21st December, 2003

DAVID ADAMS looks at the life of St Nicholas...

He’s the happy bearded bloke in the red suit, famous for his ability to circle the globe in a sled drawn by reindeer and, in an amazing act of logistics, delivers presents to millions of children around the world.

Known across the globe, the origins of the story of Santa have become somewhat clouded in the mists of time, yet many Christians claim his story was inspired by that of another Saint Nicholas who lived only a couple of hundred years after Christ’s birth. It has also been suggested that the name Santa Claus was derived from the Dutch pronunciation of St Nicholas, leading to the phrase Sinter Klaas.

Regardless of whether the origins of Santa were inspired by his story or not (one thing we do know for certain is that the image of Santa as the guy in the red suit was not created by the Coca Cola company although they did use the image in an extensive advertising campaign in the 1930s), St Nicholas’ life is certainly worth a look.

PICTURE: iStockphoto.com

Born in the late third century in Patara (in what is now modern Turkey), Nicholas was raised as a devout Christian whose parents died while he was still young.

In obedience to Christ’s commands, he used his inheritance to assist those afflicted by illness or poverty and dedicated his life to serving God. He was appointed Bishop of Myra while still a young man and, according to the United States-based St Nicholas Centre, “became known for his generosity to those in need , his love for children and his concern for sailors and ships”.

“His vigorous actions on behalf of his people and in defense of the Christian faith reveal a man who lived his convictions. Nicholas was not timid — he did what was necessary and was not easily intimidated by others' power and position. His concern for the welfare of his flock and his stand for orthodox belief earned him respect as a model for bishops and a defender of the faith.”

Nicholas was later exiled and imprisoned under the persecutions of the Roman Emperor Diocletian (ostensibly for not worshipping Diocletian as a god) but survived to be released. It is suggested, though it remains a matter of dispute - that he attended the famous church council at Nicaea in 325 and he is said to have died in 343 AD.

His body, interestingly enough, was later stolen from Myra and in 1087, was taken to Bari in southern Italy by merchants, hence the title he is often given, St Nicholas of Bari.

One of the most famous stories surrounding St Nicholas surrounds that of the origins of putting out stockings at Christmas. It tells of a poor man with three daughters who, because of his lack of wealth, couldn’t provide them with a dowry and so marking them for a life of slavery. But mysteriously on three occasions, a bag (or, alternately a ball) of gold appeared in their home providing enough wealth for the dowries. Tossed through a window (by Nicholas), the bags are said to have landed in stockings or shoes left by the fire (giving rise to the custom of children hanging up stockings at Christmas).

For further reference:
www.stnicholascentre.org
www.newadvent.org
www.santas.net/stnicholas.htm