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He died in the year 343, but legends about Nicholas, a bishop in southwest Turkey, grew in the telling not long after his death.
One of these stories was that he saved three sisters from having to sell themselves as prostitutes by climbing on to the roof of their cottage and dropping gold coins down their chimney. The coins were caught in the stockings that were hanging by the fireplace to dry.
He was declared a saint and became popular in various parts of Europe, usually (although not in the image reproduced here) pictured in his red bishop’s robes and sporting a white beard.
He was particularly popular in the Netherlands, his name in Dutch being Sinter Klaas. When Dutch settlers reached the New World and founded New Amsterdam – later re-founded as New York – Sinter Klaas and all the stories about him travelled with them.
The rest – as they say – is history!
The history of Father Christmas is always interesting. My favorite is the time dilation required for Santa to visit the 1.4 to 1.5 billion people that believe in Santa Claus over the course of 24 hours. (oh yeah and more than 1 million miles if you could all the cities he visits)
You have to believe in magic!
You mean you don’t?!!!
Another interesting calculation involves the vast amounts of sherry that he must imbibe, even if he limits himself to one sip at each address!
sherry is more of an English and European tradition in the US it is milk! The number of cookies he eats as well would require more than 1 million hours of exercise to burn off.
I thought the milk was for the reindeer!
in the US it is milk and cookies for santa and carrots for the Reindeer!
i believe Santa Claus is a feeling, an emotional state that takes over the world.
We in India never had this culture but now every child around waits for St. Nicholas.
That is a wonderful story. I wish I had a chimney St; Nick would drop coins down