St. Nicholas Day

Today is St. Nicholas Day! Also known as the Feast of St. Nicholas, this holiday commemorates the early Christian bishop who became best known as “Santa Claus.” Traditionally, people across the world will celebrate with gift-giving, stories, and a feast! In honor of the occasion, gather your family to write letters to old St. Nick or invite friends to a Santa-themed dinner with this free online invitation you can deliver instantly by text!

St. Nicholas was born in Patara, Lycia (part of modern-day Turkey) and died on December 6th in the year 343 AD. Centuries after his death, St. Nicholas became known as the patron saint of children and a generous bringer of gifts. His feast day was widely celebrated in Europe from 1200 - 1500. The legend and name of St. Nicholas evolved over hundreds of years—from the Dutch Sint Nikolaas to Sinterklaas to Santa Claus as we know him today.

Learn more about the history of how St. Nicholas became the jolly bearded Santa Claus here. Happy St. Nicholas Day!