Happy St. Nicholas Day

St. Nicholas (the historic source of our modern-day Santa Claus) was a much beloved Christian who lived in the third/fourth century. As the definitive website devoted to telling his story summarizes it:

At the time the area was Greek and is now on the southern coast of Turkey. His wealthy parents, who raised him to be a devout Christian, died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still young. Obeying Jesus’ words to “sell what you own and give the money to the poor,” Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He dedicated his life to serving God and was made Bishop of Myra while still a young man. Bishop Nicholas became known throughout the land for his generosity to those in need, his love for children, and his concern for sailors and ships.

On this day Christians around the world celebrate generosity and gift-giving with a feast devoted to remembering St. Nicholas. May Christ inspire each of us with the same spirit of generosity that he nurtured in his servant Nicholas.

PS - in our home we enjoyed a lovely (but dated) animated version of the life of St. Nicholas with our little boys. It’s available on YouTube and is entitled: Nicholas: the boy who became Santa Claus