St. Nicholas Day is celebrated on December 6 in most Western Christian traditions.

Main date

In Western Christian countries, St. Nicholas Day (the Feast of Saint Nicholas) falls annually on December 6, commemorating Saint Nicholas of Myra and the traditional date of his death. Many families mark the occasion either on the day itself or on the evening of December 5 with small gifts, sweets, or shoes left out for St. Nicholas to fill.

Other traditions

In some Eastern Christian churches that still follow the older (Julian) calendar, the liturgical feast associated with St. Nicholas occurs on what is December 19 in the Gregorian calendar. A few cultures emphasize the eve (December 5) for the main gift-giving, especially where the Sinterklaas tradition is strong, while recognizing December 6 as the actual feast day.