The Saint Nicholas Project
Who is Saint Nicholas?
The story about Santa Claus began with a man called Nicholas. Nicholas was born in the third century in what is now Turkey. At the time of his birth his village of Patara was Greek. He was born to wealthy parents, who died when he was quite young. In those few years they had together, his parents raised Nicholas to be a devout Christian. After the death of his parents, Nicholas spent his inheritance giving to the needy, following Jesus’ command to “sell what you own and give the money to the poor.”
Nicholas spent his life serving God, and was made the Bishop of Myra at a young age. Eventually, after his death, he was made a Saint by the Catholic church. Bishop Nicholas was known for being generous to the needy, and for his love of children.
Over the years there have been many stories told about Saint Nicholas, and his deeds. While it is not known which are true and which are exaggerations, these stories do help us to understand his character, and why he has been so loved and honored over the centuries
The most known story is one of a man with three daughters. The man was poor, and in those days, the father was to offer a Dowry to the prospective husband. The more valuable the dowry, the more likely the girl’s chances of finding a good husband. Having no dowry, it was unlikely his daughters would marry, and as a result, they would be sold into slavery when he died. On three different occasions, in the middle of the night, a bag of gold was tossed through an open window, providing the needed dowry. It was customary for people to hang their stockings and shoes by the fire to dry if they had gotten wet during the day. It is said that on at least one occasion, the bag of gold landed in a stocking or shoe. This is the origin for the custom of stockings being hung by the chimney, or shoes being left out, in hopes that gifts would be left. Some stories tell of the gold being in the form of balls. The leaving of an orange in the stocking comes from this legend, symbolizing Saint Nicholas’ gifts.
Through the centuries Saint Nicholas has been honored and remembered by many different cultures and religious beliefs. His generosity to the needy, especially to children sets the example for what Christmas should be about.