A special holiday on December 19th is St. Nicholas Day: history, traditions, omens

Every year on December 19, Orthodox Christians celebrate the Day of Memory of Nicholas the Wonderworker, who is also called Myra, or Nicholas the Wonderworker. The saint is considered the prototype of Santa Claus. In the national calendar, the holiday is called Nikola Winter. In 2025, the date falls on a Friday. Read about its history, traditions, signs and strict prohibitions in the Izvestia article.

What is the church holiday on December 19th — St. Nicholas Day?

The earthly life of St. Nicholas, one of the most revered Christian saints, occurred at the turn of the III–IV centuries, and the city of Myra in the Lycia region in modern Turkey became the center of his ministry.

According to church tradition, Nicholas was born in the ancient city of Patara into the pious and wealthy family of Theophanes and Nonna. For a long time, the couple remained childless and prayed fervently for a child. They took the birth of their son as an answer to prayer, and from an early age the boy was raised in the spirit of the Christian faith, charity and abstinence. Already in childhood, the lives say, he fasted strictly, prayed a lot and was distinguished by an unusual seriousness of character.

Nicholas received a good education, studied the Holy Scriptures and theology, while trying to combine knowledge with practice — he avoided idle entertainment, stayed away from noisy companies, maintaining moral purity.

Seeing his spiritual maturity, the bishop of Patara ordained the young man to the priesthood. After the death of his parents, Nikolai inherited a significant fortune, but did not increase it — he quietly distributed most of the funds to the poor.

The most famous legend is connected with his help to a bankrupt neighbor who had three daughters. Their father, driven to despair, intended to condemn them to a life in a brothel, just to feed the family. Upon learning about this, Nicholas secretly planted bags of gold in the house at night — one for each daughter. This saved the family from disgrace and allowed the girls to keep their honor and get married. It was this image of a saint, imperceptibly bringing gifts, that eventually formed the basis of the European traditions of Santa Claus and Russian Santa Claus.

Later, Nicholas was elected Archbishop of Myra in Lycia. In this post, he combined severity towards himself with gentleness and attention to people, lived very modestly, adhered to fasting, was accessible to the flock, and protected the weak and destitute. During the period of persecution under Emperor Diocletian, the saint ended up in prison, sharing the fate of other Christians, and was released only after a change in state policy towards the Church.

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History knows many episodes in which the saint acted as a defender of Orthodoxy. Tradition tells about his participation in the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea in 325, where the foundations of the Christian faith were discussed, as well as about his principled position in disputes with followers of the Arian heresy.

A separate layer of stories is devoted to how Nicholas saved innocent convicts, stood up for the inhabitants of the World, ruined by excessive taxation, helped the city during famine and came to the aid of sailors in a storm. These stories have formed a stable image of Nicholas as a "speedy helper" — a saint who is turned to in the most critical circumstances.

In Russia, the veneration of Nicholas the Wonderworker was established shortly after the adoption of Christianity. His name quickly entered the liturgical texts, and temples and chapels in his honor began to appear throughout the territory of Ancient Russia.

One of the first widely known miracles on Russian soil is considered to be the rescue of a drowned child in Kiev through the prayers of his parents to the saint. For believers, this was a confirmation of his special patronage of children.

Orthodox tradition distinguishes three days of commemoration of St. Nicholas: December 19 is the day of his death, May 22 is the transfer of his relics to the city of Bari, and August 11 is his birthday. However, it was the winter date, St. Nicholas Day, that became especially significant for folk culture in Russia. Over time, a rich complex of church and household traditions developed around her, and the saint himself became entrenched in the popular consciousness as one of the main intercessors who are turned to for help in illness, family affairs and everyday needs.

Traditions of the national holiday of St. Nicholas the Winter on December 19th

Despite the fact that St. Nicholas the Winter fell on the Christmas fast (December 19 is the last day of its first stage), this day in Russia has never been considered an everyday day. It was customary to start it by attending morning worship in the temple. The faithful prayed to the saint for health, the well-being of the family, protection on the road and help in difficult matters.

In villages and small towns, Nikola Zimny has long been perceived as the milestone when winter comes into its own, and with it begins a series of long family evenings when all the household gathered at the table.

In some regions, common feasts were held — "Nikolschiny". At such a table, the villagers not only shared the food, but also solved important issues — they concluded deals, negotiated sales, and hired workers. It was believed that the conditions agreed upon "for Nicholas" could no longer be changed, otherwise the saint would not bless.

Children occupied a special place in the traditions of this day. Sweets and small gifts were prepared for them in advance, which were hidden under a pillow, in a boot, chest or other "secret" place. Their morning "discovery" was perceived as a miracle, a sign of St. Nicholas' special care. Over time, it was this tradition that formed the basis for the custom of giving gifts for New Year and Christmas.

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Nikola Winter was considered an important day for those who thought about family. Matchmaking was often scheduled for December 19th. It was believed that such unions received the patronage of St. Nicholas, therefore they would be especially strong, and the spouses would be protected from serious troubles.

Another tradition of the holiday is the sauna, on this day it was perceived not just as a hygienic procedure, but as a way to "wash off" fatigue, irritation and all the bad things that had accumulated over the year. After that, you shouldn't swear, so as not to "return" the negative.

For people engaged in trade and handicrafts, Winter St. Nicholas was considered a favorable time to travel to fairs. It was believed that the saint would not allow a dishonest merchant to deceive a buyer with impunity.

What else was recommended on December 19th:

• to do at least one good deed is to help someone in need, to support them with a word, to share food or things.;
• to forgive long-standing grievances, not to enter into an argument, even if there is a reason.;
• spend the day without fuss, in prayer, quiet household chores and communication with loved ones.

According to beliefs, on St. Nicholas Day it was important to observe moderation and justice not only in deeds, but also in one's own character, for this it was necessary to get rid of excessive harshness and irritation, to give place to mercy, with which St. Nicholas, according to legend, lived his life.

What not to do on St. Nicholas Day on December 19th

In the folk tradition, the day of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was considered bright and at the same time very responsible. The memory of the saint, who was called the protector of children, the poor and the offended, imposed special requirements on behavior. It was believed that any act of rudeness or greed on this day seemed to be committed "in front of his eyes" and could turn into protracted failures.

What else you can't do on December 19th:

• to scold and punish children, especially small ones — the ancestors believed that the child's resentment would "reach" St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and "return" to adults with failures, discord and anxiety in the house;
• to do hard work, general cleaning, needlework — the fuss promises the owner endless work without rest, the whole year will be spent in troubles without joy;
• Borrowing money means that anyone who borrows money on this day risks living in need for the next year.;
• to refuse to help those who ask for support — those who refuse to help the poor will soon find themselves in the same situation.;
• spending a day in despondency and melancholy — immersion in melancholy, complaints about life, demonstrative discontent can attract a series of minor and major troubles.;
• swearing, swearing, clarifying relationships — what is said in Nikola "multiplies" and returns to the person.

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Folk signs for December 19th

The ancestors carefully observed nature on St. Nicholas the Winter. They believed that this day "sets the tone" for all winter months and future crops.:

• A frosty, clear morning leads to a rich harvest;
• a lot of snow on December 19 — there will be a lot of grass in summer, which promises a good hay harvest and an abundance of pet food;
• severe frost on a holiday — the ground will freeze well, the pests will freeze out, and in the spring the field will "move away" smoothly.;
• sunny day — the end of spring will be dry, warm and favorable for field work;
• frost on branches and fences on the night before the holiday — the oats will be born, the cattle will be provided with food, which means that the farm will survive the next year in peace.;
• heavy snowfall, high snowdrifts — such weather will last at least until the New Year holidays, roads will be difficult, but water and moisture reserves will be sufficient.

Earlier, Izvestia reported on the signs of a special national holiday, Savva Day.