St. Nicholas Day
The holiday of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in the Orthodox Church is celebrated three times a year. These are December 19, May 22 and August 11 (new style). The first date is the day of repose, that is, the death of the saint. August 11 marks the birth of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. May 22 is the day of the arrival of the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in the city of Bari (Italy).
In the 11th century, part of the relics was stolen from the city of Myra by Barian merchants. They brought the relics to their hometown, increasing its fame, prestige and trade volumes. The merchants' motives were mercantile, but the townspeople greeted the arriving relics with celebration and reverence. The transfer of the holy remains to the local church was accompanied by numerous healings of the sick.
The holiday of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, dedicated to the transfer of relics, is celebrated in some countries, including Russia. The relics are still kept in this city, in the Basilica of St. Nicholas. Another part of the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was later transferred to Venice.
Tomb of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Bari (Italy)
What should you not do on St. Nicholas Day?
As on other religious holidays, on this day it is unacceptable to do housework - sewing, washing, handicrafts.
Clean the house the day before, do your household chores in advance, so that you can spend the holiday in prayer and with your family. Communicate with your loved ones, on this day there is no place for quarrels in the house, as on any other day. Strive to spend this day with God in your soul.
Give alms on this day and set a good example for your children.
Life of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker
Nicholas the Pleasant is one of the most revered Christian saints. The holiday of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is celebrated in many countries even by people far from the Church.
The saint was born around 270 in the city of Patara, in the Roman province of Lycia (modern Turkey). Nikolai was raised in a wealthy Christian family and from early childhood sought to know God. The boy diligently studied the Holy Scriptures and spent a lot of time in prayer. After the death of his father and mother, Saint Nicholas distributed his inheritance to the poor. According to one version, Nicholas went from a reader to a priest and bishop of the city of Myra. According to another, he became a bishop immediately from a layman, thanks to a miraculous sign.
The life of Saint Nicholas experienced one of the longest periods of persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire. This period lasted from 303 to 311. Then came a relatively safe time for Christians: their communities developed, the fight against paganism and heresies (distortions of the true doctrine) was waged. Bishop Nicholas also made a significant contribution to the development of Christianity. According to church tradition, he participated in the Ecumenical Council of 325. There he decisively denounced the heresy of Arianism, which did not recognize the consubstantiality of God the Father and God the Son.
Saint Nicholas died in the city of Myra around 345. After death, his body began to flow myrrh and became an object of pilgrimage. For Christians, Nicholas the Wonderworker is the patron saint of travelers, the slandered, prisoners and orphans. This image of the saint was formed on the basis of many good deeds and miracles he performed.
Celebrating the Nativity of the Wonderworker
On this day, August 11, Orthodox Christians go to church for services. A sacred service is held there, glorifying the Birth of the holy saint. Orthodox Christians bow before the images of the saint in their prayers and light candles for the health of relatives and loved ones. If you can’t go to church, you can read prayers at home.
Also on this remarkable day, Christians perform good deeds and make donations. They help children from orphanages, schools and boarding schools with money, clothing and food, and also provide assistance to low-income families. After all, good deeds help to become closer to the Lord and honor the memory of the great saint. On the birthday of Nikolai Ugodnik, you should not forget about your family. Together with your family and friends, you need to pray and celebrate the holiday of a saint who helps people who believe in him.
Basic prohibitions
On this day you can not do everything you want. In addition to the fact that Orthodox Christians should devote time to prayers to the holy saint, they should be aware of the existing prohibitions.
On this day it is prohibited to do the following:
- Work in the garden and in the garden. This holiday is important. Services are held in churches, so it is better to devote the day to prayers rather than to working on the ground.
- Knit, sew and embroider.
- Clean the house: wash windows and floors, wipe off dust.
- Do laundry or ironing.
It is better to spend these hours in harmony with yourself, relax and engage in spiritual development - read books, pray, chat with friends. You need to behave calmly with your family and friends, you can’t quarrel with them. Then fate will be favorable to the household, and misfortunes will bypass the home.
Recourse
Saint Nicholas always helps people when they contact him. People of different ages approach Mikola with petitions, regardless of whether they are students, schoolchildren, directors or ordinary workers. He helps everyone without exception . You can turn to him for help in difficult life situations, and also pray:
- About successful studies.
- Fulfillment of desires.
- Good job.
- Increasing income.
- About healing from illness.
On August 11, we need to offer words of thanksgiving for all the good that the saint has done for people. You should pray before the face of the saint and thank him for his help, as well as repent and ask for forgiveness for the sins you have committed. On this special day, the saint will help anyone who sincerely repents of their actions and wants to change their life for the better.
Unmarried girls ask Nicholas the Wonderworker for help in starting a family. They believe that he will help them establish a happy family life. Eyewitnesses testify that Saint Nicholas comes to the aid of people living in different parts of the world who are looking for family happiness and love.
Acts and miracles of Nicholas the Wonderworker
Church tradition contains many amazing stories about St. Nicholas. For example, he helped collect a dowry for the three daughters of a ruined rich man. This allowed them to marry safely and thus avoid shame. After all, the desperate father intended to use the girls’ beauty for shameful earnings. Saint Nicholas secretly planted gold three times for each daughter. Twice he managed to return home undetected. But the third time, the girls’ father tracked them down, recognized his benefactor and, in gratitude, threw himself at his feet. The saint ordered not to tell anyone about his act.
In his youth, Saint Nicholas went to study in the city of Alexandria. During a sea voyage, he resurrected a sailor who had died from a fall from a height. On the way back, the saint saved another sailor.
One day, a rebellion broke out in one of the provinces of the empire, and Tsar Constantine I sent an army to suppress it. During the campaign, the soldiers had a camp near the city of Myra. Some warriors began to loot and oppress the local population, which led to unrest. Saint Nicholas found out about this, immediately went to the military leaders and convinced them to pacify the soldiers.
Saint Nicholas also saved three governors who were sentenced to death on the false accusation of envious people of plotting against the emperor. On the night before the execution, the condemned in prison prayed to St. Nicholas, with whom they were personally acquainted. Saint Nicholas appeared to the emperor in a dream and strictly ordered the release of the innocently convicted. The tsar freed the governor and through them gave gifts to St. Nicholas.
What do they pray to Saint Nicholas for?
Photo: Serguei Bulavsky, globallookpress.com
St. Nicholas is considered the patron saint of sailors, travelers and merchants. Therefore, he was asked for successful navigation and protection of ships from storms and storms. In addition, they pray to him for a miraculous resolution of a difficult matter or particularly incredible luck. It also helps to restore justice to those who were convicted based on false libel, and also protects children, especially orphans, from troubles and misfortunes.
Saint Nicholas the Pleasant and Nicholas the Wonderworker
In the history of the Christian church there was another Saint Nicholas of Lycia, revered as a miracle worker. This is Saint Nicholas of Pinar, who lived in the 6th century. The similarity of the biographies and the short time interval between the periods of the lives of the saints led to the fact that in many lives these two personalities merged into one.
Therefore, for a long time it was believed that in Christianity there was only one saint, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. Some details of the life of Nikolai Pinarsky (for example, the names of his parents and a visit to the Holy Land) are still attributed to Nikolai Ugodnik, who lived two centuries before him. It is worth noting that this confusion did not extend to the holiday of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.
Miracles for which Saint Nicholas became famous
Wonderful stories about good deeds performed by Nikolai Ugodnik are passed on from mouth to mouth.
The story of how Nicholas the Wonderworker helped unmarried girls
One poor man had three daughters. He could not provide them with a dowry; no one took girls in marriage. In desperation, the man decided to send all his daughters to a brothel. In this way he wanted to earn money for a living.
Nikolai learned about this decision and decided to help the man. At night, he threw three bags of money through the open window of his house. When the family discovered the find in the morning, they were glad and happy. But they did not know who their benefactor was. So Saint Nicholas, in a completely earthly way, saved three girls from a terrible and bitter fate.
Saint Nicholas helps unmarried people
The story of how Nicholas the Wonderworker helps those unjustly convicted
This story is about the rescue of prisoners, which also happened during the life of the Wonderworker. Three convicts were to be executed in the city square. Nicholas the Wonderworker suddenly appeared. He took the executioner's hand and prevented the death of the prisoner, who was within a hair's breadth of it. The executioner and everyone who was there did not argue with Nikolai, because he was a respected clergyman.
It later turned out that these prisoners were sentenced to death unfairly. Thus, the Lord, through Saint Nicholas, sent salvation to these people.
All prisoners turn to Nicholas the Wonderworker for help, even if they ended up in prison on merit. After all, every person, even if he has stumbled or made a mistake in life, has the right to forgiveness.
This incident is reflected in a painting by artist Ivan Repin.
Saint Nicholas saves those sentenced to death
The story of how Nicholas the Wonderworker helps non-believers
This event occurred after the death of the saint. In a Chinese village, a fisherman suddenly began to drown. The wave covered him. He screamed and called for help, but understood that this was the end. Suddenly he remembered the icon that he had seen among Russian emigrants and began to ask: “Old man, save me!”
After that, he regained consciousness on the shore. After his salvation, this man converted to Orthodoxy and told everyone that the saint had saved him.
The story of St. Nicholas's help to sailors
Travelers have considered Nicholas the Wonderworker their protector since he saved the sailor. The saint was forced to set sail on a ship. During this journey, a terrible tragedy occurred - a sailor fell from the mast and died. Nikolai began to fervently pray to the Lord, and He performed a miracle - the sailor was resurrected. No one expected such a miracle; everyone was amazed.
Not only sailors, but also all other travelers can turn to the Saint for help. When you are driving or walking far, it would be useful to pray to the saint for returning home.
Saint Nicholas helps travelers
Veneration of St. Nicholas in Rus'
St. Nicholas has been widely revered in Russia for many centuries. Until the beginning of the 20th century, babies in our country were most often named in honor of this saint. Temples and icons dedicated to St. Nicholas the Pleasant were second only to the Mother of God in number.
Saint Nicholas repeatedly defended and strengthened Rus' in difficult times. For example, during the siege of Mozhaisk by the Mongols, a wondrous sign happened: St. Nicholas appeared in the sky as the defender of the city and drove away the enemies. In honor of this wonderful event, an icon of St. Nicholas of Mozhaisk was painted, which became miraculous.
There is a legend about the appearance of the image of St. Nicholas to Prince Dmitry Donskoy on the eve of the Battle of Kulikovo. After the victory in the battle, the prince founded the Nikolaev Ugresh monastery on the site of the appearance of the icon. The wonderful image of St. Nicholas is kept there to this day.
The city of Nikolaev, founded at the end of the 18th century in the south of the Russian Empire, is named in honor of Nikolai Ugodnik. The city received its name after the victorious assault by Russian troops on the Turkish fortress of Ochakov. The assault took place in December 1788, on St. Nicholas Day.
There is an icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in every church. Christians turn to this saint not only for help in salvation, but also in various everyday needs. For example, to resolve housing difficulties.
How they were revered in Rus': traditions of celebrating the saint’s day of memory
In honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Princess Olga built the first Christian church on Kyiv soil. Since then, many churches dedicated to him have been built in Rus' and monasteries have been founded - more than to any other saint in general. Even one of the towers of the Moscow Kremlin is named Nikolskaya.
In addition, Nikolai Ugodnik is truly a national saint. They revered him as the “elder” among the saints, placed him very highly, and it was from him that they most often asked for intercession and help. For example, the proverbs say a lot: “There is no champion for us against Nikola”; “Ask Nikola, and he will tell Spas.” And even today, 95% of all pilgrims to Bari (70 thousand a year) come from Russia. And when the relics of the saint were brought to Moscow in 2022, people stood in line for 10 hours to venerate them.
St. Nicholas of the Summer May 22 was often called Grass Day. It was believed that by this time it was necessary to pay off all existing debts, make peace with those with whom you were in a quarrel, and be sure to help those in need. And on this day, matchmakers visited houses with unmarried young girls - matchmaking with Nikola promised to be successful.
Photo: Serguei Bulavsky, globallookpress.com
In the spring, Nikolai was approached with requests to protect the livestock and the future harvest. They tried not to eat meat on this day; religious processions were held in some areas to protect crops from hail and drought. The peasants believed that on the eve of the holiday the saint descended into the world and walked around the fields.
Nikola Winter December 19 was also a revered day. According to legend, on this day the saint, as in the spring, walked around the earth from end to end, driving away evil spirits from the human world. In some regions, in honor of his memory, fraternities (“Nikolshchiny”) were organized: after the service, a large meal was collected for the entire village. To do this, as a rule, they slaughtered a bull bought with common money or raised by all the villagers.
On the day of St. Nicholas, it was also customary to conclude various business transactions and agreements. The prices established at that time were considered inviolable, because “Nikolsky’s bargaining is a decree for everything.” Also on Nikola they sold excess bread.
The Nativity of St. Nicholas on August 11 was celebrated only in the Russian tradition of Orthodoxy; this holiday was not included in the calendars of other Orthodox churches. During the reign of Catherine II, the celebration of this day was abolished, but recently the custom of honoring the memory of the saint is gradually returning in August.
Prayer to Nicholas the Wonderworker
O our good shepherd and God-wise mentor, Saint Nicholas of Christ! Hear us sinners, praying to you and calling for your speedy intercession for help; see us weak, caught from everywhere, deprived of every good and darkened in mind from cowardice; Try, O servant of God, not to leave us in the captivity of sin, so that we may not joyfully become our enemies and not die in our evil deeds.
Pray for us, unworthy, to our Creator and Master, to whom you stand with disembodied faces: make our God merciful to us in this life and in the future, so that He will not reward us according to our deeds and the impurity of our hearts, but according to His goodness He will reward us . We trust in your intercession, we boast of your intercession, we call on your intercession for help, and falling to your most holy image, we ask for help: deliver us, servant of Christ, from the evils that come upon us, and tame the waves of passions and troubles that rise up against us, and for the sake of Your holy prayers will not overwhelm us and we will not wallow in the abyss of sin and in the mud of our passions. Pray to Saint Nicholas of Christ, Christ our God, that he may grant us a peaceful life and remission of sins, salvation and great mercy for our souls, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
