Saint Nicholas

Saint Nicholas was a fourth-century Christian bishop of Myra in Lycia, revered as a saint. Legends of his generosity helped shape later gift-giving traditions.

Myra: An ancient city in Lycia, in present-day southwestern Turkey, and the episcopal seat of Nicholas. Nicholas served as bishop in this Lycian city.
Three impoverished daughters: A legend in which Nicholas secretly provides dowries for three daughters of a poor man. This story presents his generosity as discreet aid that protects the family from hardship.
Sinterklaas: A Dutch gift-giving figure derived from traditions about Saint Nicholas. Dutch celebrations preserved Nicholas as a gift-bringer and influenced later American traditions.
Patron saint: A saint regarded as a heavenly advocate or protector of a person, place, occupation, or group. Nicholas’s many patronages express the broad protective role attached to his cult.
Lycia: An ancient region on the southwestern coast of Anatolia, now part of Turkey. Myra and Nicholas’s bishopric belonged to this region.
Saint Nicholas and the Three Children: A medieval legend in which Nicholas restores three murdered children to life. The tale developed his image as a protector of children.
Santa Claus: A gift-bringing figure whose name and some traditions derive from Saint Nicholas. Nicholas’s name and gift-giving legends contributed to Santa Claus’s development.
Relic: A physical object associated with a saint or sacred event and honored in religious devotion. Relics attributed to Nicholas anchored pilgrimage and worship in Myra and Bari.
Council of Nicaea: A Christian council held in 325 that addressed disputes including the status of Christ. Later tradition places Nicholas among the bishops at this council, though evidence is uncertain.
Saint Nicholas of Bari: A name for Saint Nicholas emphasizing the Italian city that received relics attributed to him. Bari became a major center of devotion after the relics arrived there.

Linked from 6 pages