Feast of St. Nicholas

Tomorrow is the feast day of the man known as Jolly Old St. Nick. 

The image of the Santa Claus we are familiar with today ("Santa" for "saint" and "Claus" is a derivative of Nicholas) bears only the faintest resemblance to the man who really lived in Asia Minor during the fourth century AD. The red-clad, pointed-hat, overweight elfen image of the man was popularized and promoted primarily by 20th century artists: 

NC Wyeth

Normal Rockwell

and then by the Coca-Cola company as a campaign slogan in 1931.

Not to undermine the deep insight of such spiritual heavyweights as a cola company, but Nicholas was more than just a jolly buffoon those images conjure. He was a real person and more importantly is a real saint in Heaven above. 

Nicholas was a Greek, born into wealth, and was consecrated bishop of Myra, an extremely poor diocese in Asia Minor. He had a tremendous heart for the poor and upon his parents' death, he spent his entire inheritance on the poor of this his flock. Interestingly, records indicate that he was named bishop without first having been ordained a priest. A very rare occurrence. 

You've no doubt experienced the tradition of hanging stockings by the fireplace on Christmas but do you know why or how this tradition was started? Almost every tradition has a story and according to St. Nicholas Center: 

Once [Nicholas] heard that a man who had become very poor intended to abandon his three daughters to prostitution because he could not afford a dowry for them to be married. Nicholas, the story goes, on three occasions threw a bag of gold through the window into the room of the sleeping father. His daughters soon were married. Later the father came to Nicholas, fell at his feet and said, "Nicholas, you are my helper. You have delivered my soul and my daughters' souls from hell."

There is a similar tradition on the eve of the feast day of St. Nicholas of putting ones' shoes by the fireplace on the eve of the feast of St. Nicholas.

In our home, December 6 begins with the kids coming down the stairs to find their shoes filled with little treasures (not too much...it's Advent after all) like a few pieces of candy, real coins (I loathe those gold-foiled chocolate-like impersonators), a keepsake ornament and a book for each child (the latter only if Mom is on the ball--ie, not this year).

We also have a family tradition of baking and decorating Christmas cut-out cookies (or gingerbread men) on the feast of St. Nicholas and/or decorating a gingerbread house along with reading some of our favorite books about the life of St. Nicholas:

And no St. Nicholas day would be complete without watching this video:

If you can, take the time to celebrate the life of a man who has become a secular icon of today's holiday season. Happy feast of St. Nicholas!