The Orthodox Christians following the Julian calendar observe the Feast of Saint Nicholas on December 19. Saint Nicholas is known for his faith and kindness. He is the symbol of merci and goods deeds, IPN reports.
Nicolas had a reputation for secret gift-giving, such as putting coins in the shoes of those who left them out for him, a practice celebrated on his feast day, and thus became the model for Santa Claus, whose modern name comes from the Dutch Sinterklaas.
The Feast of Saint Nicholas is a day of joy and rest, a family holiday and the Church encourages the Christians to come together around the table, to do good things and offer alms, as on other feast days.
The Feast of Saint Nicholas is celebrated on the evening before December 19, known as Saint Nicholas of Winter, as well as on the commemoration of the interring of his bones in Bari, the evening before May 22, known as Saint Nicholas of May.
Saint Hierarch Nicolas exists also in the conscience of other nations, such as the German, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian ones.
