Saint Nicholas
December 6, 2026
A feast for Nicholas of Myra, Saint Nicholas Day is celebrated on December 5 and/or 6 every year in certain European countries, notably in Scandinavia and Central Europe. It is mainly aimed at children.
In some Orthodox countries, the feast takes place on December 19.
Bishop of Myra, born in the late 3rd century in Lycia (in what is now southern Turkey), he is the protector of children and the patron saint of unmarried young men, as well as the patron of sailors. In France, Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of Lorraine, and is still celebrated in eastern and northern France. He is the one who hands out gifts to well-behaved children, sometimes accompanied by Père Fouettard, for children who have not been well-behaved.
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