St. Nicholas’ Day Festival is today at St. James Episcopal Church

STAFF REPORT

BOARDMAN — St. James Episcopal Church, 7640 Glenwood Ave., will have its fifth annual St. Nicholas’ Day Festival at 6 p.m. today.

This festival Eucharist will celebrate the life of Nicholas, Bishop of Myra and patron saint of children. There will be a dialogue among St. Nicholas portrayed by Bill Dick of Youngstown; Zeke Coughlin, a seminarian; and several of the St. James youth. A party will be after the service. Children will have an opportunity to meet St. Nicholas and have their photograph taken with him. Kids may also participate in hands-on craft activities.

Each year in keeping with the Dutch tradition, children leave a shoe or boot filled with carrots for St. Nicholas’ horse by the fireplace. After the liturgy, they may find the carrots replaced with small gifts from St. Nicholas.

This year’s celebration will include a collection of winter hats, scarves, gloves and mittens for children and adults. These items will be blessed during the liturgy and then donated to the Salvation Army for distribution to those in need in our community. Individuals who wish to participate in this outreach project may bring items with them to the event or drop them off at the church. A portion of the offering collected will be donated to the local “Shop with a Cop” program to enable children to buy Christmas gifts for their family members.