I’ve mentioned before that I never knew about St Nicholas Day when I was little — I only learned about it when I was much older. Claire, on the other hand, always knew about St. Nicholas and it was always celebrated in her house.
We observed St. Nicholas Day with out kids, but I’m not sure they really got into it like some people.
But anyhow — today, December 6, is St. Nicholas Day.
Most people know that St. Nicholas was a friendly man who brought joy to the children in his hometown with gifts — but — like most things, there’s much more to the story than that….
The Dutch are responsible for the change from St. Nicholas to Santa Claus. The Dutch brought traditions of “Sinterklaas” (that’s what the Dutch called St. Nicholas) with them to North American and founded New Amsterdam, in 1621. Shortly afterwards, English settlers made the name sound more like what we’re used to hearing today — Santa Claus.
But back to St. Nicholas — his path to sainthood wasn’t easy. He was tortured and imprisoned for his faith until the first Christian emperor gave religious liberty to Christians everywhere. St. Nicholas was made a Bishop of Myra when he was only 30 years old — that earned him the moniker “boy bishop.”
One of the more famous stories of St. Nicholas, aside from giving gifts to children is his intervention on behalf of three men who were falsely condemned to death. When they were to be killed, St. Nicholas risked his life by grabbing the sword from the executioner’s hands and throwing it on the ground, demanding the men be set free.
He had such authority that the executioner left his sword where it fell. Later, the man really responsible for the crime the three men would have died for, sought forgiveness from St. Nicholas and confessed his sin.
St. Nicholas forgave the man and absolved his sin — after he underwent a period of repentance.
Throughout the centuries many stories and legends have been passed down about St. Nicholas’ life and his good deeds. No wonder he has the reputation for being an extraordinary character and why he is so beloved as a protector and help of those in need.
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