The history of Saint Nickolas Day, Poland

True sTories of Saint Nickolas

(exempts from pupils’ compositions)

 He didn’t fly by sledges with reindeers, he didn’t wear red coat and cap. He was the authentic religious figure bishop from Mira and only he knows what children dream of – from their dreams, imagination and letters.

Here’s the story of this day by eyes of children from the 3 grade.

A long, long time ago there was a boy named Nickolas. He was born in Patara (the territory of modern Turkey), but lived in a town called Mira in Greece. His parents were very, very rich and he studied in a good school, he had the best toys, the most expensive clothes and the most delicious food. He was very religious boy, every day went to the church and prayed to the God. But when he looked around he saw a lot of poor people and sad hungry children. And he was trying to explain this to himself. He thought that God has so much work to do that He can’t care about all people and children at the same time, and little Nick decided to help the God. As he was a shy but clever boy, he didn’t want the others to see and thank him when he gave sweats, food and toys to poor children. So at night he secretly sneaked out of the house and walked in the streets of Mira and put different treats- sweets, cakes, fruit or toys at the door. He was very happy when he saw smiling children’s faces next day. The other sources say that he took a big bag with food when he went to the church and gave it to poor on his way. His parents were very proud of him when they saw this. And after their death he inherited all the property. Seeing his good deeds the inhabitants of Mira selected him for a bishop. There are different legends about his help to poor people, but the most famous one says that there was a man who had three daughters. As he was very poor he couldn’t give dowry for them and nobody wanted to marry them (the other version is , that the bishop Nickolas heard the quarrel of two men in the street, one man was in debts and the other was ordering him to give his three daughters in slavery), so Nick decided to help immediately. He ran back home, prepared a big bag with jewelry and when it got dark he threw the bag through the window into the house, according to other sources he threw the jewelry through the chimney and all these golden things fell into the socks and shoes which have been dried at the chimney. Perhaps this explains why children find presents in socks, stockings or boots. People even began to believe that when they write the letter to Saint Nickolas, he will help them for sure. The day of his death 6 December is considered to be The Saint Nickolas Day in Poland. Authentic figure of Saint Nickolas doesn’t look like the children generally imagine him, on the icon he is a saint with a beard and with mitres on his head and pastoral stuff in his hand.

Nowadays the children very often associate Saint Nickolas with Santa Claus. He’s plump and he’s got a slightly protruded tummy, he has white beard and he’s wearing red coat and a bag with presents on his shoulder. In their compositions they wrote that the God saw all goodness what he has done and granted him a house in Laponia, Finland. 

 Just remember! Saint Nickolas is the favourite saint of our children. In the morning on December 6 children who were polite throughout the year (actually not only them) find the presents under the pillow or in the stocking or… at home. Also they get small presents at school.

How do we celebrate this day at school?

One-two-three weeks in advance children together with their class tutor vote the the person for whom they prepare/buy the present. The present is symbolic- the bag with sweets or some small souvenirs and chocolate. On December 6 in the morning they bring presents to school (every year there’s a special room designated for this) and Saint Nick (man dressed in red coat and with white beard, generally our priest Bogdan) together with two angels and a devil ( as a rule pupils of the 6^th grade dressed properly) bring presents to the classes during the 2, 3 and 4 lesson. The children are often asked if they have good marks or sing a song or recite a poem.

It’s also popular to write a letter to Saint Nick, but this is more home made tradition than a school one.