December 6th - Feast Day of St. Nicholas of Myra

Saint Nicholas of Myra: The Wonderworker Who Still Walks Among Us

​Every year, as December’s chill settles in and the Nativity Fast deepens, the Church invites us to turn our hearts toward one of the most beloved saints in all of Christendom: Saint Nicholas of Myra, the Wonderworker. His life, though lived more than seventeen centuries ago, continues to stand as a beacon of mercy, generosity, and holy courage for Orthodox Christians around the world.

Born around 15 March 270 in the coastal city of Patara in ancient Anatolia, today’s Antalya Province in southwestern Turkey, Nicholas grew up under the warm sun of the Mediterranean and within the vibrant world of early Greek-speaking Christianity. His parents, devout and well-respected, raised him with a profound love for Christ and the poor. When they died during a plague, the young Nicholas inherited a considerable fortune, and immediately began quietly giving it away.

This spirit of hidden generosity, of giving without seeking recognition, became the signature of his entire life. And it is precisely this hidden holiness that earned him the cherished title much later: Saint Nick, the quiet giver, the secret benefactor, the one who slips in unnoticed to lift the burdens of the weary and the poor.

Nicholas the Wonderworker
As Bishop of Myra, Nicholas became known not only for his compassion but for the miracles that seemed to follow him like a shadow of grace. He rescued the innocent, healed the sick, delivered sailors from raging seas, fed the hungry, and intervened for the desperate. His miracles were never spectacles, they were acts of love. God simply magnified his mercy.

And so the Church came to call him by a title very few saints are given so widely and so universally:
Ὁ Θαυματουργός — The Wonderworker.

Patron of Many, Friend of All
Saint Nicholas’s intercession extends across nearly every corner of life:

• Sailors, who call upon him when storms rise.
• Merchants and travelers, who seek his protection on long journeys.
• Children, who see in him the face of kindness.
• The poor and those in need, who find in him an advocate of compassion.
• Students, who look to him for wisdom.
• Those in danger or injustice, who call upon his courage.

He is one saint who truly belongs to everyone.

And yet, it is important to remember that the “Santa Claus” image, charming as it may be, is only the faintest echo of the real man. In the Orthodox Church, we do not merely remember a kindly old figure of folklore. We celebrate a bishop, a defender of the faith, a wonderworker, and a model of Christian virtue.

His Feast Day in the Orthodox World
Across the globe, Orthodox Christians celebrate the Feast of Saint Nicholas on December 6th (or December 19th on the Julian calendar). And though cultures differ, the devotion to this holy bishop is strikingly universal.

In Greece and the Greek-speaking churches
Saint Nicholas is honored especially as the patron of sailors. Harbors, fishing villages, and coastal churches ring bells, burn incense, and ask his blessing over the sea. Boats are decorated, not with commercial lights, but with small oil lamps, a reminder of the Light that shines in the darkness.

In Slavic lands
Children place their shoes by the door, not to receive toys, but to be reminded of Nicholas’ secret generosity. The faithful gather for festal vigils, where ancient hymns proclaim him “the rule of faith and image of meekness.”

In Ukraine, Carpatho-Rus’, Serbia, and Bulgaria, Saint Nicholas is among the most beloved saints. Families prepare special meals, offer almsgiving, and treat his feast as a day of peace and reconciliation.

In the Middle East
Where Saint Nicholas’ life actually unfolded, Christians still venerate him with deep affection. Pilgrims visit Myra (modern Demre) with reverence, walking where the Wonderworker once walked, prayed, suffered, and served.

In the Americas
Parishes across North and South America hold festal liturgies, host charity drives, and teach children about the real Saint Nicholas, the bishop who defended the poor and confronted injustice, the saint who lived the Gospel in radical humility.

Here in the United States, Orthodox communities use this feast to remind the faithful that almsgiving, mercy, and quiet generosity are central to preparing our hearts for the coming Nativity of Christ. Saint Nicholas stands as a living icon of the season.

Saint Nicholas in the Nativity Fast
The timing of his feast is no accident. In the quieter, penitential days leading to Christmas, Saint Nicholas becomes our guide. He invites us to:

• give more than we take,
• pray more than we speak,
• love more than we judge,
• and lighten the burdens of others without drawing attention to ourselves.

In him, we see what it means to remain cheerful, courageous, and steadfast in Christ, even when the world is harsh.

A Saint for Our Time
In an age marked by noise, anxiety, pretension, and self-promotion, Saint Nicholas offers us the corrective of holy humility. He is a reminder that the greatest miracles often happen quietly, in hidden corners, through unnoticed acts of love.

He is not merely a historical figure.
Not merely a seasonal symbol.
Not merely the inspiration for a cultural tradition.
He is alive in Christ.
He prays for us.

And he continues to work wonders today.

May his Feast Day draw us deeper into the mystery of Christ’s love, and may his example shape our hearts during this holy season.

Concluding Prayer
O holy Father Nicholas, Wonderworker of Myra,
guardian of the poor, protector of the innocent,
and steadfast defender of the Christian faith--
look with mercy upon us who now turn to you.

You who once calmed the seas,
calm the storms within our own hearts.
You who rescued those in danger,
deliver us from every snare of the evil one.
You who offered your gifts in secret,
teach us to give with humility and love.
You who stood boldly for the truth of Christ,
strengthen us to do the same.

​Intercede before the Throne of God
for our families, our parishes, our children,
and all who suffer in body or in spirit.

Guide us through this holy Nativity Fast,
that our hearts may become more generous,
our hands more willing to serve,
and our lives more pleasing to our Lord.

O gracious hierarch Nicholas,
pray that we may walk the path of mercy,
find the peace of Christ,
and be made worthy of His Kingdom.

Through the prayers of our holy Father Nicholas,
O Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us. Amen.