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O who serves Nicholas the saintly?
Him will Nicholas receive,
And give help in time of need,
Holy Father Nicholas!
Is our help on the land and oceans?
He will guard us from all ills,
Keep us pure and free from sins,
Holy Father Nicholas!
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Church Events
O who loves Nicholas the saintly?
O who serves Nicholas the saintly?
Him will Nicholas receive,
And give help in time of need,
Holy Father Nicholas!
O who dwells in God's holy mansions,
Is our help on the land and oceans?
He will guard us from all ills,
Keep us pure and free from sins,
Holy Father Nicholas!
December 11, 2005 - The children of the Church School of SS. Peter and Paul Orthodox Church made their annual offering of the St. Nicholas Day Pageant to an appreciative audience of parishioners. In days gone by, this performance was also known by the name Yolka - the Russian word for "fir tree". The performance was held in the Church School immediately after Divine Liturgy. The St. Nicholas Day Pageant is closely timed to occur as close as possible to December 6 - the Feast Day of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia. Greatly revered in the Orthodox Faith, particularly so in Russia, St. Nicholas was known for his selfless acts of charity to those in need. He is also the Patron Saint of sailors. Down through the years, it was the real St. Nicholas who became the prototype for the fictitional nonetheless beloved "Santa Claus". Santa, of course, is a well-known favorite of children the world over. Below center is a Greek icon of St. Nicholas. It is flanked right and left by icons of St. Nicholas as viewed in SS. Peter and Paul Orthodox Church on the Feast Day of St. Nicholas.
You may click on any of the images above to view an enlargement.
Above are depictions of St. Nicholas in Western European countries. He is frequently shown either with children and/or bearing gifts.
Now on to the photoreport covering the St. Nicholas Day Pageant. Above and below left, Choirmaster, Basil Kozak, and Phil Rogozenski oversaw the musical portion of the program. Above and below right, angels waited in the wings on the second floor of the Church Hall as the performance was about to begin.
Shepherds (above left) and the three Wise Men (above right) were also ready to go onstage. Below left, Allison Steffaro has a last-minute, pre-performance huddle with the cherubs before she welcomes the guests to the performance (below right). Also involved in guiding the children, among others, were Church School Administrator, Karen Berezniak, and Lisa Yasuk.
Below left and right are wide-angle views of the performance onstage and the large audience, respectively.
You may click on either photo above to view an enlargement.
In the two photos above and the block of photos which follow are views of the pageant. Traditional Church music is sung and there is a recounting of the birth of Christ on the Feast Day of the Nativity. In the photo above left, Rev. David Garretson, Rector of SS. Peter and Paul Orthodox Church, was among those in attendance. Below left is a view of the performance from the perspective of those performing onstage.
You may click on the photo above left to view an enlargement.
In the two photos above and the three photos below, photographers - digital or analog, still or video - were in the audience in abundance recording the event for posterity.
You may click on the photo above right to view an enlargement.
The two photos above and those below which follow show the appreciative audience enjoying the pageant. Below left - it is always a good idea for the young folk to learn of St. Nicholas and "Santa Claus" at as early an age as possible. Perhaps it is possible to be too young to fully appreciate Santa! Below right, this infant was caught napping during the pageant.
Above right, the angels take a bow at the end of the formal performance, as did the other performers.
There was an interlude between the formal conclusion of the pageant and the arrival of St. Nicholas. This gave the children an opportunity to trade their costumes for street clothes. It also gave Rev. Garretson an opportunity to interview some of the children on a variety of topics. As the photos above and below show, he obviously enjoyed the task. Rev. Garretson's performance called to mind among those over a certain age the former television interviewer of children, Art Linkletter. Question - was the St. Nicholas Day Pageant created for children or adults? Answer - it was created for the children and the child which hopefully still resides in all adults!
Finally came the long-awaited arrival of St. Nicholas. Gifts were distributed to both children and adults who were on their best behavior throughout the year. Among those adults receiving gifts were Rev. Garretson (above right), Leslie Zelanko (below left), and Diane Dreyer (below right).
St. Nicholas then addressed the children before their gift distribution began (above left). Above right, as they listened to St. Nicholas, the expressions on the children's faces ranged from reflective/meditative to overjoyed/giddy!
Above, St. Nicholas then distributed gifts to children of all ages. In the three photos below, infants also stopped by to say "hello" to St. Nicholas. It is a smart move to be on the best of terms with "Santa Claus" from as young an age as possible!!!
Below left, families also took time to pose for photographs with St. Nicholas. And now we reveal a little secret. Perhaps the observant among you will notice that St. Nicholas (below right) looks an awful lot (well, the eyes anyway!) like someone you have seen in our Church. Without damage to anyone's belief in Santa (those too young to read are protected from what follows) your reporter is pleased to reveal the identity of the person in costume. He is none other than SS. Peter and Paul Orthodox Church parishioner, A.J. Sivess! A blessed Feast of the Nativity is wished for all parishioners of SS. Peter and Paul Orthodox Church and for all visitors to this page.
Copyright © 2005, Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church, South River, NJ