Yes people there really is a Santa Claus! St Nicholas was a 4th century bishop of Myra in Lycia, Asia Minor. Why the red suit? Bishops wear red. If any child ever asks you, “Why does Santa give us presents?” You can truthfully tell them it is because he loves Jesus and is celebrating Jesus birthday, and Jesus lives and dwells in us. Since even unbelievers celebrate Christmas and tell their children about Santa Claus – the secular world is never going to truly be able to take Christ out of Christmas. Santa Claus is the most beloved of all the saints world-wide.

St Nicholas as a very early Christian Bishop is believed to have performed several miracles. He saved 3 distressed young women from a very bad life by gifts of gold for their dowries, every year on Christmas Eve for 3 years, he threw a bag of gold down the chimney of their father’s house, so that their father wouldn’t know who gave the gift. The 3rd year the father caught him.

The 3 bags of gold are said to have inspried the 3 golden balls hung up by pawnbrokers outside their shops. St Nicholas became the patron saint of pawnbrokers. He also became the patron saint of various other groups: sailors, children, apothecaries, perfumiers, and unmarried girls. The patronage is in most cases associated with the miracles he is said to have performed. He restored to life 3 boys murdered in a tub of brine by a butcher, and he rescued sailors off the coast of Asia Minor. The connection with perfumiers stems from perfumes associated with his shrine. He is also a patron saint of Russia.

St Nicholas is best known as the patron saint of children. There are many stories told about Nicholas’ goodness to children. He fed them when they were hungry, healed them when they were ill, and cared for those treated badly by people. The Dutch custom of giving presents to children on St Nicholas’ Day was taken by the Dutch to America, where the name Santa Claus developed from the Dutch “Sinte Klaas”. The custom of presents from Santa Claus eventually became associated in many places with Christmas rather than St Nicholas’ own feast day. That is how St Nicholas came to be Father Christmas.

St Nicholas resides with the Lord and therefore he lives in truth, and in our hearts, inspiring us with the Christmas spirit, year after year, a true example of Christian charity and generosity.