The Legend of St. Nicholas

Yes, Virginia, there IS a Santa Claus, and his name is St. Nicholas!

Saint Nicholas (Greek: Άγιος Νικόλαος, Aghios ["holy"] Nicolaos ["victory of the people"]) (270–6 December 343), also called Nikolaos of Myra, is a saint and was the Greek Bishop of Myra (Demre, in Lycia, part of modern-day Turkey). He was a teacher of the faith and servant of the poor and disenfranchised, a wealthy man who used his entire inheritance to help those in need. Out of the many stories told of St. Nicholas over the centuries came the legend of a protector, a man who cared about children, who helped those in need and aided the sick and the suffering. He had a reputation for secret gift-giving, and one story tells of him secretly giving a poor family enough gold to provide dowries for their three daughters. He threw the gold through a window and it landed in a shoe, leading to the tradition of leaving out shoes or boots on his feast day (December 6) in the hopes of receiving small gifts like coins, fruit, or candies! His generosity led him to become the model for Santa Claus, whose modern name comes from the Dutch Sinterklaas. Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nikolaos the Wonderworker (Greek: Νικόλαος ο Θαυματουργός, Nikolaos o Thaumaturgos).

The historical Saint Nicholas is remembered and revered among Catholic and Orthodox Christians. He is also honored by various Anglican and Lutheran churches. In 1087, his relics were furtively translated to Bari, in southeastern Italy; for this reason, he is also known as Nikolaos of Bari. 

Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors, merchants, archers, thieves, children, and students in Greece, Belgium, France, Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia, Albania, Russia, the Republic of Macedonia, Slovakia, Serbia, and Montenegro. He is the patron saint of Aberdeen, Amsterdam, Barranquilla, Bari, Beit Jala, Fribourg, Huguenots, Liverpool, Siggiewi, and Lorraine. He was also a patron of the Varangian Guard of the Byzantine emperors, who protected his relics in Bari.

A prayer for children in remembrance of St. Nicholas:

Loving God, thank you for St. Nicholas
who shows us a good way to live.
He fed the hungry, freed the imprisoned,
cared for those in need
and told people about Jesus.
Make us brave, loving and strong,
so that, like St. Nicholas,
we may love and serve you
as we help those in need,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.