Honoring Advent And The Patron Saint Of Children

By Shannon Hicks

According to Christian legend, late in the 3rd Century a young man named Nicholas lost his parents while still a teenager. The family’s wealth was inherited by the teenager, but the young man, who had been brought up in a devout home, soon began sharing his wealth with those who needed help.

Years later, wrote Scott Moore in an article called “Santa Was a Christian: The Story of Saint Nicholas” (Shine, December 1997), “Nicholas abandoned his wealth and heeded a call to the ministry.”

Nicholas (270-310) was at one time the bishop of the Christian Church in Myra, a town in Asia Minor, which is present-day Demre, Turkey.

It was during the persecution of Christians under the order of the Roman emperor Diocletian during Nicholas’ time as a bishop that Nicholas the bishop became sainted. Suspected Christians were ordered to make sacrifices to the Roman gods. Nicholas was a leader in the refusal of believers to cede, according to Mr Moore. “As a result of their suffering, those who survived were hailed by the people as ‘saints,’” the article continues.

Recognized and remembered through history for his tremendous generosity, today Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of all children.

The philanthropist has generally been depicted as an old man with a white beard, dressed in a long caped coat or evangelical robes. Regardless of what he has been called — Sinter Klaas or Sanct Herr Nicholaas in Holland, Sankt Nikolaus in Germany, Pere Noel in France, and Santa Claus in America, among other names and their origins — Saint Nicholas has remained through centuries a moralistic figure, rewarding the deserving children and punishing the difficult ones.

In accordance with early Christian tradition, saints are remembered in the Orthodox Church on the date of their passing from this life into the next. For this reason Saint Nicholas is thus remembered on December 6.

Advent comes from the Latin word ad-venio, for “an arrival” or “a coming.” It is observed during is the period beginning with the Sunday nearest to the feast of St Andrew the Apostle (November 30) and embracing the following four Sundays. In the western churches, Advent also marks the beginning of a new ecclesiastical year.

Few times are more celebrated than the Advent season. It is rich with traditions; everything from the manger scene to Christmas trees, music and carols are all reminders of the significance of this time of year. Advent begins the Christmas cycle.

Last weekend, Trinity Day School of Newtown combined the observance of the Feast of Saint Nicholas with an Advent celebration for many of its students. On Saturday, December 9, the youngest children of the school, the Lambs, through the students in third grade spent a few hours at Trinity Episcopal Church for “St Nicholas Day: An Advent Celebration.”

For 90 minutes, children and their parents were encouraged to participate in a number of activities, many with an ecumenical theme, as well as craft projects and cookie baking. After a session of caroling with Saint Nicholas, the children were encouraged to visit the church’s lower hallway. It was there that one of the biggest surprises of all was waiting for them: gifts from Saint Nicholas.

“Let’s see if we can catch him!” cried Myles Adams-Shepherd as he and two friends ran from the room where the caroling was taking place to the hallway where a simulated fireplace had been set up. Ninety minutes earlier, all of the children had been told upon arrival at the church to leave their shoes and boots at the fireplace and that if they were good, Saint Nicholas would surprise them.

He did indeed.

“Oh man, we missed him!” Brandon Bennett exclaimed as he also reached the fireplace. Trailing close behind was younger brother Keenan.

No one knew how the magical character managed to do it, but somehow during the Saturday morning program — even though Saint Nicholas was with the children during the caroling portion of their morning — small toys and candies mysteriously appeared in every one of the shoes and boots that had been left out. Some shoes had yo-yos, others had necklaces, and most had at least a few small pieces of candy.

The discovery of the gifts left by Saint Nicholas capped a morning that had been filled with children listening to stories, singing Advent carols, playing games such as “Sneak, Sneak, Give” (an adapted version of Duck, Duck, Goose), and making ornaments such as beaded wreaths, gingerbread men, angels, and pinwheels.

Saturday was not only an enjoyable way to spend a few hours of their time, for some children it was also the official beginning of their Christmas season.