St. Nicholas -- The Real Santa Claus?
Saint Nicholas (who lived in the 4th century) is the patron saint of Russia, and known worldwide because of his traditional association with Christmas celebrations.1
According to tradition, Nicholas was born in Patara, formerly a city in the ancient district of Lycia, in Turkey. When he grew up, Nicholas wanted to become a monk, but, according to legend, he dreamed that Jesus Christ gave him a jeweled copy of the four gospels, so he became a priest instead. He was then 17 years old. Nicholas entered the nearby monastery of Sion and afterward became archbishop of the church in Myra, Lycia.2
It is said that Nicholas was imprisoned during the persecutions of Christians by the Roman emperor Diocletian. But he was later freed from prison when Constantine became emperor. Some legends say he then attended the Council of Nicaea in 325.3
When St. Nicholas died, his remains were buried in Myra. However, in 1087, Italian sailors who feared that the bones would be destroyed by the armies invading the country at that time and so they took away the remains of his bones. They were then taken to Bari in Italy, where they were put under a basilica dedicated especially to the saint. Much of Europe still observes December 6, the date of St. Nicholas’ death, as an important holiday. 4
Saint Nicholas is one of the most popular saints in the Christian church, and is the patron saint of sailors, travelers, bakers, merchants and especially children.5 In the Middle Ages he was regarded as the patron saint of thieves and robbers.6
According to legend, Nicholas was generous and kind-hearted. The best know tale of his generosity is about three girls whose poor father didn’t have any money for their marriage dowries, and so he planned to sell the girls as slaves. But Nicholas threw bags of gold coins through the girl’s windows at night. Some versions of the story say that he dropped the third bag of coins down the chimney. Each of the girls was able to marry as a result of the mysterious gifts.7 From this tale has grown the custom of secret gifts on the Eve of Saint Nicholas Day. Because of the closeness of both holidays, Christmas and Saint Nicholas’s Day are now celebrated at the same time in many countries. Santa Claus, a fat and bearded figure of folkstories who is believed to bring gifts to children on Christmas Eve, is an American version of the Dutch Sinter Klaas. 8
