Nicholas of Myra (c. 280-343), popularly known as Santa Claus, Saint Nicholas, or Father Christmas, is an intriguing character in the history of the Church. One that, as we will see in this short article, is far from fantastic, entirely fictional, or irrelevant.
Tradition says that his birth was the answer to a prayer that would have lasted thirty years. His parents, Epifanio and Juana, were a wealthy Greek couple from the Lycia region of Turkey known for their piety and devotion to Christianity. For long years they asked God for a son, and decades later, it was granted.
From his childhood, Nicholas was instructed in the Holy Scriptures. It is said that he exhibited qualities of piety early on, benevolence being the most notable of these. But his life changed suddenly and tragically when his parents were killed by a plague that swept through the area. Nicholas was now young, rich, and an orphan.
Following what he perceived to be a biblical commandment to give everything to those in need, Nicholas gave his fortune to the poor and it was entrusted to his uncle, a Bishop of Lycia. Under his tutelage, Nicholas studied theology and would eventually be ordained to the ministry.
The story of a tradition
Historical tradition says that on one occasion, an elderly man in a difficult economic situation considered the possibility of giving his three daughters as servants, since he had no money to give them in marriage (the custom of the time was that the father of the bride to give the groom a monetary offering next to his daughter’s hand).
It is said that one night Bishop Nicolás went to the family home and, putting his hand through a window, dropped a bag of money, which fell into a stocking that was drying by the fire. Hence the popular tradition of gifts inside stockings.
Although Santa Claus is seen as a fictional character, the character that lies at the center of the legend was real—faithful to Christ and totally devoted to his service.
The family found the money without knowing who had left it. Some time later, the first daughter was given in marriage. The same thing happened again, and the second daughter was given in marriage. The father, interested in knowing the identity of his benefactor, decided to stay up every night until he discovered who he was. Thus Nicholas, the third time, was discovered by the father of the family. The man fell to his knees in gratitude and Nicholas forbade him to speak about it, claiming that it was God himself who had provided for him, not a man.
Proclaiming the eternity of Christ
In the year 303, Nicholas was imprisoned during the great Christian persecution of Diocletian, known as the last, greatest, and bloodiest of the Roman persecutions against the Church. The emperor intended to eliminate Christianity once and for all. In this time, the jails would be full of bishops, preachers, and Christians, not thieves and criminals.
Upon his release from prison, it is said that Nicholas attended the Nicene Council (325), where he was part of the group of theologians who defended the divinity of Christ against the Arians. Tradition says that Nicholas, defending the eternity of the Word, got into a heated argument with Arius himself, to such a point that Nicholas exploded in his zeal and punched Arius in the face, knocking him to the ground. Although it sounds funny, this is one of those stories about the person of Nicolás that has not been verified.
More than celebrating a consumerist and cute Santa Claus, we are called to celebrate the legacy of the real Nicholas.
What we do have for sure is that thanks to the pastorate and the fidelity of Nicholas in his ministry, the city of Myra was never threatened by the Arian heresy. Methodius (815-885) wrote: “Thanks to the teachings of Nicholas, the metropolis of Myra was the only one that was not touched by the dirt of the Arian heresy; there it was rejected as a lethal poison”.
Celebrating the real Nicholas
Although Santa Claus is seen as a fictional character, and much of what we see in his modern depiction is, the character that lies at the center of the legend was real. Nicholas is one of the most notable, and definitely most popular, men in Church history, even though few details of his life can be ascertained. Despite this, there is great benefit in remembering what we do know about lives like his, lives that leave an example of zeal for the truth, faithfulness in ministry, and benevolence to the needy.
More than this, the church today is called to celebrate the faithful men and women on whom it stands. And more than celebrating a consumerist and tender Santa Claus, we are called to celebrate the legacy of the real Nicholas. The Nicholas who suffered for Christ, imprisoned in the great Christian persecution of 303; the Nicholas who was known for his detachment from earthly wealth, to be benevolent to the needy; the Nicholas who defended the divinity of Christ —whether with punches or not. That Nicolás should not be discarded, but celebrated and imitated.
If you’re going to tell your children Santa stories, be sure to tell them who you were willing to fight for, give your resources, and dedicate your life to.
Note: The image presented in the article is a fresco found in the White Church of Karan, southwestern Serbia. It dates from the mid-14th century and its author is unknown.
George Ferguson, “St. Nicholas of Myra or Bari“, Signs and Symbols in Christian Art135–136.
Ibid.
Michael the Archimandrite, Life of Saint Nicholas, chapters 12-18. This is the first account of Nicholas’s life, appearing approximately 500 years after his death. Its author, also known as Michaëlem —of whom not much is known—, relied mainly on written resources from antiquity and the vast oral tradition around the person of Nicholas.
However, Methodius does not mention anything about the possibility of whether Nicholas of Myra was one of those attending the Council of Nicaea (325).
The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church1157