Which saint's feast day is celebrated on December 6?

Saint Nicholas’s feast day is celebrated on December 6 in Western Christian calendars.

The date commemorates Nicholas of Myra, a fourth-century Christian bishop associated with the ancient city of Myra in Lycia, in present-day Turkey. Christian tradition remembers him for generosity, especially stories in which he secretly provided money to help a poor family. Those gift-giving traditions helped shape later customs surrounding Saint Nicholas Day.

In many European countries, children celebrate on December 5 or 6 by leaving shoes out for sweets or small presents. The Dutch Sinterklaas tradition and other regional customs later contributed to the development of the modern Santa Claus figure, but Saint Nicholas Day is a distinct feast focused on the saint.

Calendar practice explains a common date variation. Western churches and Eastern churches using the revised calendar observe the feast on December 6, while some Eastern churches using the old Julian calendar celebrate it on December 19. Saint Lucia’s feast is December 13, not December 6.