Nicholas Day Popular Books
Nicholas Day Biography & Facts
Saint Nicholas Day, also called the Feast of Saint Nicholas, observed on 6 December (and/or its eve on 5 Dec.)) in Western Christian countries, and on 19 December in Eastern Christian countries using the old church Calendar, is the feast day of Saint Nicholas of Myra; it falls within the season of Advent. It is celebrated as a Christian festival with particular regard to Saint Nicholas' reputation as a bringer of gifts, as well as through the attendance of church services. In the European countries of Germany and Poland, boys have traditionally dressed as bishops and begged alms for the poor. In the Portuguese city of Guimarães, the Nicolinas, a series of festivities in honor of Saint Nicholas happen every year. In Poland and Ukraine children wait for St. Nicholas to come and to put a present under their pillows provided that the children were good during the year. Children who behaved badly may expect to find a twig or a piece of coal under their pillows. In the Netherlands and Belgium children put out a shoe filled with hay and a carrot for Saint Nicholas' horse. On Saint Nicholas Day, gifts are tagged with personal humorous rhymes written by the sender. In the United States, one custom associated with Saint Nicholas Day is children leaving their shoes in the foyer on Saint Nicholas Eve in hope that Saint Nicholas will place some coins on the soles. The American Santa Claus, as well as the British Father Christmas, derive from Saint Nicholas. "Santa Claus" is itself derived in part from the Dutch Sinterklaas, the saint's name in that language. However, the gift giving associated with these descendant figures has come to be associated with Christmas Day rather than Saint Nicholas Day itself. Saint Nicholas Nicholas of Myra, according to Christian tradition, was born in Patar in Asia Minor. He is said to have made a pilgrimage to Egypt to study theology under the Desert Fathers after which he was consecrated the Bishop of Myra. During the Diocletianic Persecution of Christians, Nicholas of Myra was imprisoned. He was released after Constantine the Great promulgated the Edict of Milan in 313, which allowed for the public practice of Christianity in the Roman Empire. Nicholas of Myra was known for his generosity through a Christian legend, in which he gave a poor father money in order to prevent his daughters from being taken into slavery, as the father did not have the funds for his daughters' dowries. It is said that Nicholas of Myra threw the money through the family's window, which landed in their shoes, which were drying near their fireplace. Nicholas of Myra died on 6 December 346, giving rise to the present Feast of Saint Nicholas. The saint was entombed in St. Nicholas Church, Demre, though in 1087, Italian soldiers transferred his remains to Italy, where they were enshrined in the Basilica di San Nicola and are held to this day. Saint Nicholas' tomb is said to exude the Oil of Saint Nicholas, which has attracted, throughout the centuries, Christian pilgrims who take the oil home in small bottles to use during prayer. Nicholas of Myra is the patron hallow of children, sailors, those undergoing financial problems, and victims of fire. In the 11th century, Christian nuns in Belgium and France initiated the practice of giving the poor gifts in the name of Saint Nicholas. This custom spread to Germany and Holland further spreading the Feast of Saint Nicholas and its associated customs. Traditions by continent Europe Balkans Among Albanians, Saint Nicholas is known as Shen'Kollë and is venerated by most Catholic families, even those from villages that are devoted to other saints. The Feast of Saint Nicholas is celebrated on the evening before 6 December, known as Shen'Kolli i Dimnit (Saint Nicholas of Winter), as well as on the commemoration of the interring of his bones in Bari, the evening before 9 May, known as Shen'Kolli i Majit (Saint Nicholas of May). Albanian Catholics often swear by Saint Nicholas, saying "Pasha Shejnti Shen'Kollin!" ("May I see Holy Saint Nicholas!"), indicating the importance of this saint in Albanian culture, especially among the Albanians of Malësia. On the eve of his feast day, Albanians will light a candle and abstain from meat, preparing a feast of roasted lamb and pork, to be served to guests after midnight. Guests will greet each other, saying, "Nata e Shen'Kollit ju nihmoftë!" ("May the Night of Saint Nicholas help you!") and other such blessings. The bones of Albania's greatest hero, George Kastrioti, were also interred in the Church of Saint Nicholas in Lezha, Albania, upon his death. In Greece, Saint Nicholas does not carry an especial association with gift-giving, as this tradition is carried over to St. Basil of Caesarea, celebrated on New Year's Day. St. Nicholas is the protector of sailors, he is considered the patron saint of the Greek Navy, military and merchant alike, and his day is marked by festivities aboard all ships and boats, at sea and in port. It is also associated with the preceding feasts of St. Barbara (4 December), St. Savvas (5 December), and the following feast of St. Anne (9 December); all these are often collectively called the " Nikolobárbara", and are considered a succession of days that heralds the onset of truly wintry cold weather in the country. Therefore, by tradition, homes should have already been laid with carpets, removed for the warm season, by St. Andrew's Day (30 November), a week ahead of the Nikolobárbara. In Serbia, and among the Serb people living across the world, Saint Nicholas is the most widely celebrated family patron saint, celebrated as the feast day (Slava) of Nikoljdan. Since Nikoljdan always falls in the fasting period preceding Christmas, it is celebrated according to the Eastern Orthodox fasting rules ("Post"). Fasting refers in this context to the eating of a restricted diet for reasons of religion. This entails the complete avoidance of animal-sourced food products (meat, milk, dairy products, and eggs). Fish may be eaten on certain days. In Bulgaria, Saint Nicholas Day is celebrated on 6 December as Nikulden. Families invite relatives, sponsors, and neighbors for a meal of fish (usually ribnik, a carp wrapped in dough) and two loaves of ceremonial bread, all of which are blessed at church or at home. The host wafts incense over the table, then lifts and breaks the bread. Bulgarians also observe 6 December as the name day for those with the names Nikola, Nikolay, Kolyo, Nikolina, Neno, Nenka, Nikoleta and Nina. Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg and Lower Rhineland (Germany) In the Netherlands, the primary occasion for gift-giving is 5 December, when his feast day is celebrated. In Belgium, they celebrate Sinterklaasfeest (Dutch-speaking) or la Saint-Nicolas (French-speaking) on the morning of 6 December. In the days leading up to 5 or 6 December (starting when Saint Nicholas has arrived by steamboat around mid-November), young children put their shoes in front o.... Discover the Nicholas Day popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Nicholas Day books.
Best Seller Nicholas Day Books of 2024
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Christmas with Nicholas
Alice RaineA sweet yet steamy seasonal short story by the bestselling author of the Untwisted series, Alice Raine.Fans of Sylvia Day, Jodi Ellen Malpas, and Fifty Shades of Grey will be hooke...
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Vogue The Shoe
Conde Nast Publ Ltd & Harriet QuickShoes fascinate women of all ages and have the power to crystallize a moment in fashion. In Vogue: The Shoe, Harriet Quick has curated more than 300 fabulous images from a century ...
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Dambusters
Max ArthurOn the night of 1617 May 1943, nineteen Lancaster bombers from 617 Squadron headed for Germany. Their mission, for which they had been trained under a cloak of absolute secrecy, wa...
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The New Nomads
Félix MarquardtWe have lost the plot when it comes to migration. In our collective consciousness, the term 'migration' conjures up images of hordes of refugees fleeing 'their' country, escaping o...
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Undaunted
Jon GauntMillions know him as a loudmouth radio shockjock and Sun columnist. Yet, in his life Jon Gaunt has had to overcome unimaginable hardship, solitude, bankruptcy and despair. His moth...
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The End of Tsarist Russia
Dominic LievenAn Economist Best Book of the YearA Financial Times Best Book of the YearWinner of the the Pushkin House Russian Book PrizeFinalist for the Lionel Gelber PrizeA...
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Das Arschlochglas
SCHMIDTNew GirlStar Schmidt rechnet ab:Die 203 genialsten Strafzahlungen ins Arschlochglas.Frauenheld Schmidt ist ein WGPhänomen: Kein Spruch ist ihm zu dumm, kein Outfit zu peinlich und ...
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The Sixth Day
Catherine CoulterSpecial agents Nicholas Drummond and Michaela Caine take on a criminal mastermind in the next captivating thriller in the New York Times bestselling A Brit in the FBI series. “Coul...
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Barrow of Winter
H. M. LongThrilling epic fantasy adventures set in the world of HALL OF SMOKE and TEMPLE OF NO GOD, featuring murderous conspiracies, howling icy wastelands and the Children of Winter, for r...
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Poems Every Child Should Know
Henry W. LongfellowContents The Arrow and the Song by Henry W. Longfellow The Babie by Jeremiah Eames Rankin Let Dogs Delight to Bark and Bite by Isaac Watts Little Things by Ebenezer Cobham Brewer H...
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Pillar of Ash
H. M. LongYske, a healer and daughter of the warrior priestess Hessa, holds the balance of power in a worldshattering war of the gods, in this thrilling, mythical and emotional epic fantasy ...
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Day Of Wrath
Iris CollierNicholas Peverell has returned to his manor house in Sussex after visiting King Henry VIII at court to find that his loyal steward has been murdered strangled and thrown from the...
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The Bluebell Inn Romance Novels
Denise HunterLake SeasonWhen her parents die in a tragic accident, Molly Bennett and her siblings pull together to fulfill their parents’ dream of turning their historic Bluebell, North Carolin...
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A Cautious Approach
Stanley MiddletonShortly before his death last year, Stanley Middleton completed this, his last novel, which concludes a unique depiction of middleclass life in 'Middle England', quietly and cumula...
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The Letter
Kathryn HughesThe #1 EBook Bestseller. Every so often a love story comes along to remind us that sometimes, in our darkest hour, hope shines a candle to light our way. Discover THE LETTER by Kat...
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The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Charles Dickens & David Paroissien'Dickens's finest work in the genre of the detective story was his last' The TimesEdwin Drood is contracted to marry orphan Rosa when he comes of age, but when they find that duty ...
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The Last Message
Catherine HopeA message meant for another. A love meant only for her.'The Last Message is the perfect romantic pageturner. This powerful and emotional story of grief, healing, selfdiscovery and ...
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The First Time We Met
Pippa CroftFans of E. L. James, Sylvia Day and Samantha Young will love this sizzling new romance . . . When US Senator's daughter Lauren Cusack arrives at the enchanting Wyckham College of O...
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Secrets
Bali RaiJIT can’t be bothered with school. His mum’s new boyfriend is doing his head in, and the last thing on his mind is dealing with lessons and homework. He needs the gang’s help, and ...
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The Secret
Kathryn Hughes'Gripping' Good Housekeeping'I lost a day of my life to this book, I simply could not put it down! ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐' READER REVIEW 'This is one of the BEST BOOKS I have ever read' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ...
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The Last Second
Catherine CoulterThe New York Times bestselling Brit in the FBI series continues with this thrilling “popcorn movie in print form” (Associated Press) pitting special agents Nicholas Drummond and Mi...
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Vicious Love
L.J. Shen & Patricia WoitynekDie Erfolgsreihe aus den USA endlich auch auf Deutsch! Emilia LeBlanc traut ihren Augen nicht, als sie nach zehn Jahren zum ersten Mal wieder Baron "Vicious" Spencer gegenüberste...
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Sound Bites
Ed Le BrocqEd Le Brocq invites you to come on a journey with him through a living tradition that spans a millennium the tradition of Western classical music.Have you ever wondered where our ...
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We Remember the Home Guard
Frank Shaw & Joan Shaw'I remember standing on top of our local glen with a block of wood, expecting thousands of Germans coming down from the sky. What was I going to do with the block of wood? I never ...
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Third Time Lucky
Pippa CroftFans of Sylvia Day and E. L. James will love the third and final part of this exciting romance series.'It's Sister Dixon from the Royal Infirmary here. I'm sorry to tell you that C...
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The Day Nicholas Was Snatched
J. V. ThomasJ. V. Thomas compiled The Day Nicholas Was Snatched for the general interest of the public to provide insight into government and the “Secret Court” of children and families, expos...
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Classic Stories of World War II
PyramidClassic Stories of World War II is a collection of fiction and nonfiction excerpts from the works of worldclass authors who lived through the conflict. Authentic and impassioned st...
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Warte auf mich am Meer
Amy NeffEvelyn und Joseph begegnen sich im Sommer 1940. An der malerischen Küste New Englands, an der ihre Familien schon seit Generationen leben, verlieben sie sich ineinander. Gemeinsam ...
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The Christmas Hummingbird
Davis BunnSet during the Christmas season in the breathtaking coastal California town of Miramar Bay, this uplifting novella from international and New York Times bestselling author Davis Bu...
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American Royals - Wer wir auch sind
Nichole Chase & Wiebke PilzDu bist alles, was ich nicht bin. Und trotzdem will ich nur dich. Die junge Madison will die Welt verändern und schießt dabei gern mal über das Ziel hinaus. Als sie nach einer Rett...
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STAY
Helena Hunting & Beate BauerWas ist heißer als ein sexy Milliardär? Ein sexy Milliardär mit Haustieren!Ruby Scott ist verzweifelt: Nachdem ein mysteriöser Typ sie auf einer Party erst küsst und ihr dann mitte...
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Perfect Touch - Untrennbar
Jessica Clare & Kerstin FrickeDiese Liebesgeschichte beginnt nicht mit einem OneNightStand, sondern mit einem OneNightFlop ...So ein Arsch! Anders kann Greer es nicht ausdrücken. Jahrelang hat sie zu Milliardär...
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Enemies Among Us
Jeffrey S StephensAs Nick Reagan hunts down the terrorist mastermind, The Handler, he uncovers corruption at the highest levels of governmentperhaps even within his own CIA.Nick Reagan and his team ...
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Ten Days that Shook the World
John Reed"This book is a slice of intensified historyhistory as I saw it.” So begins John Reed’s firsthand account of the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. Much anticipated when it was publishe...
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The Idea of You
Robinne LeeNow an original movie on Prime Video starring Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine! When Solène Marchand, the thirtynineyearold owner of a prestigious art gallery in Los Angeles, t...
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The Idealist
Justin PetersThis smart, “riveting” (Los Angeles Times) history of the Internet free culture movement and its larger effects on societyand the life and shocking suicide of Aaron Swartz, a found...
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The Christmas Cottage
Davis BunnSet in the breathtaking coastal California town of Miramar Bay, this uplifting new novel from internationally bestselling author Davis Bunn celebrates the challenges and triumphs o...
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The Second Time I Saw You
Pippa CroftIf you can't get enough of E. L. James, Sylvia Day and Samantha Young, you'll love this passionate romance. It's the beginning of a new term at Wyckham College, Oxford, and a fres...