CHILDREN received an early Christmas present last night as they celebrated the St Nicholas lantern procession.

The festival was organised by St Mary’s and St Nicholas Church and began with youngsters making lanterns in Littlemore’s community centre, where they heard stories about the legend of St Nicholas.

There followed a walk through Littlemore, taking in sites such as Cardinal John Henry Newman’s former house, The College.

Once at the church, the children put an apple and carrot in their shoes, which were replaced with sweets by St Nicholas.

The Rev Margreet Armitstead, who is originally from the Netherlands, has run the festival for seven years. She said: “The children loved it and in the church there was a lot of excitement about whether St Nicholas would come.”

The tradition of Saint Nicholas Day, usually on December 6, is a festival for children in many countries in Europe related to his reputation as a bringer of gifts.