Saint Nicholas Day among Western Christians (Catholics)

On December 6, Western Christians celebrate the day of one of the most revered and beloved saints - Nicholas It is from St Nicholas Day that a series of New Year and Christmas holidays begin with a decorated Christmas tree and stockings over the fireplaces But who was this saint, whose fairy-tale image has become so firmly entrenched in the Christmas folklore of many countries? What were his real deeds, and what legends are surrounded by his name? The real Saint Nicholas was born and lived in the 3rd century on the Mediterranean coast of Asia Minor A wealthy Christian family provided the boy with a decent education, and his uncle, the Bishop of Patara, introduced his nephew to the church sacraments Soon Nikolai becomes a bishop in the city of Mira The years of his service coincided with troubled times in the Roman Empire Christianity was either persecuted or protected by the Edict of Tolerance Throughout his career, Nikolai set an example of Christian virtue, showing considerable concern for his flock The rich inheritance received from his parents is distributed by the saint to those in need He provides assistance to the innocently convicted and slandered, teaches kindness and mercy The life of the saint describes an event that occurred on the sea route to Alexandria One of the sailors was careless and crashed on the deck, falling from a high mast Nicholas revived the unfortunate man with the power of faith And on other sea voyages, the Bishop of Myra manages to save sailors from certain death, after which the saint is recognized as the patron saint of sailors and sea travelers Another incident from life is associated with the rescue from shame of three sisters, whose father was not able to provide them with a dowry The bishop secretly threw money at night for the girls, after which the girls got married safely After the death of Nicholas on December 6, 346, the fact of his holiness immediately becomes clear - the relics begin to flow myrrh, becoming an object of pilgrimage Since then, the glory of the saint as a miracle worker began, because prayers addressed to him do not remain unanswered Around the 10th century, in the cathedral of the city of Cologne on December 6, in memory of the acts of St Nicholas, treats were distributed to the students of the parochial school Very quickly the custom spread throughout Europe and beyond, and Saint’s Day begins to be associated with children and gifts The period of the Reformation rejected the veneration of saints, so the presentation of gifts was entrusted to the infant Christ or the Father of the Nativity, and the date was moved to December 24 The Counter-Reformation returned the saint and his functions, but the image of Nicholas was already firmly mixed with Christmas celebrations Thus, a fairy-tale character gradually takes shape with a bag of gifts, deer, sleighs and gifts to all obedient children, shadowing the real-life saint of the 3rd century The Dutch Sinterklaas sails from warm countries, accompanied by grimy chimney sweeps French Père Noël rides slowly on a donkey in the company of Père Fouétard, a feisty grandfather with rods for naughty children In Slovenia and the Czech Republic, Saint Nicholas is not afraid of the devil himself, so they walk together from house to house, deciding the Christmas fate of children And for the first time, American Santa Claus began to receive letters with wishes, becoming a symbol of Christmas throughout the world