Today, December 6, was wonderfully festive in our family when I was a child. St Nicholas Day — unpretentious, simple, even spare!  Unlike Christmas, St Nicholas Day always caught my siblings and me by surprise, off guard!!! Why our young minds never anticipated the annual surprise is part of its mystery, magic and special joy. 

In our shoes or near the foot of our bed, we’d awaken to a small bag typically containing an apple, an orange, a few pieces of candy, some peanuts (in the shell) and either a pair of socks, gloves or something else distinguished by its inexpensive practicality!

Here is a “prayer” that perfectly captures the values and meaning we were encouraged to take to heart by the unpretentious, simple and spare custom…

St. Nicholas, protector of the poor,

Gift-giver, wonderworker, patron saint,

Renew our generosity, 

And pour afresh on us your spirit without stint,

That we, like you, might notice, might respond

And rescue those whom we’ve ignored, 

Whose plight cries out for our redress: 

Near neighbors  bound by poverty and debt, 

The out of sight and out of mind, 

The children of the poor, all the exploited, 

Those whose lives are wrecked

By others’ greed, indifference, and neglect,

Those overboard and floundering for the shore.

Help us make others merry with our wealth

And joy, like you, in doing good by stealth.

    —Malcolm Guite

Here’s what greeted me this morning. The mystery and magic endures. But, what have we done to Santa Claus?