Today I would like to tell you about a bishop who lived one thousand, eight hundred years ago. You may be surprised to know that St. Nicholas is directly tied to the tradition of Santa Claus and Christmas!

 

Nicholas was born in 270 AD, the only child of a wealthy, elderly couple who lived in Patara or present-day Turkey.   When his parents died in a plague, Nicholas inherited their wealth.

 

As a young boy, he devoted his life to God and was interested in learning everything he could about Him. When he was a young man, he made a pilgrimage from his home in present-day Turkey to Jerusalem and Egypt to see the places where Jesus had lived and talked and walked.  As time passed, he became Bishop of Myra, a busy port city on the coast of Asia Minor.

 

Many stories and legends were handed down about Nicholas, showing how good he was to other people and how much he was loved.  There are stories about him standing up to corrupt politicians and saving accusers from execution.  There stories about miraculous answers to prayer, such as when he prayed to calmed the sea and fishermen were able to return safely to port.  There are stories of his fiery teaching against Diana worship at Ephesus (where the Apostle Paul preached) and tearing down those false temples of worship.

 

But the most famous stories are of how he generously gave his inheritance to the poor, and gave it anonymously as he wanted the glory to go to God.

 

There once was a merchant in the town where Nicholas lived that had gone bankrupt.  His creditors threatened to take all his belongings, including his daughters.  The merchant had the idea of marrying off his daughters so they would not be taken, but he didn’t have money for a dowry.  Nicholas heard of this merchant’s dilemma and as the wedding of the oldest daughter drew near, he secretly left a bag of gold on the father's doorstep.  It was the talk of the town when the first daughter got married, but nobody knew who did it.

 

When it was time for the second daughter to get married, Nicholas threw a bag of gold into the family's chimney.  Supposedly the bag of money landed in a shoe or a stocking that was drying by the fireplace.  The second daughter had the dowry to get married, and the family was so happy.

 

When the third daughter's wedding neared, the father decided to watch carefully and find out who the kind person was who had created such happiness for his family. This time, when Nicholas tossed the bag of gold through an open window, the father chased Nicholas until he caught up with him.

 

Nicholas was embarrassed and did not want the father to tell anyone who had been giving the secret gifts. The father promised to keep the secret, but he was so grateful that he could not keep the secret no matter how hard he tried. Soon the entire town knew that Nicholas was the person responsible for the wonderful events that had occurred in their town.

 

St. Nicholas was so famous for his habit of secret gift-giving, that he is, in fact, the origin of Santa Claus!  The tradition of exchanging secret gifts on December 6, the anniversary of Saint Nicholas’ death, originates from this this story.  Over the centuries, the legend evolved: angels turned into elves, Heaven turned into the North Pole, and horses turned into reindeer.  St. Nicholas was called “Kris Kringle” from the German word “Christkindl” and “Santa Claus” from the Dutch word “Sinter Klass.”

 

Perhaps what defined St. Nicholas for many of us was from a poem written by Sir Clement Moore in 1823 titled, “A Visit from St. Nicholas”:

 

“Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.  The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hope that St. Nicholas soon would be there…”

 

So as you receive gifts on Christmas and talk about Santa Claus, remember the true story of St. Nicholas and give a secret gift that will bless someone you know and love!