Samichlaus

Lore & Background

Little is known about the historical Saint Nicholas. The earliest accounts of his life were written centuries after his death and probably contain legendary elaborations. He is said to have been born in the Anatolian seaport of Patara to wealthy Christian parents. In one of the earliest attested incidents, he rescued three girls from forced prostitution by dropping a sack of gold coins through their window each night for three nights so their father could pay a dowry. Other early stories tell of him calming a storm at sea, saving three innocent soldiers from wrongful execution, and chopping down a tree possessed by a demon. In his youth, he made a pilgrimage to Egypt and Syria Palaestina, and shortly after his return became Bishop of Myra. He was later imprisoned during the persecution of Diocletian but released after the accession of Constantine.

Reader's Guide

Saint Nicholas's significance lies in his transformation from a historical bishop into a central figure of Christian folklore and the precursor to Santa Claus. His reputation evolved among the pious, as was common for early Christian saints, and his legendary habit of secret gift-giving gave rise to the folklore of Santa Claus through Sinterklaas. Less than 200 years after his death, the St. Nicholas Church was built in Myra under Theodosius II, and his remains were moved there. In 1087, merchants from Bari removed his major bones to Italy, where they are enshrined in the Basilica di San Nicola; remaining fragments were later taken by Venetian sailors during the First Crusade. Despite the lack of contemporary records, his cult was well established by the sixth century, and he is mentioned in a list of attendees at the First Council of Nicaea (325) in a work from around 510–515, though he is never mentioned by any who were actually at the council. His legacy endures as the patron saint of sailors, merchants, children, and many others across Europe.

Did You Know?

• Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors, merchants, archers, repentant thieves, children, brewers, pawnbrokers, toymakers, unmarried people, and students.
• In one famous legend, he resurrected three children who had been murdered and pickled in brine by a butcher planning to sell them as pork during a famine.
• His remains were moved from Myra to Bari, Italy, in 1087 by merchants, before the First Crusade; later, Venetian sailors removed remaining bone fragments during the First Crusade.