Short answer: St. Nicholas was a fourth-century bishop of Myra in Lycia (in present-day Turkey), remembered by the Church on December 6. In 2026, December 6 falls on a Sunday, the Second Sunday of Advent, so the Sunday Mass of Advent is celebrated that day and the optional memorial of St. Nicholas is not observed at Mass. Families can still honor him at home with the traditional customs: shoes set out for small gifts, learning his story, and quiet acts of generosity toward the poor.
Before Santa Claus, there was a bishop: a real shepherd of the early Church whose memory Christians have loved for centuries. Getting to know him is a beautiful way to keep Christ at the center of December.
When is St. Nicholas Day in 2026?
The Church remembers St. Nicholas on December 6. In the calendar for the dioceses of the United States, his day is an optional memorial during Advent.
In 2026, Advent begins on Sunday, November 29, and the Second Sunday of Advent is December 6. The USCCB’s Liturgical Calendar for the Dioceses of the United States of America – 2026 lists December 6 as the Second Sunday of Advent, with the Sunday readings (Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11; 2 Peter 3:8-14; Mark 1:1-8) and no memorial of St. Nicholas. The Sundays of Advent take precedence, so at Mass that day we hear St. John the Baptist crying out, “Prepare the way of the Lord.”
That does not mean families must skip the saint. Home customs are not the Mass of the day, so many families keep their St. Nicholas traditions on the evening of December 5 and the morning of December 6, then go to Sunday Mass together. The two fit naturally: a bishop who prepared his people for Christ, in a season of preparing for Christ.
Who was St. Nicholas, really?
We know less than the legends suggest. The Catholic Encyclopedia (1911) notes that although he is “one of the most popular saints in the Greek as well as the Latin Church, there is scarcely anything historically certain about him except that he was Bishop of Myra in the fourth century.”
What the tradition does tell us, as summarized in the Catholic Encyclopedia:
- He was bishop of Myra, a city of Lycia in Asia Minor.
- He died on December 6, the date on which the Church keeps his feast. The encyclopedia gives the year as 345 or 352.
- Devotion to him is ancient. In the sixth century, Emperor Justinian I built a church in his honor in Constantinople.
- In 1087, Italian merchants carried his relics from Myra to Bari in Italy, where they are still preserved in the church of San Nicola. That is why he is also called St. Nicholas of Bari.
- He is honored as patron of mariners, merchants, bakers, travelers and children, and of many cities and nations.
Many stories grew up around him over the centuries. The best known is the legend that he secretly provided dowries for three poor young women so their father would not be driven to hand them over to a life of sin. Whether every detail is historical or not, the lesson the Church has drawn from his memory is clear: a bishop who loved the poor and gave in secret, as Jesus taught: “When you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing” (Matthew 6:3).
How St. Nicholas became Santa Claus
The Catholic Encyclopedia records that in Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands it became the custom to make St. Nicholas the secret bearer of gifts to children on December 6, and that in the United States and some other countries he became identified with Santa Claus, who brings gifts on Christmas Eve.
Telling children that story does not spoil the fun. It gives the gifts deeper meaning: we give because a holy bishop gave, and he gave because God first gave us His Son.
Simple ways to celebrate St. Nicholas at home
- Set out shoes on the evening of December 5. In many Catholic homes, children leave a shoe or stocking by the door or fireplace. In the morning they find something small: an orange or clementine, a few chocolate coins, a holy card, or a little book about the saints.
- Tell his story. Read about him together, separating history from legend for older children.
- Give in secret. Let each family member do one hidden kindness, such as dropping groceries at a food pantry. This is the heart of the feast.
- Pray together. A simple prayer works well: “St. Nicholas, faithful bishop and friend of the poor, pray for us, that we may prepare our hearts for Jesus this Advent. Amen.”
- Light the Advent wreath. Since December 6, 2026 is the Second Sunday of Advent, this is the week the second violet candle is lit. Our guide to setting up an Advent wreath at home walks you through it.
- Go to Sunday Mass as a family. Hear John the Baptist’s call to prepare the way of the Lord, and ask St. Nicholas to help you answer it.
Keeping Christ at the center
St. Nicholas would not want to be the center of December. His feast is a small lamp along the road of Advent, reminding us that generosity and care for the poor make room for the Christ Child.
For a fuller plan for the whole season, see Advent 2026: Praying with Walsingham Radio. Two days after St. Nicholas, on Tuesday, December 8, the Church celebrates the Immaculate Conception, a holy day of obligation; our Immaculate Conception 2026 guide explains what to know.
Frequently asked questions
Is St. Nicholas Day a holy day of obligation? No. In the United States, St. Nicholas is an optional memorial. In 2026, December 6 is a Sunday, so the Sunday Mass obligation applies because it is the Second Sunday of Advent, not because of St. Nicholas.
Will my parish celebrate St. Nicholas at Mass on December 6, 2026? The USCCB calendar gives the Second Sunday of Advent for that Mass. Your parish may still host a St. Nicholas event outside of Mass.
Is St. Nicholas the same as Santa Claus? Santa Claus developed from customs connected with St. Nicholas. The Catholic Encyclopedia notes that in the United States and some other countries, St. Nicholas became identified with Santa Claus.
Keep the feast with Walsingham Radio
This Advent, let Walsingham Radio keep you company as you prepare your heart and home for Christ. Tune in to hear the truth of the Catholic Faith shared with clarity and compassion, set out the shoes on December 5, light your wreath on December 6, and ask St. Nicholas to pray for your family.
