St. Nicholas Lessons for Children
Celebrate the Old European Custom of December 6
Teach the history of Santa Claus through the life of St. Nicholas.
St. Nicholas Day is a lesson in European customs, an example of charity and service, and is a reminder of the true spirit of Christmas.
Celebrated December 6, it's a preview of Christmas for your CCD students who are beside themselves with anticipation.
St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra
St. Nicholas was born in the third century in the village of Patara, which is now on the southern coast of Turkey. His parents died when he was young and Nicholas used his inheritance to help the needy, the sick and the suffering. He dedicated his life to God, became a priest and the Bishop of Myra while still a young man.
He was known for his generosity to those in need and his love of children.
When the first Europeans came to the New World, they dedicated cathedrals and named ports and settlements after their beloved St. Nicholas.
Dutch and German settlers, primarily in Pennsylvania and New York, continued their devotion to St. Nicholas by leaving nuts, apples and sweets in shoes left beside beds, on windowsills, and before the hearth on the eve of St. Nicholas Day.
After the American Revolution, New Yorkers began to revive the colony’s nearly forgotten Dutch roots and St. Nicholas was soon found in stories, poems, paintings and illustrations. He was depicted not as the saintly, stately bishop, but as a jollier man in a festive red suit, leaving gifts for children by sliding down chimneys. The image was complete with the 1823 poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” better known as “The Night Before Christmas.”
Meanwhile, back in Europe, St. Nicholas had retained his traditional roots and it continues today. In Germany and Poland, boys dressed as bishops beg alms for the poor. In the Netherlands and Belgium, St. Nicholas arrives on a steamship from Spain to ride a white horse on his gift-giving rounds. In the Netherlands on December 5, people share candies, chocolate initial letters, small gifts, and riddles. Dutch children leave carrots and hay in their shoes for the saint's horse, hoping St. Nicholas will exchange them for small gifts.
In parts of Europe, Canada and South America, children place notes to the baby Jesus on the windowsill on the night of December 5, along with a list of Christmas presents they want, in hopes that St. Nicholas will take their notes to Heaven.
To help your class celebrate the Christian tradition of St. Nicholas Day, here are some suggested activities:
- Tell a story of St. Nicholas. There are several legendary stories of St. Nicholas and his loving, kind spirit that children will find fascinating. Read some of them to your class. Encourage your students to perform their own kindness to someone else, in the spirit of St. Nicholas.
- Make a St. Nicholas Christmas tree ornament. The recognized symbol for St. Nicholas is the red and yellow bishop’s miter. Cut out red felt into the shape of a miter and yellow felt into a cross shape. Have the children glue the cross in the center of the red miter and decorate with glitter, snowflakes or other decorations. Punch a hole in the top and attach a looped ribbon for hanging.
- Do the custom of the shoes. Have the children place their shoes outside the classroom door. While one adult is reading a St. Nicholas story, another adult fills one shoe of each pair with a small bag of chocolate coins, peppermints and other goodies. After the story, tell the children to go get their shoes and they’ll find their treats from St. Nick.
- Share gifts. Have children put together small bags of treats and then draw names for a “Secret Santa” exchange.
- Color some St. Nicholas coloring sheets.
- Make St. Nicholas figures.
Sources: St. Nicholas Center Web site; Online Learning Haven
