St. Nicholas Day

You may think it's too early for St. Nicholas to come. But Englishmen and Americans (and lots of people in other cultures) won't agree. This night they have been waiting for His visit and gifts. The thing is that in Western Christianity (Gregorian calendar) they celebrate this great holiday on the sixth of December. 

Saint Nicholas and the UK (England)  

England has more than 500 churches named for St. Nicholas. These parishes and cathedrals mark their patron saint's feast day with a special Patronal Feast. As St. Nicholas Day is in early Advent and he is associated with children and gifts, many churches invite the saint to visit during, or after, the Sunday service, to explain who he is and what it means to celebrate his memory today. (Some churches do observe the day properly on the 6th rather than on the closest Sunday because each Advent Sunday has its own important theme.) On this day the homily reflects St Nicholas' true identity, as opposed to the more commercial Father Christmas or Santa. This is also a time for collecting food, gifts, and money for the less financially privileged.

Before the English Reformation, when Henry the VIII led the Church of England away from the Roman Catholic Church, Nicholas was one of the most popular saints in England. Besides churches under St. Nicholas' patronage, "Nicholas" was one of the most common names for boys, as shown by baptismal records of the time. The medieval Boy Bishop custom, though practiced on the Continent,  was most enthusiastically embraced in England.

Some English parishes and cathedrals have recovered the Boy Bishop custom which dropped out of favor in the 16th century. One of the choristers is selected to serve as the Boy or Nicholas Bishop. He wears full episcopal robes and carries the Lord Bishop's pastoral staff. At the words from the Magnificat, "He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly," the Boy Bishop, illustrating such an inversion, processes through the Quire and takes the Bishop's seat. For example, in Hereford Cathedral, the commissioned Boy Bishop preaches a sermon, leads the prayers, and asks for God's blessing on the people. In some places the custom has been updated with either a boy or a girl serving as the youthful bishop.

Saint Nicholas and Ukraine

St. Nicholas, Sviatyij Mykolai, comes to Ukraine on  the 19th December (by the Orthodox Julian calendar). The night is often called "Magic Night" or just St. Nicholas Day. It is seen as a universal children's festival.

It is a happy day with visiting and sleigh rides. Schools have plays telling Nicholas stories and the saint visits local churches. Dressed as a Byzantine bishop, the good saint is often accompanied by angels. He quizzes children on their catechism before giving gifts. St. Nicholas Day is the main day for gift-giving, though gifts are also becoming associated with Christmas Day. Today many Ukrainian churches have St. Nicholas celebrations to help children understand that the holy man Nicholas came long before Santa Claus.

St. Nicholas history in Ukraine goes back to the 10th and 11th centuries. In churches, his icons are prominently placed next to Jesus, the Mother of God, or the patron saint of the church. His icons were found also in nearly every home. In the mountains of western Ukraine where the Hutzels named the four seasons of the year after saints, winter honors St. Nicholas.

Ukrainian folk tradition recognizes two Saint Nicholas figures: "cold Nicholas" and "warm Nicholas."

Cold Nicholas, the familiar winter saint, is believed to bring the first snow by shaking his beard. In Western Ukraine accompanied by angel and devil figures, he is celebrated with gift-giving as described above. As the patron saint of spinning, yarns and thread were brought to church to "add to his beard."

Celebrated in the spring, warm Nicholas, patron saint of farming, is said to walk the land to dry overly wet areas and dampen the dry. On the festival horses begin grazing in the fields, sheep are sheared, and buckwheat sowed. In port areas the festival focuses on Nicholas as patron saint of the seas. Cossacks, like the Greeks, take St. Nicholas icons when sailing the treacherous Black Sea.

                                                                           www.stnicholascenter.org