Saint Nicholas, 6 December: The Real Story Behind Santa Claus

On 6 December the Church remembers Saint Nicholas, one of the best-loved saints in Christianity. He is the real man behind the legend of Santa Claus, and his feast is a gentle way to bring a little of Christmas into the middle of Advent.

Who was Saint Nicholas?

Nicholas was bishop of Myra, a town in what is now Turkey, in the fourth century. Few facts survive from his life, but the stories told about him over the centuries all show the same thing: a man who loved the poor and gave in secret.

The best-known story is of a poor father with three daughters who could not afford their dowries and feared for their future. In the night Nicholas threw bags of gold through the window of the house, so that the family would not know who their benefactor was. Because of this and other stories he became the patron of children, sailors and anyone in need.

From Saint Nicholas to Santa Claus

The devotion spread across Europe, and in the Netherlands he became Sinterklaas. Dutch settlers carried the name to America, where it became Santa Claus. In many countries children still put out a shoe or a stocking on the night of 5 December, and find a small gift and a few sweets there the next morning.

Keeping the day at home

• Put a small gift in each child's shoe or stocking on the morning of 6 December, with a note about Saint Nicholas.
• Tell the story of the three bags of gold, and ask the children to do one kind thing in secret that day.
• Give something to people in need. Many families choose a charity at this time of year.
• Say a short prayer asking Saint Nicholas to pray for children everywhere.

Small gifts are easy to find in our shop, and most cost only a few euro. Try the Carlo Acutis Medal (€1.50), the Carlo Acutis Keyring (€3.50), a mix and match pack of Carlo Acutis prayer cards (€1) or the Our Lady of Knock medal (€5).

For more gift ideas at every budget, see our A Catholic Christmas Gift Guide: Ideas at Every Budget, and for the weeks leading up to Christmas, Advent at Home: A Simple Guide to the Four Weeks.

Marian Holy Art is an Irish Catholic company offering unique religious gifts and devotional items inspired by Lourdes, Knock and the Catholic faith. Our products are available exclusively through Marian Holy Art and are sold at Knock Shrine, Ireland.