In some of these countries, Szent Miklós comes with a Mrs. Miklós as his assistant. I cannot wait for Szent Miklós day. My roommate has some shoe polish, so I will be able to polish my boots to make sure I receive some chocolate.
This tradition dates all the way back to the 4th century or the year 400. It is said the Szent Miklós performed many miracles. This all started after his wealthy parents were killed. He decided that he wanted to live a charitable life and hand out his money to the poor people around him. He started to save many poor people in his village and eventually became a special saint. He started to perform many miracles and even saved a ship from wrecking in a storm. He presence was so popular among the people in the 4th century that he became a symbol of birth, openness, and light. Now, leading up to modern times, instead of performing miracles as he once had, he chooses to reward the good children on the special days leading up to December 25th, Christmas.
This tradition is connected to the environment of Hungary. It dates back to a time long ago and continues into the society today. Szent Miklós day is celebrated in schools and other centers for children. Children exchange gift bags with each other and the teachers give out chocolate Szent Miklós (Santa Claus) figures. There are songs to Miklós songs and children sometimes have special poems or songs for this special day. If Szent Miklós makes a visit, he calls each child by name, gives them a special message and asks them what gifts they would like.
