When it comes to Christmas, some parts of the Christian community have had a lot to say about the subject of Santa Claus. Many believers view Santa as a secular myth that causes huge distraction from the true reason we celebrate Christmas — the birth of the Son of God, born to save mankind.
I understand why Christians have an issue with Santa. The distraction is real. During the 1800s and early 1900s, American folklore regarding Santa Claus evolved until we ended up with the Santa we know today. And it’s true that this Americanized Santa doesn’t seem to have a whole lot to do with Jesus, the real Reason for the season — nor do elves and flying reindeer have much to do with what we read in our Bible!
But in these next few days leading up to Christmas Day, I thought I’d share a little of what I have learned about the real St. Nicholas. Yes, there was a real person who lived long ago and unintentionally started a centuries-old tradition — a tradition that has varied place to place but has always involved a special man dedicated to the art of giving gifts and bringing joy to children (including the “child” who lives in every adult!). I believe the origins of this legend will bless you and give you a whole new perspective on this age-old subject of Santa that can be part of your celebrations this Christmas!
It turns out that the man whom many generations have known as St. Nicholas was probably born around 280 AD in the Roman province of Lycia (modern-day southwestern Turkey) to well-to-do parents named Theophanes and Nonna. His parents were devout believers, part of the growing Christian community that was flourishing throughout Asia Minor during an extended time of relative peace with the Roman authorities. Their hometown was the beautiful coastal city of Patera.
According to ancient sources, Nicholas was a cherished gift to parents who had been praying for a long time to conceive a child. The happy couple named their son after his uncle, who was an abbot in a nearby monastery. From Nicholas’s early years on, the little boy demonstrated an unusual sense of devotion to the Lord. As he grew through adolescence, the things of the world held no attraction to him. Nicholas seemed destined for a special life of serving Him.
When Nicholas was a young man of about 20, a plague raged through Lycia, and his parents were tragically two of the casualties. Devastated, young Nicholas found strength to go on in his decision to train for the priesthood. His uncle took his grieving nephew under his charge, and, sensing the call of God on his life, he began to groom the godly young man for the ministry.
Live Like His Savior
Meanwhile, Nicholas had been seeking God to know what to do with his parents’ fortune. His conclusion followed his heart to live like his Savior: He would look for ways to give in order to bless others in need.
Soon afterward, Nicholas learned of a family in his hometown that had once been wealthy but had fallen on hard times. The father tried to no avail to find work, and the family was in a desperate situation. With three daughters of marriageable age but nothing to offer as a dowry, the father had reached a place of feeling forced to sell his children into servitude in order to save their lives.
When Nicholas heard of this family’s plight, he came up with a plan to help without anyone knowing the source of that help. Slipping quietly over to their home in the night while everyone was sleeping, Nicholas dropped a small bag of gold coins into an opening in a bedroom window. The next morning the mysterious bag was discovered, and the father was overcome with awe and unspeakable joy. There was enough to meet the family’s needs for some time and provide the dowry for his oldest daughter to marry well.
Nicholas wasn’t finished. A little later, he returned in the middle of the night and secretly dropped another small bag filled with gold coins into the family’s home. In the morning, this second surprise gift was met with more amazement and joy, and the second daughter had her dowry to be married.
The father decided he had to know who their secret benefactor was, so he stayed up night after night until the time came when a third bag was quietly dropped in through the window in the wee hours of the morning. The father ran out of the house and caught the fleeing figure. When he realized it was Nicholas, he fell to his knees and began to kiss the priest’s hands in gratitude, who simply asked the father not to talk about it. Nicholas wasn’t looking for recognition; he simply wanted to help others by the love of God.
Evidently the father didn’t do what Nicholas requested. He must have spread the news of Nicholas’s kindness abroad, because this one incident in the young priest’s life helped to launch what would later become the legend of St. Nicholas. As William Bennett wrote, “Despite his longing for anonymity, Nicholas’s act of generosity set him on the path to becoming the world’s most famous gift giver.”
The beauty of this long-lasting legend about the man named Nicholas is that it was based in the love and generosity of God from the start. So no matter what we think of Santa, we can agree that we’d all do well to focus in on the love of God where the legend began — because there really is no greater foundation than that.
Roberts Liardon
[1] William J. J Bennet, The True Saint Nicholas: Why He Matters to Christmas (Howard Books, Kindle Edition) P.18.
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