Saint Nicholas, Santa Claus

Saint Nicholas was born around the year 255 in Patara (southern coast of Turkey). He was an only child of Christian parents who passed on the faith to him and taught him to manage the family business. They also encouraged in him mercy, almsgiving, and attention to the sick.

Nicholas led a good Christian life, in prayer, mortification and chastity. He probably fasted on Wednesdays and Fridays until three in the afternoon, as was the custom at the time. When his parents died, Nicholas took charge of the family estate. It was then that the episode of the three maidens took place.

A citizen of Patara had been ruined and decided that his daughters should earn the necessary money immorally in order to marry. Nicholas found out and decided to prevent it. One night he took from his possessions the necessary money, put it in a bag and threw it through a window of his neighbor's house. Some say it fell on the shoes or stockings of the young women.

With that money the first daughter married, but afterwards the father insisted on the same immoral plans for the other two. Nicholas used the same method again, and later repeated it a third time. On this occasion, the neighbor managed to discover him, and spread his good reputation throughout Patara.

From this episode comes the custom of Christmas gifts that Saint Nicholas — Santa Claus — brings to children near their shoes or stockings. Also from this comes that Saint Nicholas is patron of maidens, unmarried women, brides and marriageable women.

When Nicholas turned forty, he moved to Myra — 80 km from Patara — and continued his professional work there.

Around the year 300, the Bishop of Myra died. The neighboring bishops, the clergy and the people of Myra could not agree on a successor, and asked God for guidance. Then a luminous figure appeared to the oldest bishop and ordered him to spend the night in the vestibule of the church, choosing as bishop the first person to arrive. His name is Nicholas, he was told.

At dawn, Nicholas came to the temple to pray and... was ordained bishop. Afterwards, Nicholas probably devoted some time to improving his formation.

Three years later — 303 — the emperor Diocletian launched a fierce persecution, in which Nicholas was probably taken prisoner and suffered some torment. In 311 or shortly before, he was freed and acclaimed by his faithful in Myra.

Around the years 312 and 313, there was a great drought throughout the region. People began to die of hunger. Bishop Nicholas was tireless in caring for those in need. One day, some ships arrived with grain, but it was only a stopover. Nicholas went to speak with the captains. He begged them to unload some grain in Myra. They replied that the grain was measured exactly and if any were missing... Nicholas assumed responsibility for the matter, and the captains agreed.

Nicholas distributed the grain, reserving some for the next sowing. Thus the people did not die of hunger. When the sailors arrived at their destination, no one missed any quantity.

For this, Saint Nicholas is patron of those who work with grain: millers, bakers, merchants.

Around this time Arius lived, and his heretical ideas were beginning to spread. In the year 325 the Council of Nicaea was held, which Saint Nicholas probably attended. On his return to Myra, he defended the faith with firmness always accompanied by his habitual modesty, gentleness and persuasion. Many Arians owe their conversion to him.

Around the year 332, some imperial troops made a stopover in Andriake — 5 km from Myra. A conflict arose with the soldiers, and the townspeople turned to Nicholas to prevent a massacre. Nicholas, at 77 years of age, presented himself at the scene when a brawl was about to begin. He made his way through the people, crossed no man's land and reached the soldiers, asking to meet with their commanders. The generals arrived and the situation calmed down.

Meanwhile, in Myra they had bribed the governor to execute three innocent men. Word was sent to Nicholas begging his immediate return to Myra. The three generals accompanied him as guests and witnessed how Nicholas obtained the salvation of the three innocents.

The generals departed from Myra, fulfilled their mission in other regions and returned before Constantine. The emperor congratulated them and rewarded them generously.

Shortly after, these generals were slandered and condemned to death. The night before their death, the three generals prayed to the God of Nicholas, the bishop who had saved the innocents. That same night, Nicholas appeared to Constantine and to the slanderer and spoke to them with energy. The generals were freed and reinstated in their posts. (Some authors do not mention apparitions, but rather persuasion by Nicholas who would have been in the city at those moments.)

Because of these events, Saint Nicholas is patron of judges, lawyers, notaries, the imprisoned, intercessor against unjust sentences, liberation of captives, etc.

One day in Myra, the tax collector announced that the current rate — already difficult to pay — would be multiplied by 50. The citizens turned to Nicholas and he decided to go personally to Constantine. Nicholas proposed to him a reasonable amount — lower than the current one — and the emperor accepted. Nicholas sent the document immediately to Myra, where they paid it right away very happily.

Days later, an enemy protested to the emperor about the reduction. Constantine called Nicholas who was still in Constantinople, and he affirmed that the document had already been executed, so it was not possible to retract it.

This intervention of Nicholas, together with that of the three maidens, has made this saint a habitual intercessor in economic matters. For example, Opus Dei — founded in the 20th century — turns to Saint Nicholas in these difficulties.

While Nicholas was still alive, several nautical miracles are attributed to him. For example, two cases of storms are recounted. On both occasions, those affected turned to God through the intercession of Nicholas, and he appeared to them. In the first event, he simply helped them with hands and words to master the situation. In the second case, Nicholas walked on the waters, retrieved the lost rudder and calmed the storm.

From these and other events comes that Saint Nicholas is chosen as intercessor by men of the sea: navigators, shipowners, fishermen, etc.; and he is invoked in storms.

From the death of Nicholas until our own days, a gentle and beneficial aromatic oil flows from the saint's tomb that cures many sick people. Pilgrimages to Myra began immediately. From this comes that Saint Nicholas is patron of perfumers and pharmacists.

Another specialty of Saint Nicholas is children. Even during his lifetime the resurrection of three dismembered children is attributed to him. Another famous miracle was that of Basil — Adeodatus: He was 7 years old and lived near Myra. He was captured by Arabs who took him to Crete (or to Babylon according to other versions). The governor there bought him as a slave and set him to serve drinks. The following year, this governor was mocking Saint Nicholas while the boy's parents continued to turn to his intercession. On December 6, the feast of Saint Nicholas, the boy appeared in the garden of his home dressed as an Arab with a cup in his hand.

He is patron of children: schoolchildren, small shoe-shiners... And children await his Christmas gifts from him — Santa Claus.

Muslim invasions frequently devastated Myra and the city became depopulated. After some heavenly visions in Bari and in Myra, in the year 1087, some citizens of Bari took the remains of Saint Nicholas — 70% — and brought them to Bari where they remain today.

And pilgrimages and miracles began in Bari. In the first week, 110 miracles were recorded; among them a leper, a possessed man who was deaf, mute and blind, etc. Miracles are also narrated among those who make pilgrimage to Bari or return from there. And Saint Nicholas is thus patron of pilgrims and travelers.

Very soon temples dedicated to Saint Nicholas began to be built. Currently in Europe there are more than 6,000 churches that have him as their patron; and countless temples with an image of him, for example, in all Russian churches.

He is patron of entire countries, such as Russia, Greece and Bulgaria, of large regions and of hundreds of trades. And when December comes, children from half the world await gifts from Saint Nicholas, also called Santa Claus.

Because of Saint Nicholas's interest in children, in several countries it became traditional for children to receive gifts on his feast day. This happened in Poland, Switzerland, Holland... Protestants desacralized these feasts. Thus in Holland the name of Sint Nikolaas derived to Sinterklaas, who was no longer a saint but a kindly old man.

Dutch emigrants to New York maintained the gift-giving customs, and the tradition spread throughout those lands. The name changed again, to another with the same pronunciation as Sinterklaas: Santa Claus.

Around 1823 there was a Christmas poem that became very famous in the United States, describing Santa Claus with a white beard, fur suit and sleigh pulled by eight reindeer. In 1881 there was a drawing that became popular, showing Santa Claus in his current red suit. From that time also comes the idea of the toy workshop at the North Pole. And thus he returned to Europe.