Special quiz on St. Nicholas Day: What do you know about St. Nicholas Day?

It's that time of year again on December 6: St. Nicholas Day is just around the corner. But why do we actually celebrate this day and who was St. Nicholas? You can read everything you need to know about St. Nicholas in this article.

What do you know about St. Nicholas? Test your knowledge:

How many questions could you answer correctly? Read the article to find out more about the fascinating history and customs surrounding St. Nicholas Day!

The most important facts in brief

• St. Nicholas is celebrated in Germany and other European countries on December 6.
• St. Nicholas is a Christian day of remembrance in honor of St. Nicholas of Myra.
• The very charitable bishop died on December 6.
• St. Nicholas is the patron saint of children and young people as well as many other groups of people.
• The custom of filled boots comes from the legend that St. Nicholas saved three girls from prostitution by giving them gold.
• Traditionally, only good children are given presents by St. Nicholas.
• In many stories, St. Nicholas is accompanied by a helper or antagonist who reprimands naughty children.
• The story of Santa Claus can be traced back to the story of St. Nicholas.
• December 6 is not a public holiday.

In Germany and other countries, December 6 is a highlight for children. The night before, they put their boots outside the door and hope to find sweets and small presents in them in the morning.

However, St. Nicholas Day is much more than just the occasion for sweets in the boots. There is a long tradition behind this custom that dates back to the Middle Ages.

This article takes a look at the history of St. Nicholas Day, the legend of St. Nicholas and the significance of this special day, which is an integral part of the pre-Christmas season in many countries.

TAG24 explains why we celebrate St. Nicholas and who St. Nicholas of Myra was.

Traditionally, St. Nicholas Day takes place every year on December 6. St. Nicholas always comes on this date because it is the anniversary of the death of the real St. Nicholas of Myra.

Saint Nicholas, December 6, is a Christian day of remembrance in honor of Saint Nicholas of the Catholic Church, which is associated with numerous customs.

If you would like to send your family, friends and acquaintances some nice sayings for St. Nicholas, take a look at our sayings.

St. Nicholas really did exist. He was the bishop of Myra, an ancient city that is now called Demre and is located in the province of Antalya in Turkey. Exactly when Bishop Nicholas of Myra lived is disputed. The dates of his birth and death lie between 280 and 351 AD.

Numerous legends and tales surround the deeds and miracles of Nicholas. For example, the wealthy Nicholas was known in his home town for his charity and love of his neighbor.

He used his inherited fortune to help the sick, the poor and children. He sometimes gave gifts to children in secret. St. Nicholas is considered the patron saint of children and young people, schoolchildren, girls, virgins, old people, altar boys, firefighters, pilgrims, travelers and sailors, stonemasons and candle makers.

Even though it is not clear when Bishop Nicholas of Myra lived, December 6 is known to be the date of his death.

One story about St. Nicholas says that a father lived in Myra with three daughters. The father was very poor and wanted to force his daughters into prostitution.

When Nicholas learned of the girls' fate, he threw gold into the girls' chimney on three consecutive nights, which collected in their boots and stockings hanging there to dry.

On the third night, the father caught Nicholas. He asked his name and thanked him for the gold, as the family was now provided for.

This St. Nicholas story served as the basis for the custom of giving presents to children and the needy on the night of December 6, particularly in the Middle Ages.

As Nicholas of Myra was a bishop, he wears a blue bishop's robe in the original depictions. However, there are also numerous depictions in which Nicholas' robe is red.

Nicholas is usually depicted as an old man with a white beard. His appearance includes the choir robe, the stole, the bishop's ring, the alb (white tunic), the cingulum (belt), the golden crosier and the mitre, a traditional liturgical headdress for bishops with the sign of the cross on it.

Because of the story of St. Nicholasmentioned above , the saint is often depicted with three golden balls in his hand.

In Germany, St. Nicholas comes on the night of December 6. In the beginning, people gave each other lavish gifts for St. Nicholas. When the worship of saints fell into disrepute with the reformer Martin Luther between 1517 and 1648, the lavish gift-giving shifted to the birth of Jesus Christ.

Since then, the Christ Child has brought the big presents on December 24th. For this reason, on the eve of St. Nicholas Day, only small gifts are given to well-behaved children in polished shoes and boots.

In the northern and central German-speaking regions, St. Nicholas is accompanied by his helper Knecht Ruprecht. Knecht Ruprecht is usually a kind of antagonist to Nicholas, symbolizing negativity and even hell. Figures such as Knecht Ruprecht served as an additional means of parental education from around the 16th century.

Pious or good children are given presents by St. Nicholas, whereas naughty children are punished by Knecht Ruprecht.

Events and traditional rituals are also held in other countries in Europe and around the world in honor of Saint Nicholas. You can find out which customs exist around the world below.

St. Nicholas is called Samichlaus in Switzerland. December 6 is celebrated as a day for the family.

People get together, drink coffee or eat at night and receive a visit from St. Nicholas and his helper Schmutzli. Children have to recite a poem, the Samichlaus verse, and are then given presents by Samichlaus.

Santa Claus also tells the children what they have done well during the year and where there have been problems. Adults usually give each other personal gifts.

Grittibänzen are baked for St. Nicholas Day. This is a yeast pastry with raisins in the shape of St. Nicholas. The cookies are also known as Weckmann, Dambedei, Grättimaa, Hefekerl, Klausenmann, Martinsmännchen, Krampus or Stutenkerl.

Another tradition is the so-called Klausjagen, which takes place on the night of December 5-6 in the Swiss municipality of Küssnacht am Rigi.

The Dutch version of St. Nicholas is called Sinterklaas. The tradition of the Sinterklaas festival, which is much more important than Christmas in the Netherlands, has existed since the 15th century.

The official start of the Sinterklaas season is the arrival of Sinterklaas in November on the first Saturday after St. Martin's Day. Every year, Sinterklaas arrives from Spain by steamboat, usually the Pakjesboot 12. The whole event is even broadcast on Dutch television.

Legend has it that Sinterklaas rides over the rooftops on a white horse on the night of December 5-6. He is assisted by his helper Zwarte Piet.

The actual festival takes place on December 5, where people eat and celebrate together. The children put their shoes in front of the fireplace, in front of the heating or at the back door. It is traditional for them to stuff a drawing for Sinterklaas and/or something tasty for the horse into the shoes.

The next day, well-behaved children find small gifts in their shoes. A traditional gift in the Netherlands is chocolate letters.

Fun fact: Did you know that Sinterklaas is celebrated throughout the Netherlands, except in the Frisian village of Grouw? Sint-Piter is celebrated there on February 21.

The American Santa Claus can be traced back to the Dutch Sinterklaas.

Dutch settlers brought the tradition of Sinterklaas to the USA in the city of Nieuw Amsterdam. Sinterklaas served as the inspiration for developing their own American Christmas tradition.

The figure of Santa Claus combines Dutch, German, English and Scandinavian Christmas traditions. In contrast to Sinterklaas, Santa Claus brings presents on the morning of December 25th.

The typical appearance of Santa Claus was largely shaped by the Coca-Cola Company. The American illustrator Haddon Sundblom (*1899, †1976) drew Santa Claus in 1935 on behalf of the company.

As St. Nicholas originally comes from Turkey, many people make a pilgrimage to Demre on December 6.

In Turkey, St. Nicholas is also called "Noel Baba", which means "Father of Christmas".

St. Nicholas also comes to Italy as San Nicola. There, on the night of December 6, he places small gifts on the gift plate in front of the children's bedroom.

The Italian municipality of Bari is particularly associated with the real St. Nicholas of Myra. It is home to the Basilica of San Nicola, which contains relics of St. Nicholas. In 1087, southern Italian merchants stole the relics from the tomb of the saint in the Church of St. Nicholas in Myra and transferred them to their home town of Bari.

The "Festa di San Nicola" is celebrated in Bari every year from May 7 to 9. One tradition is to auction off a trip with the holy statue of San Nicola among the sailors.

In Germany and other countries, St. Nicholas Day, i.e. December 6, is not a public holiday, but merely a church commemoration day. In Luxembourg, preschool and elementary school children are off school.

St. Nicholas Day is much more than just a happy occasion for giving sweets. It combines a centuries-old tradition with the values of charity and generosity that Bishop Nicholas of Myra embodied in his time.

St. Nicholas Day is a reminder of how important it is to help others and do good.