The true story of Santa Claus begins with Nicholas, who was born during the third century in the village of Patara.
At the time the area was Greek and is now on the southern coast of
Turkey. His wealthy parents, who raised him to be a devout Christian,
died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still young. Obeying Jesus' words
to "sell what you own and give the money to the poor," Nicholas used
his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering.
He dedicated his life to serving God and was made Bishop of Myra
while still a young man. Bishop Nicholas became known throughout the
land for his generosity to those in need, his love for children, and his
concern for sailors and ships.
Under the Roman Emperor Diocletian,
who ruthlessly persecuted Christians, Bishop Nicholas suffered for his
faith, was exiled and imprisoned. The prisons were so full of bishops,
priests, and deacons, there was no room for the real
criminals—murderers, thieves and robbers. After his release, Nicholas
attended the Council of Nicaea in AD 325. He died December 6, AD 343 in Myra and was buried in his cathedral church, where a unique relic, called manna,
formed in his grave. This liquid substance, said to have healing
powers, fostered the growth of devotion to Nicholas. The anniversary of
his death became a day of celebration, St. Nicholas Day, December 6th (December 19 on the Julian Calendar).
Through the centuries many stories and legends have been told of St.
Nicholas' life and deeds. These accounts help us understand his
extraordinary character and why he is so beloved and revered as
protector and helper of those in need.
St. Nicholas giving dowry gold
One story tells of a poor man with three daughters. In those days a
young woman's father had to offer prospective husbands something of
value—a dowry. The larger the dowry, the better the chance that a young
woman would find a good husband. Without a dowry, a woman was unlikely
to marry. This poor man's daughters, without dowries,
were therefore destined to be sold into slavery. Mysteriously, on three
different occasions, a bag of gold appeared in their home-providing the
needed dowries. The bags of gold, tossed through an open window, are
said to have landed in stockings or shoes left before the fire to dry.
This led to the custom of children hanging stockings or putting out
shoes, eagerly awaiting gifts from Saint Nicholas.
Sometimes the story is told with gold balls instead of bags of gold.
That is why three gold balls, sometimes represented as oranges, are one
of the symbols for St. Nicholas. And so St. Nicholas is a gift-giver.
St. Nicholas in prison
One of the oldest stories showing St. Nicholas as a protector of
children takes place long after his death. The townspeople of Myra were
celebrating the good saint on the eve of his feast day when a band of Arab pirates from Crete
came into the district. They stole treasures from the Church of Saint
Nicholas to take away as booty. As they were leaving town, they snatched
a young boy, Basilios, to make into a slave. The emir, or ruler,
selected Basilios to be his personal cupbearer, as not knowing the
language, Basilios would not understand what the king said to those
around him. So, for the next year Basilios waited on the king, bringing
his wine in a beautiful golden cup. For Basilios' parents, devastated at
the loss of their only child, the year passed slowly, filled with
grief. As the next St. Nicholas' feast day approached, Basilios' mother
would not join in the festivity, as it was now a day of tragedy.
However, she was persuaded to have a simple observance at home—with
quiet prayers for Basilios' safekeeping. Meanwhile, as Basilios was
fulfilling his tasks serving the emir, he was suddenly whisked up and
away. St. Nicholas appeared to the terrified boy, blessed him, and set
him down at his home back in Myra. Imagine the joy and wonderment when
Basilios amazingly appeared before his parents, still holding the king's
golden cup. This is the first story told of St. Nicholas protecting
children—which became his primary role in the West.
St. Nicholas rescuing children
Another story tells of three theological students, traveling on their
way to study in Athens. A wicked innkeeper robbed and murdered them,
hiding their remains in a large pickling tub. It so happened that Bishop
Nicholas, traveling along the same route, stopped at this very inn. In
the night he dreamed of the crime, got up, and summoned the innkeeper.
As Nicholas prayed earnestly to God the three boys were restored to life
and wholeness. In France the story is told of three small children,
wandering in their play until lost, lured, and captured by an evil
butcher. St. Nicholas appears and appeals to God to return them to life
and to their families. And so St. Nicholas is the patron and protector of children.
St. Nicholas' prayer calming seas
Several stories tell of Nicholas and the sea. When he was young, Nicholas sought the holy by making a pilgrimage
to the Holy Land. There as he walked where Jesus walked, he sought to
more deeply experience Jesus' life, passion, and resurrection. Returning
by sea, a mighty storm threatened to wreck the ship. Nicholas calmly
prayed. The terrified sailors were amazed when the wind and waves
suddenly calmed, sparing them all. And so St. Nicholas is the patron of
sailors and voyagers.
Other stories tell of Nicholas saving his people from famine,
sparing the lives of those innocently accused, and much more. He did
many kind and generous deeds in secret, expecting nothing in return.
Within a century of his death he was celebrated as a saint. Today he is venerated
in the East as wonder, or miracle worker and in the West as patron of a
great variety of persons-children, mariners, bankers, pawn-brokers,
scholars, orphans, laborers, travelers, merchants, judges, paupers,
marriageable maidens, students, children, sailors, victims of judicial
mistakes, captives, perfumers, even thieves and murderers! He is known
as the friend and protector of all in trouble or need (see list).
St. Nicholas providing food during famine
Sailors, claiming St. Nicholas as patron, carried stories of his favor
and protection far and wide. St. Nicholas chapels were built in many
seaports. As his popularity spread during the Middle Ages, he became the
patron saint of Apulia (Italy), Sicily, Greece, and Lorraine (France), and many cities in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Russia, Belgium, and the Netherlands (see list). Following his baptism, Grand Prince Vladimir I brought
St. Nicholas' stories and devotion to St. Nicholas to his homeland
where Nicholas became the most beloved saint. Nicholas was so widely
revered that thousands of churches were named for him, including three
hundred in Belgium, thirty-four in Rome, twenty-three in the Netherlands
and more than four hundred in England.
St. Nicholas blessing ships
Nicholas' tomb in Myra became a popular place of pilgrimage. Because
of the many wars and attacks in the region, some Christians were
concerned that access to the tomb might become difficult. For both the
religious and commercial advantages of a major pilgrimage site, the
Italian cities of Venice and Bari
vied to get the Nicholas relics. In the spring of 1087, sailors from
Bari succeeded in spiriting away the bones, bringing them to Bari, a
seaport on the southeast coast of Italy. An impressive church was built
over St. Nicholas' crypt
and many faithful journeyed to honor the saint who had rescued
children, prisoners, sailors, famine victims, and many others through
his compassion, generosity, and the countless miracles attributed to his
intercession. The Nicholas shrine in Bari was one of medieval Europe's great pilgrimage centers and Nicholas became known as "Saint in Bari." To this day pilgrims and tourists visit Bari's great Basilica di San Nicola.
Through the centuries St. Nicholas has continued to be venerated by
Catholics. By his example of
generosity to those in need, especially children, St. Nicholas continues
to be a model for the compassionate life.
Saint Nicholas, ora pro nobis!
Widely celebrated in Europe, St. Nicholas' feast day, December 6th, kept
alive the stories of his goodness and generosity. In Germany and
Poland, boys dressed as bishops begged alms for the poor—and sometimes
for themselves! In the Netherlands and Belgium, St. Nicholas arrived on a
steamship from Spain to ride a white horse on his gift-giving rounds.
December 6th is still the main day for gift giving and merrymaking in
much of Europe. For example, in the Netherlands St. Nicholas is
celebrated on the 5th, the eve of the day, by sharing candies (thrown in
the door), chocolate initial letters, small gifts, and riddles. Dutch
children leave carrots and hay in their shoes for the saint's horse,
hoping St. Nicholas will exchange them for small gifts. Simple
gift-giving in early Advent helps preserve a Christmas Day focus on the Christ Child.
The Story of Saint Nicholas - The Real Santa Claus
When Santa Punched a Heretic in the Face
In 325, he was one of many bishops to answer the request of
Constantine and appear at the First Council of Nicaea. There, Nicolas
was a staunch anti-Arian and defender of the Orthodox Christian
position, and one of the bishops who signed the Nicene Creed.
During the First Ecumenical Council of
Nicea (AD 325), Arius was called upon to defend his position on the
inferiority of Christ. Saint Nicholas just couldn’t listen to all of
Arius’ nonsense and so he stood up and laid in to Arius with his fist.
The Emperor Constantine and the bishops
present at the Council were alarmed by Nicholas’ act of violence against
Arius. They immediately stripped Nicholas of his office as a bishop by
confiscating the two items that marked out a man as a Christian bishop:
Nicholas’ personal copy of the Gospels and his pallium (the vestment
worn by all bishops in the East).
Now if that were the end of the story, we
probably wouldn’t know about Saint Nicholas, and our children wouldn’t
be asking him for presents. However, after Nicholas was deposed, the
Lord Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary visited Nicholas who was
being held in a prison cell for his fist-fight with the heretic.
Our Lord Jesus Christ asked Saint Nicholas, “Why are you here?” Nicholas responded, “Because I love you, my Lord and my God.”
Christ then presented Nicholas with his
copy of the Gospels. Next, the Blessed Virgin vested Nicholas with his
episcopal pallium, thus restoring him to his rank as a bishop.
The story of Our Lord and Our Lady visiting St. Nichols is depicted
in his iconography. Notice the images of Christ and Mary bringing to St.
Nicholas a copy of the Holy Gospels and his episcopal pallium.
“When the Emperor Constantine heard of this
miracle, he immediately ordered that Nicholas be reinstated as a bishop
in good standing for the Council of Nicaea. Today we recite the Nicene
Creed every Sunday so we know how the controversy played out. The
bishops at Nicea sided with Saint Nicholas and Saint Athanasius and they
condemned Arius as a heretic. To this very day, we still recite in the
Creed that Christ is ‘God from God, Light from Light, True God from True
God, begotten not made, consubstantial with the Father.’”
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