In many European countries St Nickolas is celebrated in a special way. Here is what our partners wrote about this special day on TASK 5:
GREECE: In Greece we celebrate St Nicholas on December 6th .This day people with the name Nick,Nicolas and Niki celebrate their name day.We go to church but we don’t get presents from St. Nicholas. We get presents from Agios Vasilis (Santa Claus) on January 1st.
POLAND: In Poland we celebrate St Nicolas day on December 6th. Children write letters to St. Nicolas. In these letters there are wishes about presents. On December 6th St. Nicolas takes these letters and puts in children’s boots small gifts. Big gifts, children get on December 24. In our kindergarten every year on December 6th St Nicolas visit children. He play with them and takes them letters.
LITHUANIA: In Lithuania we don‘t celebrate St Nicolas day on December 6th. The vast majority of people do not know about St.Nicholas. In Lithuania he sometimes is called St.Mikalojus. They both are like one person and more famous is St.Mikalojus and he is considered as a prototype of Santa Clause. But there isn‘t tradition to give grifts or somehow else celebrate St.Nicholas day.
SLOVENIA: Children in Slovenia are lucky, because in December three men that bring presents visit them. First is St. Nicholas (Miklavž) that brings presents on 6th of December. Children usually get oranges, nuts, small chocolates. The children who didn’t behave well during the year get golden or silver rod to remind them to be better next year.
The second man is Santa Clause that brings present on 24th or 25th December. And the third one is Dedek Mraz (“Grandad Cold”) that brings present on the 1st of January. Here is a picture of all three good men.
SERBIA: In Serbia we celebrate St. Nicolas two times a year. Once on 19th December, and once on 22nd May. We gather for reach feasts with our friends and family.
Saint Nickolas
