St. Nicholas Day traditions: A family celebration of giving
St. Nicholas Day is celebrated on December 6. In many families, children leave shoes by the door on the evening of December 5 and find small treats waiting in the morning. The custom brings a moment of delight into Advent, the weeks of preparation for Christmas. It also gives children a part in the celebration: receiving something with joy, then choosing something to give.
The story behind the gifts
Nicholas was a fourth-century bishop of Myra, in what is now Turkey. One of the best-known traditions about him tells of a father who could not provide dowries for his three daughters, the money expected when each daughter married.
According to the story, a bag of gold came through the family's window one night. A second gift followed. When the father discovered Nicholas bringing the third, the bishop asked him to keep the gifts a secret. Each daughter could now begin married life.
Passed down for centuries, the story remembers help offered quietly and personally. Nicholas had paid attention to what one family needed. The chocolate coins found in children's shoes recall those hidden gifts, giving a small treat a story to carry.
His story also helped shape the figure of Santa Claus, whose name developed from the Dutch Sinterklaas. Celebrating his December feast gives families time to become familiar with the bishop and the generosity remembered in his stories. Other traditions remember the same bishop as a patron saint of sailors, with stories of help at sea.
Begin on December 5
After dinner, tell the story in words your children understand. For a younger child, it can be as simple as this: “Nicholas loved God and cared about people who needed help. He shared what he had, and we remember him by giving too.”
Then let each child choose a shoe and set it near the door. An orange, a few chocolate coins, or a favorite cookie can make the morning feel special. Choose treats suited to the child's age and dietary needs. Older children might enjoy a small book, a new pencil, or a note recalling something kind they did that year.
A personal note gives the gift a memory: “I loved how you sat beside your brother when he was nervous.” It connects generosity with something the child already knows how to do.
If you are starting the tradition for the first time, keep the plan easy to repeat. A story, a small surprise, and time together give the day its shape. The details can grow with the children.
Let children become the givers
At breakfast, ask everyone to think of one person who might welcome some care. Let the children help decide what that care could look like. They might draw a card for a grandparent, choose a requested item for the parish food collection, or help prepare a meal for a family with a new baby.
Make the idea specific before the day fills up. Write the person's name, decide what you will do, and choose a time to do it together. A child can carry the bag, sign the card, or ring the doorbell. Each small task gives them a part in the gift.
Later, let them tell the story of their own small delivery. Who opened the door? What did they say? Returning to Nicholas's story can help children recognize the connection. A picture near the place where you read together gives them something familiar to point to as they remember.
Keep the story close
In a family prayer corner, Nicholas's bishop's hat, called a miter, and curved staff give children details to explore. The three balls he holds recall the gifts of gold to the daughters. You might ask which part of the story they remember when they look at him, and let the conversation follow their answer.
Our St. Nicholas of Myra art print carries the words “the joy of giving.” Hung where the family passes each day, it can call to mind the person whose card is still waiting to be delivered, or the neighbor a child has remembered. The shoes return to everyday use; the next thoughtful act is already taking shape.