scientifically reconstructed. They found his facial bones had been broken so many times that in life, his nose would have been sideways. He had been held and tortured for 13 years for his faith but came out not bitter or broken, but the kind of person people tell legends of kindness about. Edit: obviously not something to share with small children, but maybe meaningful for older young people.

[@daveberry9922]

thank you

[@nickonikolas7464]

😍😍😍

[@valeriegonzales2479]

I would love to see time stamps for all of the topics you cover in your videos.

[@robynsjp]

The idea of the shoe is to put carrots or similar, because Saint-Nicolas is traveling on a donkey which can use something to eat when the Saint comes through the chimney.

[@i.pezzotti853]

Why would Saint Nicholas eat something out of a shoe?! Wtf

[@robynsjp]

@@i.pezzotti853 You're obviously not from here, it's for his donkey. And it's a tradition in every household here in Belgium, Netherlands for generations.

[@i.pezzotti853]

Oh ok. No I’m from Italy

[@MariaM-wl8ks]

Sarah you’re invited to my house for Christmas

[@nicolerentschler6636]

🥰🥰🥰🥰

[@ana.catarina]

activities practice for children, please

[@wnoro1451]

jd