From Asia Minor to the worldwide stories

Dec 4, 2005 23:23 GMT  ·  By

On the 6th of December, Christians from all over the world praise the name of Saint Nicholas. In the Netherlands, December 5 is known as his feast: this is Sinterklaasavond, or St. Nicholas' Eve. In other countries, it is the time to prepare the socks and the shoes for Saint Nicholas to come and leave gifts for each and everyone in the house.

It is a time for joy, friendship, and surprises. Beside going to the church and praying to the Saint, people mark the 6th of December by joining parties? giving the start to the special holiday month ending with the arrival of Santa Claus (degeneration of the Dutch word Sinterklaas).

But what are the roots of this commercialized traditional day? How could a Saint become so popular end even assumed as a Coca Cola symbol sometimes?

The answer is easy: from ancient times people, only guided by their believes in the forces of nature and their fears, prayed for prosperity, fertility, a better year, help, love and peace. And this was the time of gift-giving, in the hope for a better year, which was about to come.

Among Christians, a bishop from Asia Minor has become a Saint. The story of his life and the miracles he made after his death became a legend spread worldwide throughout the centuries. Some say that Nicholas was the one who ordered the destruction of several pagan temples, among them one dedicated to goddess 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.

Now, Saint Nicholas, whose body is to be found inside a catholic church in Bari, Italy, is the children's joy, the patron of the sailors, the travelers, the defender of the falsely accused, often preventing them from being executed etc.

In Germany, Nikolaus is usually celebrated on a small scale. Kids put a boot, called Nikolaus-Stiefel, outside their front doors on the night of December 5 to December 6, to be filled with gifts. The naughty ones will have charcoal in their boots instead of presents. In Switzerland, Nikolas is said to threaten to put bad children in a sack and take them back to the Black Forest if they weren't good. In Austria, the local priest used to be informed about the children's behavior and then he visited the homes in the traditional Christian garment and threatened them with rod-beatings? In the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Nikolas/ Mikul? is often accompanied by an angel who acts as a counterbalance to the ominous Anglo-Saxon Knecht Ruprecht, while in Slovenia Saint Nikolaus (Miklav?) is accompanied by an angel and a devil (parkelj) corresponding austrian Krampuss.

In the Netherlands, Saint Nicholas' eve is the present-giving occasion called Sinterklaas, when the saint brings presents to every child that has been good in the past year. He 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 colorful Moorish dresses, called 'Zwarte Pieten' (black Petes). In the weeks between Sinterklaas's arrival from Spain, in November, and the 5th of December, children put their shoes next to chimney of the coal fired stove or fireplace, with a carrot or some hay in it 'for Sinterklaas' horse', sing a Sinterklaas song, and will find some candy in the form of a chocolate, marzipan frog in their shoes the next day, supposedly thrown down the chimney by a Zwarte Piet or Sinterklaas himself. The saint has a long white beard, holds a long gold colored staff with a fancy curled top in his hand and carries a big book with all the children's names in it, and whether they have been good or bad. He rides the roofs on a white horse. 'Sinterklaasjournaal' is now broadcast on the television every day, and all Dutch national television companies have agreed to use the same actor to portray Sinterklaas; currently it's Bram van der Vlugt.

Nicholas, the Saint, the legend, the patron During the third century in Patara, a village which is now in Turkey, a wealthy family has raised a devout Christian, who is said to have used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. Nicholas dedicated his life to serving God and was made Bishop of Myra while still a young man. As he tried to defend the traditional beliefs, Nicholas spoke against Arianism, a current led by Arius, who contested Jesus' divinity. The issue was debated during the first Ecumenical council in 325, known as the First Council of Nicaea, called by Emperor Constantine. For claiming that the Son Jesus was not equal to God the Father, Nicholas hit Arius in the face, and was therefore jailed. 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. Virgin Mary and Jesus also returned Nicholas the book of the Gospels, and the stole which had been taken from him. In this way Nicholas was reinstated. Many Eastern Church icons of St. Nicholas reflect this event with Jesus on the left returning the Gospels, and Mary on the right, bringing the bishop's stole or omophorion.

The council decided to officially condemn Arianism.

Nicholas had gained popularity among the people of his territory and is said to have made a lot of miracles. He died December 6, AD 343 in Myra and was buried in his cathedral church, where a unique relic, called manna, formed in his grave. This liquid substance was said to have healing powers which fostered the growth of devotion to Nicholas. Long after his death, the body has preserved so well and miracles were liked to Nicholas, as well, therefore he was called a Saint. At the beginning of the 11th century, sailors from Bari took advantage of the conflicts between the Eastern Roman Empire and the Islamic invaders, by seizing the remains of the saint over the objections of the Orthodox monks then caring for them. The remains arrived on May 9, 1087. Some observers have reported seeing myrrh exude from these relics that are still demanded by the Turks. A crypt was completed by October 1089 and Pope Urban II laid the relics of St. Nicholas beneath the altar, consecrating a shrine that became one of medieval Europe's great pilgrimage centers. The main church was built in ten years, but it wasn't until the middle of the 12th century that the imposing and majestic Basilica di San Nicola was complete. It is a particularly fine example of Romanesque architecture and served as a prototype for many other churches and cathedrals The right hand of Saint Nicholas is now said to be kept in a church from the center of Bucharest, the capital of Romania.

Nicholas is said to be the patron of the girls who want to marry. The title comes from a legend about a poor man with three daughters and no money. As the poor man's daughters were destined to be sold into slavery, on three different occasions, a bag of gold mysteriously appeared in their home-providing the needed dowries. This story has also led to the custom of children hanging stockings or putting out shoes, eagerly awaiting gifts from Saint Nicholas.

Nicholas is also believed to be a saint who protects children. Long after his death, the townspeople of Myra were celebrating the good saint on the eve of his feast day when a band of Arab pirates from Crete stole treasures from the Church of Saint Nicholas to take away as booty. As they were leaving town, they took a young boy, Basilios, to be personal cupbearer of the ruler. His parents were devastated and the next year refused to attend the Saint's day. Therefore, Basilios amazingly appeared before his parents, still holding the king's golden cup, proving another miracle of Saint Nicholas. Another legend tells of three youngsters killed by an evil man, who are brought to life due to the Saint's prayers to God.

As Saint Nicholas is said to have once calmed the sea, and to have vanished demons from a ship, he is also called the patron of sailors and voyagers.

For all his generous deeds, the East cherishes him as a miracle worker, while the West praises him as patron of a great variety of persons - children, mariners, bankers, pawn-brokers, scholars, orphans, laborers, travelers, merchants, judges, paupers, marriageable maidens, students, sailors, victims of judicial mistakes, captives etc. More than 2000 churches were built in his name, from Italy to Greece, from England to Romania, praising him as a defender of faith, and a guardian of a great many classes of people, cities, and even countries.

Why do people celebrate the 6th of December? Most of them believe it's a good thing, as they respect what they were told by their parents and they hope and pray for the best, being afraid that a curse might fall if they disrespect the "tradition", be it a religious or just a personal celebration. Whatever the reasons, the day remains dedicated to reflection upon the deeds made in the past year, to friendship, to hope, to trust and protection, to gift-giving and warm smiles. So Happy Saint Nicholas to all those who bear his name, Happy Holidays to everyone?

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