St. Mykolai and a little angel with a lantern walking along a snowy path in a Carpathian village at night, under an eight-pointed star

For Ukrainian and mixed families, wherever you live

A letter from St. Mykolai, in Ukrainian, just for your child

Mykolai calls your child by name. He remembers their good deeds. He knows what they dream of. And in the morning, under the pillow: a letter, an envelope, a certificate and a song card.

Create a letter Read a sample

Letter fully in Ukrainian
You can fill in the details in English
Every letter proofread by a person
PDF by email within 24 hours
$1 from every letter goes to Misto Dobra

Only – sleeps until Mykolai peeks under the pillow

Feast day:

How it works

Three steps to the morning your child asks: «Звідки він знав?!» “How did he know?!”

Tell us about your child

Name, age, good deeds and a wish. English is fine, we translate your details by hand.

We write and proofread

A native Ukrainian speaker checks every word, including the tricky name endings.

Print and tuck it under the pillow

The PDF arrives by email within 24 hours. Print at home, then slip it under the pillow at night.

St. Mykolai quietly placing a gift and a honey cookie under a sleeping child's pillow while a little angel holds the Book of Good Deeds

For parents

Who is St. Mykolai?

New to the tradition, or grew up with Santa? Here's everything you need, short enough to explain at bedtime. Full story and traditions →

Who he was

Nicholas lived long ago in the city of Myra. He was a bishop who secretly helped poor families, tossing gold coins through their windows at night so no one knew it was him. That's why his gifts still arrive while children sleep.

What happens that night

In the evening, kids clean their shoes and go to bed early. During the night Mykolai leaves a small gift and a mykolaichyk, a honey cookie, under the pillow. In the morning, the first thing a child does is check under the pillow.

December 6 or 19?

Both are right. December 6 follows the new calendar, which Ukraine now uses. December 19 follows the old calendar, still kept by many diaspora families.

The little switch

A thin twig once used as a playful warning for naughty children. In our letters it always stays in the pantry, because the child has already made things right.

Mykolaichyky

Honey cookies shaped like Mykolai, angels and stars. They're baked the day before, decorated with white icing, and left under the pillow with the gift.

Words to say

What to tell your child at bedtime

Read the Ukrainian aloud, or say it in English. Either way, the magic works.

Знаєш, хто прийде до нас цієї ночі? Святий Миколай.Do you know who's coming tonight? St. Mykolai.

Він живе далеко, у сніжних Карпатах. Цілий рік янголята записують у його Книгу всі добрі справи дітей.He lives far away, in the snowy Carpathian mountains. All year, angels write every child's good deeds in his Book.

Почисть свої черевички й лягай спати. Миколай приходить лише тоді, коли діти міцно сплять.Clean your shoes and go to bed. Mykolai only comes when children are fast asleep.

А вранці зазирни під подушку!And in the morning, look under your pillow!

What's in the printable kit

Not one page, but a little post office from Mykolai

Everything in one style, with your child's name. Looks best on thick cream paper, but regular paper works too.

Personal letterWith a gold signature, the wax seal of Mykolai's office and your feast date.
Envelope stamped “St. Mykolai Post”Cut out, fold, glue, and slip the letter inside.
“Mykolai's Good List” certificateWith your child's name. Often ends up on the fridge all year.
Song card «Ой хто, хто Миколая любить»“Oh, who loves St. Nicholas”: the traditional St. Nicholas song, with the words in Ukrainian, to sing together the evening before.
Rushnyk bookmark for the Book of Good DeedsCross-stitch style, with your child's name. Thread a red string through it, like a real embroidered towel.
10-page coloring bookMykolai, the angel, honey cookies, kalyna and an embroidered towel. Ages 4+, with your child's name on the cover.

Kit page: personal letter, sample for Sofiia — Real kit pages (in Ukrainian), sample for Sofiia. Yours will have your child's name, deeds and date. See the full kit (sample PDF, 17 pages) →

Kit page: envelope to cut out — Real kit pages (in Ukrainian), sample for Sofiia. Yours will have your child's name, deeds and date. See the full kit (sample PDF, 17 pages) →

Sample letter

Here's what your child receives, and what it says

The letter is in Ukrainian. Here's the same letter in English, so every parent knows exactly what Mykolai writes.

Канцелярія Святого МиколаяКарпати

Люба Софійко!

Пишу тобі з Карпат, де над моєю хатинкою вже випав перший сніг, а янголята щовечора запалюють на небі зорі. Тобі вже 6 років — зовсім велика дівчинка! Цілий рік мої помічники записували у Велику Книгу добрих справ усе, що ти робила у місті Торонто, і я з радістю прочитав про тебе багато доброго.

Я знаю, що ти навчилася сама зав'язувати шнурівки, ділишся іграшками з меншим братиком і сказала «пробач» подрузі, коли ви посварилися. Мої янголята записали це золотими літерами, і я тобою пишаюся.

Бувало, звісно, й інакше: ти одного осіннього дня не хотіла прибирати іграшки й трішки вередувала. Але ти швидко виправилася, а це, повір, важить більше, ніж ніколи не помилятися. Тож різочку я цього року в торбу не кладу: вона залишиться в коморі до наступної зими.

У ніч із 5 на 6 грудня я зазирну до вашої оселі. Почисти свої черевички й постав їх біля дверей, а вранці зазирни під подушку. Я чув, що ти мрієш про ляльку з довгою косою. Не обіцяю, що все буде точнісінько так, але щось особливе для тебе я обов'язково знайду. І ще там чекатиме смачний миколайчик, спечений за старовинним рецептом.

Рости здорова й добра, слухайся маму й тата і пам'ятай: найкращий подарунок для мене — твоє добре серце.

Святий Миколай

Карпати, 6 грудня 2026 року

English translation

Dear Sofiia!

I'm writing to you from the Carpathians, where the first snow has already fallen over my little cottage and the angels light the stars in the sky every evening. You're 6 years old now, such a big girl! All year long my helpers wrote down in the Great Book of Good Deeds everything you did in Toronto, and I was glad to read so many good things about you.

I know that you learned to tie your shoelaces by yourself, you share your toys with your little brother, and you said “sorry” to a friend after you argued. My angels wrote this down in golden letters, and I am proud of you.

Of course, there were other days too: one autumn day you didn't want to tidy up your toys and were a little cranky. But you quickly made it right, and believe me, that matters more than never making mistakes. So this year I'm not putting the little switch in my bag: it will stay in the pantry until next winter.

On the night of December 5 to 6, I'll peek into your home. Clean your shoes and put them by the door, and in the morning look under your pillow. I heard you dream of a doll with a long braid. I can't promise it will be exactly like that, but I will surely find something special for you. And there will also be a tasty mykolaichyk, baked from an old recipe.

Grow healthy and kind, listen to Mom and Dad, and remember: the best gift for me is your kind heart.

St. Mykolai

Prices

Every letter is written with the same care. Only the kit differs.

This season all kits are printable PDFs. Prices in US dollars.

Letter & envelope

Printable PDF

$8.95

Personal letter with signature and seal
“St. Mykolai Post” envelope
Proofread by a person

Choose

Most complete

Full kit

Printable PDF

$12.95

Everything in Letter & envelope
“Good List” certificate
Song card
10-page coloring book
Rushnyk bookmark

Choose

Two children

Printable PDF

$19.95 for both

Two full kits
A separate letter for each child, not a copy
Shorter text for the younger one if needed

Choose

$1 from every letter goes to Misto Dobra, a center helping mothers and children in crisis in Ukraine. After December 19 we'll publish the total we raised together.

Order

Tell us about your child

Write in English or Ukrainian. We turn your details into a natural Ukrainian letter and proofread it by hand.

Questions

What parents usually ask

I don't speak Ukrainian. Can I still order?

Yes. Fill in the form in English and we'll write the letter in Ukrainian. Use the English translation above to know exactly what it says, and read the bedtime words in either language.

When do I need to order?

For December 6, order by December 5. For December 19, order by December 18. The PDF arrives within 24 hours. On the last day, order by 2 pm EST and you'll get it by 6 pm EST.

Who writes and checks the letter?

Each letter is built from your details and our tested texts, then proofread by a native Ukrainian speaker before it's sent.

My child goes to school and knows Santa. Won't it be confusing?

No, the letter explains it simply: Mykolai comes earlier, leaves gifts under the pillow and writes in Ukrainian. Many families keep both.

What if there's a mistake, or the PDF doesn't arrive?

If anything in the name, date or details is wrong, email us and we'll send a corrected kit free within 24 hours. If the PDF doesn't arrive within a day, check Spam or Promotions first, then email us. If we can't deliver before your feast day, we'll refund the full amount.

What happens to my child's details?

We only receive what you send with your order, and we use it only to write your letter.

How do I pay?

By card, Apple Pay or Google Pay through Stripe. We never see or store your card details. Prices are in US dollars.