Saint Nicholas of Myra – Santa Claus?
Saint Nicholas (Uroš Predić, 1903)
How did the good and generous Christian Saint, the good Bishop Nicholas, become the Christmas Santa Claus all dressed up in a Father Christmas outfit?
Read on and I shall tell you the tale.
Saint Nicholas of Myra (Modern day Demre, Turkey), also known as Saint Nicholas of Bari (Italy), was born a Greek on the fifteenth of March 270 in Patara in Lycia (Turkey) and died on the sixth of December 343, which is now celebrated as the feast day of Saint Nicholas.
He was born to wealthy Christian parents and was deeply religious from an early age.
How Saint Nicholas became Bishop of Myra
After the death of the former Bishop of Myra, during the conclave to choose the new bishop, one of the group heard a voice telling him that the next morning, he was to watch the doors of the church as the first person to enter the church, named Nicholas, was to be the next bishop.
What do you know? The first person through the church doors the next morning was today’s Saint Nicholas and was consequently ordained Bishop of Myra.
Church Of Saint Nicholas Myra
Saint Nicholas Patron Saint of Sailors
The image of Saint Nicholas is found more often on Byzantine seals than of any other Saint and in the Middle Ages over two thirds of churches were dedicated to Saint Nicholas in England alone.
Saint Nicholas has been represented by Christian artists more than any other Saint.
In the East, Saint Nicholas is known as the Patron Saint of Sailors, due to the legend that in his lifetime he appeared to sailors on the stormy seas of Lycia and the Aegean and brought them safely to port.
Sailors in the Aegean and Ionian seas had their “Star of Nicholas” and wished each other a good journey by saying:
“May Saint Nicholas hold the tiller”
Saint Nicholas Patron Saint Of Sailors
Saint Nicholas Patron Saint of children
In the West he is known as the Patron Saint of Children due to the rather macabre story of Saint Nicholas visiting an inn where he discovered that the proprietor had killed three children and boiled them to be eaten as meat by his customers.
Saint Nicholas of Myra holding a Patriarchal Cross and Restoring Life to the Three Children, 18th Century. Greek School, 18th Century.
The boiled children, the poor little darlings, were kept in a barrel in the cellar, where upon being discovered by Saint Nicholas, were brought back to life by his prayers for them.
Illustration of Saint Nicholas resurrecting the three butchered children from the Grandes Heures d’Anne de Bretagne (created between 1503 and 1508)
Another well-known story is how, on hearing, about a poor man with three daughters who didn’t have the means to provide a dowry for them, Saint Nicholas secretly threw three bags of gold coins through their window, to cover their dowries.
This story explains the tradition of popping chocolate “Gold coins” into children’s Christmas stockings.
Saint Nicholas Providing Dowries 1433–35 Bicci di Lorenzo. Panels from the base of an altarpiece painted between 1433 and 1435 for a monastery in Florence based on an altarpiece by Gentile da Fabriano of 1425. Metropolitan Museum of Art
How Saint Nicholas became Santa Claus
Through his generosity Saint Nicholas became a model for today’s Santa Claus (A corruption of the name Saint Nicholas).
For his generosity and performing of miracles he is known as: “The Wonder Worker”.
Santa Claus
Saint Nicholas’ reputation for generosity was boundless; his giving of gifts was usually done secretly, such as putting coins in the shoes of those who left them out for him.
Here’s where the tradition of hanging up a stocking on Christmas Eve came from; shoes or socks, we’re on the right body part anyway!
Shoes left out, waiting for gifts from Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas was further transformed into today’s Santa Claus with the poem, by Clement Clarke Moore, a professor of biblical studies.
This poem has been attributed to other writers, regardless of whoever wrote it, the poem has had a great influence on how we picture Saint Nicholas today.
“A visit from Saint Nicholas”
(Also known as “Twas the night before Christmas”)
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf
The Seven symbols of Saint Nicholas
The seven symbols of Saint Nicholas
An icon or painting of Saint Nicholas can be recognized by seven symbols:
1. mitre; a pointed hat, worn by a bishop
2. A crozier; the hooked staff, carried by a bishop
3. Three gold balls, or sometimes, coins, representing the three bags of gold, given for the dowries
4. Three maidens; the three daughters, given the dowries
5. Three children in a tub, representing the three saved children
6. A ship or an anchor for his patronage of sailors
7. A book; The Holy Scriptures
Images of Saint Nicholas usually show him with either all seven symbols or four of the symbols.
Icon Showing Saint Nicholas, with four of his seven symbols
Above shows Saint Nick with four of his symbols:
The mitre, the crozier, the three children in a tub and a ship
Here he is, below, with all seven symbols.
Image of Saint Nicholas with his seven symbols
Saint Nicholas as Patron Saint
Saint Nicholas is Patron Saint of Greece, Apuli (Italy), Sicily, Naples, Loraine (France) Switzerland and Norway (together with St.Olaf), in fact, he’s so popular, he’s Patron Saint of far too many places and things to mention!
Here in Loutraki we have two churches dedicated to Saint Nicholas, one is the beautiful tiny church of Saint Nicholas, located on the shores of Vouliagmeni Lake, close by to the amazing ancient ruins of The ancient sanctuary of Heraion of Perachora
Church of Saint Nicholas Vouligmeni Lake Loutraki Corinthias Greece
The second church, in the Loutraki area, dedicated to Saint Nicholas, is the church of Saint Nicholas the Younger, located in the Melagari region, also near Perachora.
It’s the oldest Byzantine monument in the area, built in the tenth or eleventh century, experts have described it’s amazing wall paintings as historic treasures of great value.
Curch of Saint Nicholas the Younger Melagari, Perahora, Loutraki Greece
On the sixth of December, Saint Nicholas’s Feast Day, or Name Day as it’s referred to in Greece, a local tradition is followed where bulgar, or cracked wheat is boiled and eaten.
The wheat symbolizes the grain that Saint Nicholas provided for the poor, during famine when he always showed concern for the poor and the hungry.
Before it’s boiled a plate of wheat is blessed by the priest and then popped into the pot along with the rest of the wheat.
By the time the church service is over the wheat is cooked and is ready to be shared by the congregation.
Boiling cracked wheat on the Feast os Saint Nicholas the Younger Melagari, Perahora, Loutraki Greece
The relics of Saint Nicholas
After his death Saint Nicholas was buried at Myra, owing to his reputation as a kind and generous man and remembering the miracles he had performed, pilgrims from all over the world flocked to his tomb.
When Myra was defeated by the Turks, his relics were removed for fear of them being destroyed; half of them went to Bari, Italy, in 1087 and the other half of Saint Nicholas’ relics were taken to Venice in 1100.
Church of San Nicolo al Lido / Venice, Italy. Photo Sergey Ashmarin
It’s said in Myra that the relics of Saint Nicholas gave off a clear, watery liquid, smelling of rose water which the faithful believed to possess miraculous powers.
After the relics were moved to Bari they continued to exude this myrrh and vials of this have been taken all over the world and can still be obtained at the Church Of Saint Nicholas, Bari.
Church Of Saint Nicholas. Bari, Italy
An Irish tradition states that the relics of Saint Nicholas were stolen from Myra by Norman crusader knights and are buried near Thomas Town, Kilkenny, where a stone slab marks the spot believed to be his grave.
The Tomb of St Nicholas, Newtown Jerpoint, Jerpoint Park, Co. Kilkenny
In 1993 a grave was discovered on the small Turkish Island of Gemile, which, historians believe to be the original tomb of Saint Nicholas, it seems it’s not only a case of who is the real Father Christmas but also which is his real grave!
Here in Greece it’s not Saint Nicholas (Santa Claus), who delivers gifts at Christmas on 25th December (Which in Greece is the celebration of Christos, Christ, celebrating his birth) it’s Saint Basil (or Vasilis) who visits with his sack of gifts on 31st December, New Year’s Eve.
Related links:
Saints and Celebrations of the Greek Orthodox Church
