INSIDE: Simple and beautiful ways to celebrate the tradition of St. Nicholas Day in your Catholic home!
I grew up with Santa Claus.
Not just any Santa Claus, but a REALLY generous Santa Claus.
My sisters and I received pajamas, dresses, toys, candy…it was always quite a haul! I have many wonderful memories of waking up VERY early in the morning (around 4:30 a.m.) to go see what Santa had brought before my parents went out to milk the cows.
When my husband and I started our own family, we also had Santa Claus. Slowly this has transitioned to observing a simpler St. Nicholas Day on December 6th and nixing Santa altogether at Christmas time.
I LOVE the tradition of St. Nicholas Day for several reasons:
- I don’t have to purchase gifts as both Santa Claus and as a parent.
- It allows us to still have “Santa Claus” but in a much simpler format.
- It lets us focus completely on Jesus when Christmas arrives.
Gifts
On the eve of St. Nicholas Day, our children set out their shoes (or sometimes Daddy’s work boots when they are greedy, which they often are!). In the morning they find dried fruit (usually apricots) and a little candy. They have also found books, peg dolls, and this nativity set (which was a real hit!).
Stumped as to what to put in your kid’s shoes or stockings this year? Here are a few simple ideas to get the ball rolling.
Gifts Ideas for St. Nicholas Day:
Gifts Ideas for St. Nicholas Day:- Fresh or dried fruit
- Christmas books (here are our favorites)
- Nativity set
- Candy Canes (share the legend of the candy cane)
- Special snacks (i.e. animal crackers, goldfish)
- Saint peg dolls
- Religious movie
- Trinkets: stickers, pencils, pens, erasers, tape, glue
Check out my post 100+ Ideas for a No-Toy Christmas for more ideas!
Food Ideas for St. Nicholas Day
What is a celebration without special food? St. Nicholas pancakes have become a family tradition over the last few years and are always a real hit with the kids. Here is a picture of what they look like.
(Image from: Blue Skies Ahead http://www.ptskjohnson.blogspot.com)
Traditionally, families make Speculatius cookies (recipe here) the night before St. Nicholas day, and several of the cookies become part of the loot distributed to the children. One year I made Speculatius, but they were definitely not a hit with our family! Instead, we will take some time to bake some of our personal family favorites.
Many families also give chocolate coins, but our family isn’t a fan of cheap chocolate (we are super fancy-smanshy!). Traditions shouldn’t be dictated by what others do, but what makes it enjoyable for your family!
Reading ideas for St. Nicholas Day
Every year, we try to highlight St. Nicholas as a true person, and explain how he has morphed into the commercialized Santa Claus we all know. This helps our kids make sense of the Santa they see at the local fire station (who happens to be our next door neighbor!).
We read this book:
Here are some other books about Saint Nicholas, though I can’t vouch for them:
And watch this movie:
We love our VeggieTales and their Saint Nicholas movie lives up to their reputation.
Crafts ideas for St. Nicholas Day
Disclaimer: I tend to avoid crafts like the plague. I find they take too much prep time, don’t really teach anything, and they quickly become clutter. Oh, how I loathe clutter!
We DO often take time to draw on saint days. I usually collect a couple of images of the saint and the kids and I enjoy drawing our own interpretation based on the images. I might print a coloring page for the youngest to color while the others sketch.
Here is a cute one:
Be Generous:
Take a cue from the saint. Why not be generous with your time or treasure in a special way on December 6th? This is something I’m hoping to incorporate for the first time this year.
Here are a few ideas:
- Write a note and have the kids make cards for a shut-in, your priest, or someone who might need some encouragment
- Visit a nursing home
- Take something to your neighbors (be brave and talk to them about how your family celebrates St. Nicholas)
As with all new traditions, if you’ve never done St. Nicholas Day, start small. Start by just placing treasures in your children’s shoes. Each year add a little something more.
What do you do for Good Ole St. Nicholas?
Other Posts you may like:
Advent and Christmas Read Alouds
Advent in Our Catholic Home
100+ Ideas for No Toy Christmas
{Catholic} Man Gift Guide
