We are in full swing of the Holiday season in Slovakia. The Christmas season starts with the first Sunday of Advent. A tradition where a pine wreath with four candles is displayed. The candles are varying heights and the tallest is lit the first Sunday and it burns until it is the height of the second. On the second Sunday, the two tallest candles are lit. Each Sunday another candle is lit, then Christmas is here.
We recently celebrated St Nicholas Day or Mikuláš as it is called in Slovakia.
On the evening of December 5th, children put their shoes on the window sill hoping for overnight treats from St. Nicholas. Then, on December 6th, St. Nicholas is seen walking the main square greeting and posing with children. He wears a red robe and may appear similar to make believe Santa Claus.
St. Nicholas, was a real person, a 4th century Saint and Greek Bishop. He gained his popularity by dropping bags of coins through open basement windows of poor families and leaving coins in pauper’s footwear. He was especially kindhearted to village children.
Legend says that if you leave your shoes or boots out on the windowsill the night before, St. Nick will come and leave coins or pieces of coal in your boots.
The next morning children find the shoes filled with little presents. Naughty children won’t get sweets; they get black coal, onions, or hard potatoes.
Who gets to determine if the children have been naughty or nice? Well,
St. Nicholas has two helpers who accompany him – the angel and the devil. They go about town square with St. Nick and ask children if they “have been good this past year.” Of course, no one will say no, but if by chance they would, the devil will carry the naughty little child to hell in a bag.
This explains the phrase I’ve heard many times, “going to hell in a hand-basket.” Needless to say, Mikuláš acts as a strong incentive to be good throughout the year.
In America, our preference has been “Santa Claus” with sleigh and eight reindeer
who lives at the North Pole and delivers presents on Christmas Eve. This fairy tale has been told for decades in our families and all the malls are decked out with fake Santa’s for the children to visit, and the stores are plastered with Santa Claus stuff. The business aspect of Christmas is all about parties, gifts, and spending or making money.
Our concern is that America, and the world is forgetting what Christmas is all about - the birth of Jesus Christ. May we all slow down and look around for kind acts of service we can do for others. A lot of people are lonely, struggling, ill, or needing a helping hand. May we be aware of opportunities to reach out in kindness to lift another this Christmas. #LightTheWorld
President David O. McKay said, "It is a glorious thing to have old St. Nicholas in our hearts and in our homes today, whether he enters the latter through the open door or creep down the chimney on Christmas Eve. To bring happiness to others without seeking personal honor or praise by publishing it is a most commendable virtue...
Good old St. Nicholas has long since gone the way of all mortals, but the joy he experienced in doing kindly deeds in now shared by millions who are learning that true happiness comes only by making others happy - the practical application of the Savior's doctrine of losing one's life to gain it. In short, the Christmas spirit is the Christ spirit, that makes our hearts glow in brotherly love and friendship and prompts us to kind deeds of service.
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