St Nicholas’ Day, is a custom celebrated in Poland on December 6, dating as far back as the 19th century.
On the night of December 5/6, St Nicholas visits the children, giving them small presents, which are usually placed in a sock, under a pillow or in a shoe. These visits are preceded by the children sending a letter to St Nicholas declaring that they have been good and writing out their wish list of presents.
To take inspiration from this very beautiful tradition and to spread the magic of Christmas, the originator of the project, Wojtek Wróbel, vice-director of the Board of the Midlands Polish Community, put his ‘Little Santa’ project into practice.
“Our hard-working elves worked non-stop and managed to organise more than 250 boxes with sweet treats, which were distributed to local organisations supporting the most vulnerable families and children.
“The boxes were donated to the Ken Smollen Food Appeal, Midlands Simon Community, Esker House Domestic Abuse Support Service, Infinity Friends and The Melting Pot - Roscommon.
“None of this would have been possible if it had not been for the great support from many quarters. Thanks to the generosity of the participants of the Independence Day Family Picnic, we were able to raise part of the funds.
“We received great support from the Polish Embassy in Dublin as well as from local Polish businesses, for which we would like to thank them wholeheartedly,” Wojtek said.
