The Real Santa Claus

Muscular and Generous, A Saint For Our Time

By Ed Masters

If your name is Nick or Nicole, there are a few things you should know.

First, your name means “Victory of the people” from the Greek Nike (victory) andLaos (people). Second, you’re in good company. There have been many saints with this illustrious name: Nicholas of Flue, Nicholas of Tolentino, Nicholas Owen and Pope Saint Nicholas the Great to name a few. Finally, you’re named for Santa Claus — St. Nicholas of Myra and Bari – and your Saint’s feast day is December 6, kept by both the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.

This is quite a distinction. The real St. Nicholas was a legendary figure – a muscular and generous Christian bishop — in his own time. He saved girls from sexual slavery, raised people from the dead, was thrown into prison for his Christianity, and even punched a famous heretic at a church council. His deeds and miracles put him head and shoulders above any red-suited jolly old elf with a sleigh full of toys and flying reindeer – though of course the red-and-white suit derive from the traditional colors of a Christian bishop’s robes.

The real St. Nicholas was a legendary figure – a muscular and generous Christian bishop — in his own time. He saved girls from sexual slavery, raised people from the dead, was thrown into prison for his Christianity, and even punched a famous heretic at a church council.

Early Years

Nicholas was born to wealthy parents in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) around the year 260 A.D. His parents had long been childless and their prayers for a child were finally answered. Tragically, they were not to enjoy the company of their son for long, as Nicholas was orphaned while still a young child.

Even then, he showed signs that his future was one that was to be filled with holiness and sanctity. He was said to have had little interaction with his peers, preferring to dedicate himself to learning and holiness. From the beginning, he disdained worldly pleasures, preferring to use his inherited wealth to help the less fortunate, the innocent and the oppressed.

The legends that have come down through the ages about Nicholas reveal how he became known as the Patron Saint of children, sailors, brides, bankers, and the poor.

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