Quote from St. Nick

                                                                                                        

“The giver of every good and perfect gift has called upon us to mimic His giving, by grace, through faith, and this is not of ourselves.” ― St. Nicholas of Myra; (St. Nicholas Day is December 6th)

     Nicholas of Myra was a real person who lived from AD 270-343.  His hometown was in Asia Minor, now Turkey.  He was a faithful Christian, known for his generosity.  Many legends grew up around him and his generosity, leading to the development of the "Santa Claus" myths.  ("Santa Claus" comes from the Dutch "Sinterklaas", itself derived from older Latin renderings of St. Nicholas.)

     Nicholas was very wealthy, and he rose to prominence in the Christian Church.  He was also single.  One myth about him involved helping three poor young women with their dowries, money that allowed them to marry.  It was said that the young women hung their stockings near the hearth.  Nicholas threw some gold coins down the chimney, and the coins landed in the girls' stockings.  From these legends, you can see the beginnings of more modern St. Nicholas stories.

     Nicholas was also known for standing firm in his defense of orthodox Christian belief.  A group following a leader named Arius wanted to weaken the teachings about Jesus being fully God. The Council of Nicaea met in AD 325 and stood firm for the teachings put forth by Athanasius, versus those put forward by Arius.  Lesser-known legends have grown regarding Nicholas' participation at the Council of Nicaea, but these seem mythical.  The best attested accounts do not indicate that Nicholas was even present.  Although this blog is not especially religious, I am not without education in this area.

     The household we formed in adulthood has celebrated St. Nicholas Day as a separate day for decades. We started this custom even before having children.