Unsophisticatedrandomness: episode 36: The Real Santa Clause: Who is St. Nicholas

As a kid, I remember making a list of what I wanted for Christmas to give to Santa Clause. I imagined him going down the chimney at my aunt’s house and my parents told me that he came to our house also, but we didn’t have a chimney. I asked my parents how he came in the house, and they told me he came in through the little pipe that is on top of the house. I remember going to the mall and telling Santa what I wanted. I also remember my mom making homemade cookies so we could eat of course, but also to leave cookies and milk for Santa. I had a lot of great memories of Christmas and Santa Clause growing up. I also remember realizing he wasn’t real. Well, not in the sense of a big jolly fat guy riding around with reindeer, eating peoples’ cookies and leaving presents under the tree. But there was a real Saint Nicholas who became a bishop. Growing up, after the believing in Santa phase, I had the impression that the real St. Nick was a guy who gave out presents to children in his village on Christmas. Let’s learn about the real Saint Nick

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            In the third century, Nicholas was born to wealthy parents in a village called Patara in Asia Minor, located in the southern coast of Turkey. His parents died when he was still very young and because they raised him to be a devout Christian, Nicholas gave all his inheritance to the poor and suffering. Nicholas became Bishop of Myra at a young age and dedicated his life to serving God. “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.” He died December the 6th 343 and it became a day of celebration.

            There are many stories of Saint Nicholas protecting children and those in need. One story says that there was a poor man with three daughters, the problem was no man wanted to marry the daughters without a dowry or gift to present the prospective husband. Without a husband a woman was destined to slavery, so the father of these girls was very distressed. But “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, Saint Nicholas is a gift giver.”

            Another tale about Saint Nick takes place after his death. Some towns people were celebrating Saint Nicholas Day while some Arab pirates came and stole some treasure, and took a young boy to make into a slave. The boy was selected to serve the king and was kept in a cage. The next year, on Saint Nicholas Day, the boys’ mother was not at the festivities but had an observation for her sons safe keeping. “Meanwhile, as Basilios” the young boy “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 kings golden cup. This is the first story told if St. Nicholas protecting children- which became is primary role in the West.” Sailors also told stories of his favor and many ports were built in his name. “Widely celebrated in Europe, St. Nicholas’ feast day, December 6th, kept alive the stories of his goodness and generosity.” December the 6th is the main day of gift giving because “Simple gift- giving in early Advent helps preserve a Christmas Day focus on the Christ Child.”

This has been a short introduction to Saint Nicholas, if you want to learn more about him, there is a website dedicated to the saint it is Stnicholascenter.org. the article I read was Who is Saint Nick found on the website. I thought it was interesting and I hope you enjoyed this weeks post.