Saint Nicholas Festival

In the fourth century, a man named Nicholas was the Bishop of Myra in Asia Minor (now part of Turkey). He was orphaned at a young age and inherited his father’s fortune. Nicholas gave much of his fortune away, often in secret, working for justice and caring for those in need. Nicholas, defender of the faith, was imprisoned by emperor Diocletian, and, later, under Emperor Constantine, attended the Council of Nicea, the first ecumenical council.

Long before there were official canonization procedures for the Roman Catholic or Orthodox Churches, Nicholas was recognized as a local saint – someone who had been led an exemplary Christian life. Nicholas’s fame spread, and by the Middle Ages, Saint Nicholas of Myra becomes the most popular religious figure next to Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary. Thoughout Europe, his feast day was celebrated as children received small gifts or candy on December 6, commemorating the day he died. Martin Luther wanted more attention to be paid to the Christ child (Christ Kindle), and moved the day of gift-giving to Christmas.

Eventually, secular versions of Saint Nicholas arose in Protestant areas, which no longer honored the saint. Nicholas became known as Kris Kringle (a variation of Christ Kindle), Père Noël, Father Christmas, and Sinterklaas (Dutch for Saint Nicholas, which was pronounced in English as “Santa Claus”). American stories of the 19th and 20th centuries, including those by Washington Irving and Clement Clarke Moore, transformed this man of God into an omniscient elf who lives at the North Pole and on a sleigh with eight reindeer bringing gifts to good boys and girls.

Today, there is little association between the saint and Santa, even in cultures that traditionally celebrate Saint Nicholas Day. Bishop Nicholas lived his life to bring glory to God, not to himself or to a culture based on consumerism and greed. He loved children and helped those in need, but didn’t give them everything they wanted. He would probably be ashamed to have his image used in the way it is today.

In Romania, on the night of December 5th, children put their boots outside their door. During the night, St. Nicholas (Sfântul Nicolae) visits. For children who have been good, he places fruit, candy, or a small gift in each boot, but for bad children, he puts a stick in the shoes.

Each year Veritas organizes a Saint Nicholas Day fair in the Sighişoara citadel square. It is a community event to celebrate the life of a saint from centuries ago, while also highlighting the work of local non-profit organizations. Local organizations set up booths to sell fund-raisers, choirs of all ages sing in the town square, and yes, there is even a visit from Saint Nicholas himself. He’s not “dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot” but rather in his bishop’s robes. Children don’t sit on his lap telling what they want for Christmas, but he gives small gifts to those who participated in the fair.

In a culture in which Christian traditions commemorating the saint are being mixed with growing materialism and advertisement from the West, we hope this is a fun way to educate people of all ages that even the one who has been transformed into the iconic symbol of a secular Christmas was, in reality, one who served his Lord and who would want all of the attention of this season to be upon his Savior’s birth.

Click here for pictures from this year’s Saint Nicholas Festival.

Additional information about Saint Nicholas can be found at www.stnicholascenter.org and www.nicholasofmyra-movie.com.