Saint Nicholas Biography

To discuss who was Saint Nicholas, Saint Nicholas was said to be a Christian bishop who helped the needy all the time. He is the legend of his gift-giving after his death. Saint Nicholas became known as Santa Claus, a mythological figure who brings Christmas gifts or presents to children all over the world. This is a simple intro on Saint Nicholas biography.

St Nicholas Biography

Saint Nicholas Early Life

Let us start with Saint Nicholas' early life. Saint Nicholas was born circa 280 in Patara, Lycia, which is an area a part of present-day Turkey. He lost both his mother and father as a young man and he used his inheritance reportedly to help the sick and poor. He later, as a devout Christian, served as bishop of Myra, which is a city that is now known as Demre.

Reputation

The reputation of Nicholas for his kindness and generosity gave rise to the legends of miracles he performed for the unhappy and poor. He was reputed to have given the dowries to their espousement with gold to three girls whom impecuniosity would otherwise have coerced into the lives of prostitution and to have renovated to a life of three children, who had been chopped up by the butcher and keep in a tub of brine.

In the time of the Middle Ages, devotion to Nicholas extended to the entire parts of Europe. He became the patron saint of Greece and Russia, of charitable guilds and fraternities; of the sailors, children, merchants, pawnbrokers and unmarried girls; and of such cities named as Fribourg, in Moscow and Switzerland. Thousands of European churches, including the one, which was built by the Roman emperor Justinian I in Constantinople (now called Istanbul) in the 6th century, were dedicated to him.

The miracles of Nicholas were a favorite subject for the liturgical plays and medieval artists, and his traditional feast day was on occasion for the ceremonies of the Boy Bishop, A boy was elected bishop and reigned until the Holy Day of Innocents, which is a common European custom (Dec 28).

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Nicholas' devotion died out in all of Europe's Protestant countries after the Reformation, with the exception of Holland, where his legend lives on as Sinterklaas (who is a Dutch variant of the designation St. Nicholas). Dutch colonists adopted this tradition with them to New Amsterdam (now called New York City) in the 17th century and in the American colonies.

Sinterklaas' legend of a gentle elderly man who was merged with the old Nordic folktales of a magician, the one who punished the evil children and rewarded good children with gifts or presents were accepted by the English-speaking majority of the country under the name Santa Claus. In the time of the19th century, the resulting Santa Claus' image in the United States has crystallized, and he has ever since remained as the patron of the gift-giving festival of Christmas. By reading this article, we came to know who Saint Nicholas was.

Death and Legacy

Many sources stated that Saint Nicholas is believed to have died on Dec 6, 343. Over many years, a few stories of his miracles and work for the poor spread to other parts of the world. He became recognised as a defender of seafarers and children, as well as a giver of gifts. In the 1500s, he was additionally a popular saint in Europe until the time of the Reformation, which is a religious kineticism that led to the Protestantism engenderment and that has digressed from the venerating saint practice. However, Saint Nicholas remained an important figure in Holland.

The Dutch people continued to celebrate the feast day of St Nicholas on Dec 6. It was a common practice for the children to keep out their shoes before the night. And, in the morning, they would discover some gifts and presents that Saint Nicholas (Santa Claus) had left there only for them. The immigrants of Dutch has brought the legend of Saint Nicholas, and were known to them in the time of the 1700s, either as the Sint Nikolaas or by his nickname, called Sinterklaas, to America.

In the United States, Saint Nicholas underwent many transformations: Sinterklaas became Santa Claus, and instead of presenting gifts on December 6, he became associated with the Christmas holiday. Whereas, in the 1820 poem "An Account of a Visit from Saint Nicholas," which is by Clement Clarke Moore, he was described as a jolly and heavy man, comes down the chimney to leave some gifts for deserving all the children and he drives a sleigh pulled using the flying reindeer.

With an 1881 image of Santa dressed in a crimson suit with white fur trim, cartoonist Thomas Nast added to the tale of Saint Nicholas. The charitable bishop, once a kind, Saint Nicholas, had become the Santa Claus, one whom we know today.

In the year 2017, a University of Oxford radiocarbon team tested a fragment of a pelvic bone, which is said to be from Saint Nicholas. The test has confirmed that the bone fragment, which is owned by an American priest, dates from the era of a saint.

The archaeologists next intended to link the bone to others that were said to belong to Saint Nicholas and had been kept in a crypt in Bari, Italy, since the 11th century.

Nicholas Stories

A story tells of a poor man having three daughters. In those days, the father of a young woman had to offer the prospective husbands something which is a valued one — a dowry. The higher the dowry, the better the chance that the respective young woman would get a good husband. A woman was most unlikely to marry without the concept of dowry. The daughters of this poor man, without dowries, were thus destined to be sold into slavery.

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On three separate instances, a bag of gold came at their home, mysteriously delivering the required dowries. The gold was thrown through an open window and is claimed to have landed in shoes or stockings left outside to dry before the fire. As a result, children have started putting out shoes or hanging stockings in the hopes of receiving gifts or presents from Saint Nicholas. At times, the story is told with gold balls instead of gold bags. As a result, the three gold balls, which are often portrayed as oranges, are frequently used as a symbol for Saint Nicholas, and Saint Nicholas is therefore known as a gift-giver.

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One of the oldest stories showcasing St. Nicholas as a protector of children occurs long after his death. On the eve of the holy saint's feast day, the residents of Myra were celebrating when an Arab pirate band from Crete arrived in the neighbourhood. They stole the treasures from the Saint Nicholas Church to take away as booty.

They snatched a young boy named Basilios as they were leaving town to make into a slave. Because Basilios does not speak the language, the ruler or emir has chosen him to be his personal cupbearer. Because Basilios does not speak the language, he will be unable to understand what the monarch says to people around him. So, Basilios waited on the king for the next year, bringing his wine in a beautiful-looking golden cup.

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The year passed slowly for Basilios' parents, who were heartbroken by the loss of their one and only child. As the feast day of St. Nicholas drew nearer, Basilios' mother said that she would not go because it was now a terrible day. She was convinced, however, to conduct a humble observance at home, with quiet prayers for Basilios' safety.

Meanwhile, Basilios was performing his duties by serving the emir when he abruptly vanished. St. Nicholas appeared to the terrified boy. He blessed and set him down at his home Myra. Imagine their surprise and delight when Basilios miraculously reappeared in front of his parents, still carrying the king's golden cup. This is the first story, which was told of St. Nicholas protecting children. In the West, it became his primary role.

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