Saint Nicholas Day, also called the Feast of Saint Nicholas, observed on 5 December or on 6 December in Western Christian countries, and on 19 December in Eastern Christian countries using the old church Calendar, is the feast day of Saint Nicholas of Myra; it falls within the season of Advent.
There are lots of versions of how he lived his life and how he died. He was well known for his generosity and he has ever since remained the patron of the gift-giving festival of Christmas.
Many countries in Europe celebrate the Feast of Sinterklaas also known as St. Nicholas—starting on the eve of the day, by sharing candies, chocolate letters, small gifts, and riddles.
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 Greek seaport of Patara, Lycia in Asia Minor to wealthy Christian parents.
He is claimed to have saved three girls from being forced into prostitution by throwing a sack of gold money through their window each night for three nights so their father could pay a dowry for each of them. This is one of the earliest authenticated and most well-known occurrences from his life.
In other early accounts, he is said to have put out a storm at sea, prevented the execution of three innocent soldiers, and felled a demon-possessed tree.
He is rumoured to have travelled to Egypt and Palestine on pilgrimage when he was younger. He was appointed Bishop of Myra not long after his return. Later, during Diocletian’s persecution, he was imprisoned and later castrated, but after Constantine’s accession, he was freed.
St. Nicholas is known for selling all his possessions and giving his money to the poor. Raised as a devout Christian, St. Nicholas dedicated his whole life to serving the sick and suffering. Legendary stories about St. Nicholas later become part of the inspiration for the modern-day Santa Claus
Fewer than 200 years after Nicholas’s death, the St. Nicholas Church was built in Myra under the orders of Theodosius II over the site of the church where he had served as a bishop, and his remains were moved to a sarcophagus in that church.
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