What Date is St. Nicholas Day Celebrated, and What is Its Connection to the Santa Claus Myth?

The widely recognized white-bearded Christian saint, who influenced the creation of the secular Santa Claus figure in America, has a lesser-known origin story. Saint Nicholas, celebrated every year on December 6, is known for his generous acts, which extend far beyond merely giving children candy and toys.

Saint Nicholas was a 4th-century Christian bishop from the port city of Myra, now part of modern-day Turkey. According to Rev. Nicholas Ayo, author of “Saint Nicholas in America: Christmas Holy Day and Holiday,” much of Saint Nicholas’ life is shrouded in legend, with little hard historical evidence. Ayo, a retired Notre Dame University professor named after the saint, emphasizes that the importance of these legends lies not in their factual accuracy, but in their reflection of a deep human longing for unconditional love.

During the Middle Ages, devotion to Saint Nicholas spread throughout Europe. He became a favorite subject of medieval artists and liturgical plays and is the patron saint of various entities, including Greece, Russia, Moscow, New York, charities, children, and pawnbrokers. Saint Nicholas is also revered by sailors. In 1807, Italian sailors relocated his remains from Myra to Bari, Italy, where a church was built in his honor and his relics are housed in the 11th-century Basilica of San Nicola.

St. Nicholas Day, celebrated on December 6, coincides with the start of the winter storm season on the Mediterranean, making it a fitting date for the patron saint of sailors. This day is traditionally marked by filling children’s stockings and shoes with sweets and toys.

The legends of St. Nicholas’ generosity are varied, including stories of him helping wrongly convicted prisoners, rescuing sailors from storms, and secretly providing dowries for an impoverished man’s daughters.

The figure of St. Nicholas transformed into America’s Santa Claus over time, particularly influenced by Dutch Protestants who settled in New York in the 17th century, bringing the Sinterklaas tradition with them. This transformation was further influenced by artist Thomas Nast, an engraver in Morristown, New Jersey, who contributed to Harper’s magazine. Nast’s illustrations, inspired by Clement Clarke Moore’s poem ‘Twas the Night before Christmas’, played a crucial role in evolving the image of Saint Nicholas into the modern-day Santa Claus. However, in Europe, the traditional bishop figure of Saint Nicholas is still celebrated.