St. Nicholas, a fourth-century bishop of Myra in Asia Minor, is one of the most loved saints of East and West: the protector of children, sailors and the poor, and the real saint behind Santa Claus. His feast on December 6, in the first weeks of Advent, is kept with gifts, shoes left out overnight and stories of his secret generosity. Below are the traditional prayer to St. Nicholas and the collect of his feast from The Raccolta, a family prayer for St. Nicholas Eve, prayers for children and for a generous heart, and the story of the saint and his feast.
The traditional prayer to St. Nicholas
From The Raccolta (English translation, 1878), where it was indulgenced by Pope Gregory XVI in 1832:
Glorious Nicholas, my own protector! from that bright throne where thou dost enjoy the vision of thy God, in pity turn thine eyes upon me; ask for me from God those graces and helps most seasonable in my present necessities, whether spiritual or temporal, and especially the grace of (here name your request), if such be expedient for my eternal welfare. Forget not, glorious and holy bishop, our Sovereign Pontiff, the holy Church, and this pious city. Bring back to the right way of salvation those who live steeped in sin, or buried in the darkness of ignorance, error, and heresy. Comfort the sorrowing, provide for the needy, strengthen the weak-hearted, defend the oppressed, help the sick; let all know the effects of thy powerful patronage with him who is the supreme giver of all good. Amen.
The Raccolta adds an Our Father, a Hail Mary and a Glory Be, and the versicle:
V. Pray for us, blessed Nicholas.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
The collect of St. Nicholas
The prayer of his feast, in the same translation:
God, who hast honored, and ceasest not daily to honor, thy high-priest and glorious confessor, blessed Nicholas, with innumerable miracles: grant, we beseech thee, that, by his merits and prayers, we may be delivered from the fires of hell and from all other dangers. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
A family prayer for St. Nicholas Eve
On the evening of December 5, many families set out shoes or stockings before bed. A prayer to say together, written for this page:
Good St. Nicholas, friend of children,
you gave your gifts in secret so that only God would see.
Bless our family as we wait for Christmas.
Teach us to give gladly, to share with the poor,
and to keep our hearts ready for Jesus,
the greatest gift of all. Amen.
A prayer for children
St. Nicholas, protector of children,
watch over (names) and keep them safe from every harm.
Help them to grow in faith, kindness and truthfulness,
and bring them always closer to Jesus. Amen.
This prayer was written for this page. See also the Catholic prayer for children.
A prayer for a generous heart
St. Nicholas, you used your inheritance to help those in need
and kept your good deeds hidden.
Free me from greed and from the wish to be seen.
Show me who needs my help this Advent,
and give me the joy of giving in secret. Amen.
This prayer was written for this page. It echoes the Lord’s words:
But when thou dost alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth.
That thy alms may be in secret, and thy Father who seeth in secret will repay thee.
A prayer for sailors and travelers
St. Nicholas, patron of sailors,
you calmed the storm by your prayer.
Protect all who travel by sea, by air and on the roads,
and bring them home safely. Amen.
This prayer was written for this page. See the Catholic travel prayer.
The life of St. Nicholas
Very little is known for certain about Nicholas, but he was honored as a saint from early times in both the Greek and Latin Churches. He was bishop of Myra, a city in Lycia on the southern coast of present-day Turkey, in the first half of the fourth century, and died on December 6, around 343. Later tradition says he was born in nearby Patara, suffered imprisonment in the persecution of Diocletian and took part in the Council of Nicaea in 325.
The best-known stories about him come from accounts written centuries later:
- The three dowries. A poor man had no money for his three daughters’ dowries and was about to give them up to a life of shame. On three nights Nicholas threw a bag of gold through the window, so that each daughter could marry. This is the origin of his gifts, of the three gold balls that became his emblem, and of the custom of leaving shoes or stockings out on his eve.
- The three innocent men. He stopped the execution of three men who had been falsely condemned.
- The sailors. Sailors caught in a storm called on him, and he appeared and calmed the sea.
In 1087 sailors from Bari, in southern Italy, carried his relics from Myra to their city, where they rest in the Basilica of St. Nicholas. That is why the Raccolta calls him “St. Nicholas of Bari.”
From St. Nicholas to Santa Claus
In the Netherlands St. Nicholas became Sinterklaas, who arrives in his bishop’s robes and brings gifts on the eve of his feast. Dutch settlers brought the custom to New York, and in the nineteenth century American writers and illustrators turned Sinterklaas into Santa Claus. Many Catholic families keep St. Nicholas Day to remember the bishop behind the legend and to begin the season of giving with a saint’s generosity.
Feast day and patronage
- Feast day: December 6. In 2026 December 6 is the Second Sunday of Advent, so the Sunday Mass takes the place of his memorial; families can still keep the customs of the day.
- Patron of: children, sailors and fishermen, merchants, the poor, unmarried women, pawnbrokers, students, Russia, Greece and the city of Bari.
- Symbols: bishop’s vestments, three gold balls or bags of gold, and an anchor or ship.
Frequently asked questions
When is St. Nicholas Day?
December 6. The customs begin on the evening of December 5, St. Nicholas Eve.
Is Santa Claus based on St. Nicholas?
Yes. The name Santa Claus comes from the Dutch Sinterklaas, St. Nicholas, though the modern figure owes much to nineteenth-century American stories and pictures.
Why do children put out shoes on St. Nicholas Eve?
In memory of the gold he left in secret for three poor girls. In many countries children find sweets, small gifts or chocolate coins in their shoes the next morning.
Is St. Nicholas a real saint?
Yes. He was a real bishop of Myra in the fourth century, venerated as a saint by Catholics and Orthodox, even though many of the stories about him are later legends.
More Advent prayers
- St. Barbara prayer (December 4)
- St. Juan Diego prayer (December 9)
- St. Andrew Christmas novena
- Advent wreath prayers
- Advent prayers and customs
- Catholic Christmas prayers
- St. Francis Xavier prayer
- Prayers to popular saints
Texts and sources
- Prayer to St. Nicholas, versicle and collect: The Raccolta, or Collection of Indulgenced Prayers, translated by Ambrose St. John (1878), no. 160, public domain (archive.org).
- Scripture: Matthew 6:3–4, Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
- The other prayers were written for this page.