In the midst of the busiest time of the year, the Church challenges and encourages us to savor the Advent and Christmas seasons fully. The saints’ feast days prepare us for the great celebration of Christmas and are themselves wonderful occasions for festivities. This holiday season, I invite you to gently pump the brakes on the holiday flurry and drink in some wonderful traditions and feast days with your family to make your Christmas season even richer.
Dec. 6 – St. Nicholas
St. Nicholas was a bishop of Myra and is best known for the legend in which he rescues three daughters from a life of poverty. The three girls were unmarried, as their father had no money for dowries, and at that time, having no husband meant that they were facing a life of hardship. Filled with compassion and generosity, St. Nicholas secretly left each daughter a bag of gold coins, saving them from a life of destitution. (Some traditions even say he threw the bags down a chimney, a foreshadowing of the story of Santa Claus traveling down a chimney chute to deliver presents!)
Whether or not this specific act of charity occurred, St. Nicholas was known for his love of the poor, and he is celebrated as the patron saint of children. To honor this saint and imitate his generosity, invite your children and loved ones to leave their shoes out for St. Nicholas to fill during the night, a practice originating in the Netherlands in the Middle Ages. Perhaps include an orange or clementine, a traditional gift on St. Nicholas’ day as the round fruit symbolizes the “balls of gold” that he left for the three daughters. Finally, before partaking of the treats, pray a special blessing of oranges, which also reminds us to always be generous to those less fortunate than ourselves.
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Dec. 9 and 12 – St. Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe
On Dec. 9, we celebrate the feast of St. Juan Diego, followed three days later by the Marian feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. In December 1531, the Blessed Mother appeared to an Aztec man named Juan Diego and asked him to implore the bishop to build a church in honor of her. The bishop, skeptical that a poor man like Juan Diego was really seeing the Mother of God, asked Juan Diego to obtain a sign from the Lady.
The Blessed Mother instructed Juan Diego to climb to the top of Tepeyac Hill and pick the roses on top. Though it was wintertime, Juan Diego found beautiful roses, which he gathered according to Our Lady’s instructions. She arranged the roses in his tilma (a cloak made of cactus fibers) and sent Juan Diego to see the bishop. When Juan Diego opened his tilma to the bishop, the roses fell to the floor, and on his cloak was a beautiful image of Our Lady. More than 500 years have passed since the apparition, yet the tilma has not deteriorated and Our Lady of Guadalupe’s image remains as vivid as the day it appeared. It can still be viewed at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, where thousands of pilgrims journey each year.
On Dec. 9 or 12 (or even both days), partake in the Mexican tradition of laying roses at the feet of a statue of Our Lady, remembering the beautiful roses that bloomed in winter and revealed her image to the bishop. As a special treat, make some delicious and spicy Mexican hot chocolate to further celebrate the miracle!
LISTEN: Celebrating Catholic Feasts Throughout the Year With Steffani Aquila
Dec. 13 – St. Lucy
St. Lucy was a young girl who dedicated her entire life to Jesus and received the crown of martyrdom when she refused the advances of a pagan suitor. She is often invoked in cases of blindness or eye trouble, as it is said that the governor who was persecuting her ordered for her eyes to be gouged out (another tale is that she herself plucked them out to deter the advances of a lustful suitor). When her body was recovered after her martyrdom, her eyes were found intact.
Her feast day, Dec. 13, is celebrated on one of the darkest nights of the year, perhaps to emphasize that St. Lucy, whose name means “light,” shared the light of Christ with such brightness.
In Scandinavia, the oldest daughter of the family is honored with a crown of candles and a white robe, symbolizing St. Lucy’s own youth and purity. The honored family member travels from room to room of the house, inviting the rest of the family to a breakfast of sweet buns. On Dec. 13, dress your daughter (or another young member of the family) in white with a crown made with (fire safe) lights and allow them to invite the other members of the family to a breakfast of St. Lucia buns or a similar sweet roll.
Jan. 6 – Epiphany or The Three Wise Men
Jan. 6 (or often celebrated on the Sunday closest to the 6th) is the traditional feast day of Epiphany, the day that the Magi, or Three Wise Men, came to visit the Christ Child and give him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
The Feast of Epiphany is so ancient, it even predates the celebration of Christmas itself! It is no wonder then that many countries and cultures have their own unique spin on the celebration. One special tradition comes from Italy, where it is said that an old woman named La Befana encountered the Three Kings on their way to Bethlehem. She scoffed at them initially, being a grumpy old woman herself, but later repented of her scornfulness. Italians believe that she continues to travel around the world, seeking to follow the Wise Men and find the baby Jesus. She leaves treats for every child she encounters – just in case they might be the Christ Child.
Another tradition in the Church is the Epiphany blessing. Catholics around the world pray a blessing upon their home asking for the intercessions of Casper, Melchior, and Balthazar, inscribing their initials in chalk above the main doorway of the house.
This Jan. 6, ask for the intercession of the Wise Men through an Epiphany blessing, concluding it with a little celebration of a sweet treat, such as another cultural favorite: the King Cake. If you have children in your home, teach them the legend of La Befana and share a treat with them, emphasizing the importance and sweetness of always seeking Jesus in one’s life.
No matter if you choose to add one or all of these celebrations to your calendar this year, may these traditions help remind you and your loved ones that it is Christ who reigns at the center of this holiday season.
