Saint Nicholas
| Saint Nicholas the Miracle Worker | |
| Bishop of Myra, Defender of Orthodoxy, Miracle Worker, Holy Hierarch |
| Born | 3rd century, Patara |
| Died | 6 December 343, Myra |
| Venerated in | "All Christianity" |
| Major shrine | St. Nicholas’s relics are held in a crypt in Bari, Italy, but his great work was done in Myra. |
| Feast | December 6 |
| Attributes | St Nicholas is usually portrayed as a Bishop, in whatever manner is appropriate for a Bishop in that particular Church’s practices. |
| Patronage | In the West, St. Nicholas is a patron of sailors and thieves, because his relics were stolen by sailors from his tomb and transported to Bari, Italy. In the East, he is more remembered for his defense against the Arian heresy. |
An example of the Faith and a life of humility,
as a teacher of abstinence you did inspire and lead your flock,
and through the truthfulness of your deeds
were exalted by greatness;
through your humility uplifting all
and by poverty gaining wealth.
Father and Hierarch St. Nicholas,
intercede with Christ our God
that our souls may be saved.
Greek Orthodox Apolytikion |
Saint Nicholas is the common name for Saint Nicholas of
Myra, who had a reputation for secret
gift-giving, but is now commonly known as
Santa Claus. He lived in
4th century Myra in the
Byzantine Empire's
Lycia, the modern day
Demre in
Antalya province of
Turkey. This is as much as is generally known about him in the West.
This historical character was the inspiration for a mythical figure known as
Nikolaus in
Germany and
Sinterklaas in the
Netherlands and
Flanders, which in turn was the inspiration for Santa Claus. Sinterklaas (a contracted form of
Sint Nicolaas) is a major celebration in the Netherlands and in Flanders (see
below). Among
Orthodox Christians, the historical Saint Nicholas is remembered and revered. Saint Nicholas is the
patron saint of sailors, merchants, archers, children, students, in both
Greece and
Russia. He is also the patron saint of
Barranquilla,
Colombia and of
Amsterdam.
Nicholas of Myra (also
Nikolaus) in
Lycia,
Asia Minor (lived c.
270 -
345/
352), was a
4th century bishop and is a
Christian saint. His feast day is
December 6, presumably the date of his death. In the Netherlands
5 December is known as his feast: this is
Sinterklaasavond, or St. Nicholas' Eve. Among
Christians, he is also known as the "Miracle Worker". Several acts of kindness and miracles are attributed to him. Historical accounts often confuse him with the later Nicholas of Sion.
Nicholas was born in Asia Minor during the 3rd century at
Patara in the province of
Lycia, at a time when the region was
Hellenistic in its culture and outlook. Nicholas became bishop of the city of
Myra. He was very religious from an early age and devoted his life entirely to Christianity. He is said to have been born to relatively affluent
Christian parents in
Patara,
Lycia,
Asia Minor,
Roman Empire where he also received his early schooling. According to some sources, his parents died while he was still a child, leaving a paternal uncle to care for him. Other sources place the death of his parents at the time he was already a young adult, leading him to a period of soul-searching which finally resulted in his uncle introducing him to Christianity. Whatever the reason, as a young adult and scholar, Nicholas moved to
Myra to continue his studies and there the above-mentioned uncle introduced him to the local bishop. The latter is said to have seen potential in the youth and took Nicholas under his patronage. Nicholas received his ordination as a priest at an early age.
As the
patron saint of sailors, Nicholas is claimed to have been a sailor or fisherman himself. More likely, however, is that one of his family businesses involved managing a fishing fleet. When his parents died, Nicholas still received his inheritance but is said to have given it away to charity. So was Saint Nicholas a working, albeit wealthy, man who complemented his day job with caring for his congregation, or was he a full-time bishop? The impressive list of deeds of Nicholas seems to point to the latter. This does not say, however, that his appointment to priest or bishop meant a complete rupture with his former life. More likely this was a gradual process.
Nicholas' early activities as a priest are said to have occurred during the reign of co-ruling
Roman Emperors Diocletian (reigned
284 -
305) and
Maximian (reigned
286 -
305) from which comes the estimation of his age. Diocletian issued an edict in
303 authorising the systematic persecution of Christians across the Empire. Following the abdication of the two Emperors on
May 1,
305 the policies of their successors towards Christians were different. In the Western part of the Empire
Constantius Chlorus (reigned
305 -
306) put an end to the systematic persecution upon his accession to the throne. In the Eastern part
Galerius (reigned
305 -
311) continued the persecution until
311 when he issued a general edict of toleration from his deathbed. The persecution of
303 -
311 is considered to be the longest in the history of the Empire. Nicholas survived this period although his activities at the time are uncertain.
Following Galerius' death his surviving co-ruler
Licinius (reigned
307 -
324) mostly tolerated Christians. As a result their community was allowed to further develop, and the various bishops who acted as their leaders managed to concentrate religious, social and political influence as well as wealth in their hands. In many cases they acted as the heads of their respective cities. It is apparently in this period that Nicholas rose to become bishop of
Myra. Judging from tradition, he was probably well loved and respected in his area, mostly as a result of his charitable activities. As with other bishops of the time, Nicholas' popularity would serve to ensure his position and influence during and after this period.
The destruction of several
pagan temples is also attributed to him, among them one temple of
Artemis (also known as
Diana). Because the celebration of Diana's birth is on
December 6, some authors have speculated that this date was deliberately chosen for Nicholas' feast day to overshadow or replace the pagan celebrations.
Nicholas is also known for coming to the defence of the falsely accused, often preventing them from being executed, and for his prayers on behalf of sailors and other travelers. The popular veneration of Nicholas as a saint seems to have started relatively early.
Justinian I, Emperor of the
Eastern Roman Empire (reigned
527 -
565) is reported to have built a temple (i.e. a church building) in Nicholas's honour in
Constantinople, the Roman capital of the time.
Bishop Nicholas at the First Ecumenical Council
In
324 Licinius was defeated in a war against his Western co-ruler
Constantine I of the Roman Empire (reigned
306 -
337). The end of the war found the Roman Empire unified under the rule of Constantine. Instead of tolerance, his policies towards Christians consisted of active support. Under his patronage the Christian church experienced an age of prosperity. But the relative peace of his reign brought to the forefront the internal conflict within contemporary Christianity. One of the apparent main reasons of this conflict was the failure to agree to a commonly accepted concept about
God in general and
Jesus in particular. At this time the teachings of
Arius in
Alexandria,
Egypt were gaining popular support but also attracting great opposition. They would form the basis of
Arianism. Emerging
fanaticism in both opposing factions only resulted in spreading tumult across the Empire.
Deciding to address the problem as a matter of the state, Constantine called the
First Council of Nicaea which also was the first
Ecumenical council in
325. The number of attendees at the Council is uncertain with
Eusebius of Caesarea reporting as few as 250 and
Athanasius of Alexandria as many as 318. In any case Nicholas is usually counted among them and was noted as an opponent of
Arianism.
A later writer claimed that after Arius had presented his case against Jesus' divinity to the Council, Nicholas hit Arius in the face out of indignation. Nicholas was kicked out of the Council for this offence, and jailed as well. However, according to this account, that night the
Virgin Mary appeared in a vision to many of the bishops of the Council, telling them to forgive Nicholas, for he had done it out of love for her Son. They released Nicholas and allowed him back into the process the next day.
The council lasted from
May 20 to
June 19,
325 and resulted in the declaration of the
Nicene Creed and the formal condemnation of Arianism. The books of Arius and his followers were condemned to be burned but the execution of this decision was left at the hands of each bishop for their respective territories. To what point this decision was followed remains uncertain.
Following this apparent victory to his faction Nicholas returned to Myra. He is applauded by later Christian writers for keeping Myra free of Arianism. But the decisions of the council failed to stop the spread of Arianism. In fact the tides soon turned and in his later years Arianism managed to win favour with Constantine. In fact Constantine was baptised by
Eusebius of Nicomedia, an Arian bishop who had also attended the council, shortly before his death on
May 22,
337. Constantine was succeeded by his three surviving sons:
Constantine II of the Roman Empire (reigned
337 -
340),
Constantius II (reigned
337 -
361) and
Constans (reigned
337 -
350). Constantius originally received the Eastern part of the Empire but the death of his brothers left the entire Empire under his control. During his reign he strongly favoured Arianism by seeking to place Arian bishops in most positions. There is no indication that Nicholas was affected by these policies and he remained in his position till his death. This lack of disturbance by the Arian Emperor has been seen as indicating the strong support Nicholas had gained among the people of his territory. According to this reasoning not even Constantius would risk a possible revolt by removing a popular bishop.
Abduction of his relics
On
August 26,
1071 Romanus IV, Emperor of the
Eastern Roman Empire (reigned
1068 -
1071) faced Sultan
Alp Arslan of the
Seljuk Turks (reigned
1059 -
1072) in the
Battle of Manzikert. The battle ended in humiliating defeat and capture for Romanus. As a result the Empire temporarily lost control over most of
Asia Minor to the invading
Seljuk Turks. It would regain its control over
Asia Minor during the reign of
Alexius I Comnenus, (reigned
1081 -
1118). But early in his reign Myra was overtaken by the
Islamic invaders. Taking advantage of the confusion sailors from
Bari,
Italy seized the remains of the saint over the objections of the Orthodox
monks then caring for them. Returning to Bari they brought the remains with them. The remains arrived on
May 9,
1087. Some observers have reported seeing
myrrh exude from these relics. According to a local legend, some of these remains were brought via three pilgrims to a church in what is now
Nikolausberg in the vicinity of the city of
Göttingen,
Germany, giving the church and village its name.
Whereas the importance of
relics and the business associated with pilgrims and patron saints caused the remains of most saints to be spread over several churches in several countries, Saint Nicholas is unique in that most of his bones have been preserved in one spot: his grave crypt in
Bari. Although jealously guarded and kept from prying eyes of scientists, especially with the still continuing miracle of the
manna, the
Roman Catholic Church allowed for one scientific survey of the bones: In the late
1950s, during a restoration of the chapel, it allowed a team of their own scientists to photograph and measure the contents of the crypt grave.
In the summer of 2005, the report of this measurements was sent to a forensic laboratory in England. The review of the data revealed that the historical Saint Nicholas was barely five foot in height (while not exactly small, still shorter than average, even for his time) and had a broken nose. This last may seem strange for a man of "saintly behavior", but would fit perfectly with Nicholas' sometimes violent nature as reported at the
First Ecumenical CouncilSaint Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors and is often called upon by sailors who are in danger of drowning or being shipwrecked. According to one legend, as a young man Nicholas went to study in
Alexandria and on one of his (sea) voyages from
Myra to
Alexandria he is said to have saved the life of a sailor who fell from the ship's rigging in a storm. In a colourful version of this legend, Nicholas saved the man on his voyage back from Alexandria to Myra and upon his arrival took the sailor to the church. At that time the old bishop had just died and the church fathers were instructed in a dream to choose for their next bishop a "man of victory" (Greek: Nikei). While the saint was praying, the loose-lipped sailor went around telling how courageously he was saved by the man Nikei-laos, upon which the church elders had no choice but to appoint Nicholas as their new bishop.
Another legend tells how a terrible famine struck the island and a malicious butcher lured three little children into his house, only to kill and slaughter them and put their remains in a barrel to cure, planning to sell them off as ham. Saint Nicholas, visiting the region to care for the hungry, not only saw through the butcher's horrific crime but also managed to resurrect the three boys from the barrel.
In his most famous exploit however, a poor man had three daughters but could not affort a proper
dowry for them. This meant that they would remain unmarried and probably, in absence of any other possible employment would have to become prostitutes. Hearing of the poor man's plight, Nicholas decided to help him but being too modest (or too shy) to help the man in public, he went to his house under the cover of night and threw three purses filled with gold coins through the window opening onto the man's floor. One version has him throwing one purse for three consecutive nights. Another has him throw the purses over a period of three years, each time the night before one of the daughters comes "of age". Invariably the third time the father lies in waiting, trying to discover their benefactor. In one version the father confronts the saint, only to have Saint Nicholas say it is not him he should thank God alone. In another version, Nicholas learns of the poor man's plan and drops the third bag down the chimney instead. For his help to the poor, Nicholas is the patron saint of pawnbrokers; the three gold balls traditionally hung outside a pawnshop symbolize the three sacks of gold. People then began to suspect that he was behind a large number of other anonymous gifts to the poor, using the inheritance from his wealthy parents. After he died, people in the region continued to give to the poor anonymously, and such gifts were still often attributed to St. Nicholas.
It should be noted perhaps that a nearly identical story is attributed by Greek folklore to
Basil of Caesarea. Basil's feast day on
January 1 is also considered a time of exchanging gifts.
It is said that in
Myra the bones of Saint Nicholas each year sweated out a clear watery liquid, called
Manna, which of course was said to possess immense powers. As the bones were stolen and brought to
Bari, they continued to do so, much to the joy of the new owners. So even up to today, a flask of
manna is extracted from the tomb of Saint Nicholas every year on December 6th (the Saint's birthday). It is however worth noting that the tomb lies at sea level in a harbor town so the occurrence of watery liquid can be explained by several theories. Still, neither the church nor any scientists have ever tried to analyse the fluid, so truth still lies in the eye of the believer.
One of the most amazing feats of Saint Nicholas however was that he lived to a ripe old age and died peacefully in his own bed. At a time where most saints earned their place in heaven by dying for their faith in manners most unusual and cruel, this definitely made him stand out (together with
Saint Martin, who also died of natural old age) and definitely aided to his 'popularity' in every way of the word.
Among the Greeks and Italians he is a favourite of
sailors,
fishermen,
ships and
sailing. As such he has become over time the patron saint of several cities maintaining
harbours. In centuries of Greek
folklore, Nicholas was seen as "The Lord of the Sea", often described by modern Greek scholars as a kind of Christianised version of
Poseidon. In modern
Greece, he is still easily among the most recognisable saints and
December 6 finds many cities celebrating their patron saint. He is also the patron saint of all of
Greece.
In the
Middle Ages, both Saint Nicholas and
Martin of Tours were celebrated as true
people's saints. Many churches were named for them and later gave their names to the villages that emerged around them. As described above, while most contemporary saints earned their place in heaven by dying for their faith in manners most unusual and cruel, both Nicholas and Martin lived peacefully to a ripe old age. At a time of
Religious wars and
Crusades the idea that one could go to heaven, even become a saint, just by the way one lived instead of the way one died must have offered a great deal of consolation for the Medieval common folk. Therefore this time made Saint Nicholas a 'popular' saint in every sense of the word, more than all his miracles combined.
In late medieval England, on St Nicholas' Day parishes held "boy-bishop" celebrations. As part of this celebration, youths performed the functions of priests and bishops, and exercised rule over their elders. Today, saint Nicholas is still celebrated as a great gift-giver in several
Western European countries. According to one source, Medieval
nuns used the night of December 6th to anonymously deposit baskets of food and clothes at the doorsteps of the needy. According to another source, On December 6th every sailor or ex-sailor of the
Low Countries (which at that time was virtually all of the male population) would descend to the harbour towns to participate in a church celebration for their patron saint. On the way back they would stop at one of the various
Nicholas fairs to buy some hard-to-come-by goods, gifts for their loved ones and invariably some little presents for their children. While the real gifts would only be presented at Christmas, the little presents for the children were given right away, courtesy of Saint Nicholas ... or Santa Claus... This, and also his miracle of him resurrecting the three butchered children, made Saint Nicholas a patron saint of children and later students as well.
Due to the modern association with Christmas, Saint Nicholas is a patron saint of Christmas, as well as pawnbrokers (see above).He was also a patron of the
Varangian Guard of the
Eastern Roman Emperors, who protected his relics in Bari.
|
Eastern Orthodox icon of Saint Nicolas |
The holy person of St. Nicholas is a popular subject portrayed on countless
Eastern Orthodox icons, particularly
Russian ones.
"Icons are quite literally meant to be 'Windows Into Heaven' and to instil in the viewer an attitude of prayerful reflection on the Divine. In Russia icons were not only displayed in churches, but are given the place of honour in many homes, thus serving as a daily reminder to live in strict accordance with Christian virtue, values and duties." (Source:
The InstaPLANET Cultural Universe).So beloved is St. Nicholas by Russians, one commonly heard saying is "if God dies, at we'll still have St. Nicholas."
In
Catholic iconography, Saint Nicholas is depicted as a bishop, wearing all the insignia of this profession: a red bishop's cloak, a red
miter and a bishop's staff (
crozier). Due to the episode with the three dowries, he is shown holding in his hand either three purses, three coins or three golden balls. Depending on whether he is depicted as patron saint of children or sailors, his images will be completed by a background showing ships, children or three figures climbing out of a wooden barrel (the three slaughtered children he resurrected).
In a strange twist, the three golden balls referring to the dowry affair are sometimes misinterpreted as being oranges or other fruits. As in the
Low Countries oranges are generally believed to come from
Spain, this led to the belief that the Saint lives in Spain and comes to visit every winter bringing oranges and other 'wintery' fruits.
Saint Nicholas Day is a festival for children in much of Europe related to surviving legends of the saint, and particularly his reputation as a bringer of gifts. The
American Santa Claus, Anglo-
Canadian, and
British Father Christmas derives from this festivity, the name 'Santa Claus' being a degeneration of the
Dutch word
Sinterklaas.
Some elements of this part of the Saint Nicholas tradition could be traced back to the Germanic god
Wodan (Odin). The appearance is similar to some portrayals of this god. In the Saint Nicholas tradition in the Netherlands he rides a horse over the rooftops, and this may be derived from Odin's riding through the sky. Also his assistants, the
Zwarte Pieten ('Black Peters') may be a remnant of the raven that accompanied Wodan.
The history of the festive Saint Nicholas celebration is complex and reflects conflicts between
Protestantism and
Catholicism. Since Nicholas was a canonised saint,
Martin Luther replaced the festival that had become associated with the Papacy with a "
Christkind" (
Christ child) celebration on Christmas Eve. The Nicholas celebrations still remain a part of tradition among many Protestants, albeit on a much smaller scale than Christmas. The Protestant Netherlands, however, retain a much larger Saint Nicholas tradition. Many Catholics, on the other hand, have adopted Luther's Christkind.
Celebration in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary and Luxembourg
In
Germany,
Nikolaus is usually celebrated on a small scale. Many children put a boot, called
Nikolaus-Stiefel, outside the front door on the night of
December 5 to
December 6. St. Nicholas fills the boot with gifts, and at the same time checks up on the children to see if they were good. If they were not, they will have charcoal in their boots instead. Sometimes a disguised Nikolaus also visits the children at school or in their homes and asks them if they "have been good" (sometimes ostensibly checking a book for their record), handing out presents on a per-behaviour basis. This has become more lenient in recent decades.
But for many children, Nikolaus also elicited fear, as he was often accompanied by
Knecht Ruprecht, who would threaten to beat, or sometimes actually eat the children for misbehaviour. Knecht Rupert furthermore was equipped with goatlegs. In
Switzerland, where he is called
Schmutzli, he would threaten to put bad children in a sack and take them back to the
Black Forest. In other accounts he would throw the sack into the river, drowning the naughty children within. These traditions were implemented more rigidly in Catholic countries such as
Austria. In highly Catholic regions, the local priest was informed by the parents about their children's behaviour and would then personally visit the homes in the traditional Christian garment and threaten to beat them with a rod. In parts of Austria,
Krampusse, who local tradition says are Nikolaus's helpers (in reality, typically children of poor families), roamed the streets during the festival. They wore masks and dragged chains behind them, even occasionally hurling them towards children in their way. These
Krampusläufe (Krampus runs) still exist, although perhaps less violent than in the past. In the
Czech Republic and
Slovakia,
Mikuláš is often also accompanied by an
angel who acts as a counterweight to the ominous
Knecht Ruprecht (
čert).In
Slovenia Saint Nikolaus (
Miklavž) is accompanied by an
angel and a devil (
parkelj) corresponding Austrian Krampuss.In Luxembourg "Kleeschen" is accompanied by the "Houseker" a frightening helper wearing a brown monk's habit.
Celebration in the Netherlands
|
The Dutch St. Nicholas on his arrival in the town of Sneek in November 2005 |
In the Netherlands, Saint Nicholas' eve is
the occasion for gift-giving, when his alleged
birthday is celebrated. In this case, roles are reversed, though, in that Sinterklaas is the one who gives the presents.
In recent years, Christmas (along with Santa Claus) has been pushed by shopkeepers as another gift-giving festival, with some success, although, especially for young children, Saint Nicholas' eve is still much more important than Christmas.
On the evening of December 5,
Sinterklaas brings presents to every child that has been good in the past year (in practice to all children).
Sinterklaas wears a red
bishop's dress including a red mitre, rides a white horse (called Amerigo) over the rooftops and is assisted by many mischievous helpers with black faces and colourful Moorish dresses, dating back two centuries. These helpers are called '
Zwarte Pieten' (black Petes).
Celebration in Belgium
Originally
Sinterklaas or
Sint-Nikolaas was only celebrated in Flanders and the Netherlands the way described above, but now he is celebrated in Wallonia in the same way. The celebrating of
Saint-Nicholas is mostly the same as in the Netherlands, but in Belgium the children receive their presents on the 6th of December. Children have to put their shoes by the stove the evening of the 5th of December and the next morning, they find their presents. This tradition was still alive thirty years ago in the Catholic south of The Netherlands.
Note that Saint Nicholas has been celebrated in
Belgium for centuries - there is even a city called
Sint-Niklaas - but, like every folkloristic thing in Belgium, there might be small differences, and generally in the eastern part of the provinces
West Flanders and
East Flanders Saint Nicholas is not celebrated, but instead children receive presents from
Sint Maarten (Saint Martin) on the 11th of November. Saint Nicholas is also celebrated by the university students in the city of
Liège.
Celebration in France
In France,
Saint Nicolas is only celebrated this way in the eastern part of the country (
Alsace,
Lorraine regions) and less strongly in the northern part of the country (
Nord département). He is accompanied by "Père Fouettard", carrying a bunch of sticks with which naughty children are beaten.
Celebration in Portugal
In
Portugal, St. Nicholas (
São Nicolau) has been celebrated since the
Middle Ages in
Guimarães as the patron saint of high-school students, in the so called
Nicolinas, a group of festivities that occur from November 29th to December 7th each year.
Benjamin Britten cantata
Benjamin Britten wrote a Christmas
cantata commissioned by three public schools. This tells the story of Saint Nicholas and his Christian exploits. This is for small orchestra, three choirs, a
tenor soloist (St. Nicholas), and a
treble (young Saint Nicholas).
|
Russian-orthodox version of Saint Nicolas, now in a corner near the church. |
|
Noel Baba at the square in front of the church. |
The metamorphosis of Saint Nicolas into the commercially more interesting Santa Claus, which took several ages in Europe and America, has recently been reenacted in the Saint's home town, the city of
Demre. This modern Turkish city is built on the ruins of ancient Myra. As St. Nicholas is the most important Russian Orthodox saint, the city attracts many Russian tourists. A solemn bronze statue of the Saint by the Russian sculptor Gregory Pototsky, donated by the Russian government in 2000, had been given a prominent place on the square in front of the medieval church of St. Nicholas. In 2005, mayor Suleyman Topcu had the statue replaced by a red-suited plastic Santa Claus statue, because he wanted the central statue to be more familiar to visitors from all over the world. Protests from the Russian government against the disgrace were only successful to the extent that the Russian statue returned, without its original high pedestal, in a corner near the church.
*"
A Visit from St. Nicholas"
*
Companions of Saint Nicholas*
Father Frost*
Nicholas of Tolentino*
Encounter with a celebrity saint by Khaled Diab*
St. Nicholas site*
Saint Nicholas history*
St. Nicholas of Myra*
A timeline of St. Nicholas's life and legend*
More about Holland's Sinterklaas Celebration*
Statues in Demre
