December 5 St. Nicholas
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Since we love this feast day so much and there is so much talk of Santa Claus around, we use both the vigil and the feast day to celebrate this saint.
To Do: -We watch the CCC video, The Boy Who Would Be Santa, or even the Veggie Tale one, St. Nicholas: A Story of Joyful Giving. There is also a promising movie in the making Nicholas of Myra. Check out their webpage: www.NicholasofMyra-movie.com -Explore the St. Nicholas Center’s webpage online for some activities, stories, and puzzles: www.StNicholasCenter.org -Read The Baker’s Dozen or other St. Nicholas story. -Bake some St. Nicholas cookies or have some other Santa Claus-like dessert. -And put out your shoes in the evening for St. Nicholas and his helpers to fill them with treats, but only if you’ve been good. St. Nicholas leaves us an occasional letter for the kids encouraging them in their faith. He also usually leaves gold (chocolate) coins like he does in the story when he gives gold for the girls’dowries. And he also leaves books, or medals, or DVDs or other religious items along with some “fun” items, like Hexbugs and Silly Putty. Many of our Advent books and DVDs have come from Saint Nicholas. In fact, for later elementary and middle school kids, there are many excellent Saint’s biographies. |
We don't do the normal "Santa Claus" thing. All our emphasis on Santa or St. Nicholas comes out on this his feast day and disappears. From here on out, it is the baby Jesus. I think that is the way St. Nicholas would want it. Any gift giving that takes place on Jesus’ birthday is a way for us to celebrate His birth. We
give and receive gifts as a way of giving gifts to the Christ child and being that Christ Child for one another. I don’t think there is anything wrong with doing the Santa thing. We just have chosen not to. Is Christmas morning just as fun and exciting? It sure seems to be. 
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