Why do we celebrate Santa Claus?
St. Nicholas Day offers a little foretaste of Christmas. With the scent of tangerines, your child can get in the mood for the holidays. You can read more about the background of Nikolaus here.
On the eve of December 6th, each child polishes their winter boots and leaves them in front of the front door. Now it’s wait, wait, wait. If you look outside the door a little eternity later, the boots are miraculously filled with small gifts in the form of chocolate or fruit. But where does this custom come from? And did Santa really exist? What is the significance of Saint Nicholas Day and in which countries is Saint Nicholas celebrated? We want to get to the bottom of these questions.
Who was Nicholas?
He was indeed a historical figure. Nicholas of Myra was probably born in the second half of the 3rd century. At the age of 19 his uncle ordained him a priest. When his parents died, he distributed his inheritance among the poor.
Numerous legends were told about him, in which his philanthropy and helpfulness were put in the foreground. This made him a popular folk saint. He was considered a benefactor of merchants, sailors and especially children. But why is Santa Claus celebrated at all? Since 1555 children have received numerous gifts on the anniversary of his death. That’s why we celebrate St. Nicholas on December 6th. The tradition of filling the shoes at night can be traced back to a legend of three virgins who received gifts from St. Nicholas during the night.
Why is Saint Nicholas celebrated?
Since 1555 children have received numerous gifts on the anniversary of his death. That’s why we celebrate St. Nicholas on December 6th. The tradition of filling the shoes at night can be traced back to a legend of three virgins who received gifts from St. Nicholas during the night.
In our article “Not always chocolate – 12 great little ideas for Santa’s boots” you will find some great suggestions for great little things that you can surprise your children with.
Incidentally, St. Nicholas Day is not only celebrated in Germany. The saint is also honored on December 6 in Switzerland, Austria and the Netherlands. In the Netherlands, St. Nicholas Day is even more important than Christmas Eve.