In Ukraine, the Day of St. Nicholas is celebrated.
As reported by Ukrinform, St. Nicholas Day is a significant milestone in the pre-Christmas calendar: it seems to open the door to further winter celebrations, such as the bright Christmas and New Year.
St. Nicholas was a bishop in Myra (Lycia, Turkey) in the 4th century. According to his biography, he was born into a Christian family and displayed remarkable piety from a young age, becoming a priest at the age of 19. Even during his lifetime, he was known for reconciling enemies, defending the wrongfully condemned, and helping the needy in various ways. From generation to generation, it has been passed down that for his good deeds, the saint was granted by God the gift of being constantly invisible among people, administering justice and aiding those in distress after his death. This saint has long been revered as a miracle worker. His relics have rested in the Italian city of Bari since 1047, having arrived there after the Turkish conquest of Lycia.
The veneration of St. Nicholas came to Ukrainian lands along with Christianity and gained significant popularity. For instance, in Kyiv alone, several icons of the saint were known to be miraculous. The most famous and oldest among them include the image of St. Nicholas the Wet in St. Sophia Cathedral, and the images of St. Nicholas the Good, St. Nicholas the Pressed, and St. Nicholas the Riverbank in the parish churches of Mykola in Podil. It is known that the Zaporizhzhian Cossacks held the saint in particular esteem.
Seafarers and travelers consider St. Nicholas to be their foremost helper.
St. Nicholas Day in Ukraine is a particularly cherished holiday for children. Kids knew that on this night, St. Nicholas descends from the heavens and leaves gifts under the pillows of all obedient children, while the disobedient find sticks instead. However, this almost never happens.
On St. Nicholas Day, it was customary to work for the benefit of others, especially the poor and orphans, and to do nothing for oneself. On this day, preparations for Christmas would begin.
By this time, winter has firmly taken hold. As the well-known proverb says: “St. Nicholas shakes his beard – he lays the road.”
It is worth noting that the Orthodox Church of Ukraine transitioned to the new Julian calendar on September 1, 2023, marking the beginning of the church's new year. Thus, St. Nicholas Day is now celebrated on December 6, Christmas Eve on December 24, Christmas Day on December 25, and Epiphany (Theophany) on January 6.
At the same time, the OCU emphasized that the transition of churches to the Julian calendar is voluntary, and the fact that certain parishes and monasteries remain on the old style should not be a cause for disputes. Therefore, some Ukrainians continue to celebrate St. Nicholas Day not on December 6 but traditionally on the 19th.
Regarding festive events in the capital on this day, as was the case last year, the Kyiv Defense Council decided to prohibit mass events during Christmas and New Year. The main Christmas tree of Ukraine, as in previous years, was set up with the funds of patrons. The ceremonial opening is traditionally planned for St. Nicholas Day, December 6. A photo zone and several stalls selling only souvenir products will be set up near the Christmas tree. Mass events, fairs, or other entertainment in St. Sophia Square are not planned.
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