Today is a holiday, y’all!  And a rather important one, at that!  Today is one of those days that are included in the much misaligned greeting, “Happy Holidays!” Yep, today, 6 December is one of those “forgotten holidays” that get lost in the lead up to Christmas or has been taken over  by the confusion and blending of holidays.  And by now, I’m sure, if you’ve managed to read this far, that you are wondering what in the world I’m talking about…..  You know that Christmas song, “Jolly Old St. Nicholas”????  Well y’all, today we concentrate on ol’  St. Nick himself, who was, as far as we know, neither jolly, old, or an elf.  Let that sink in for a sec.

Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Nicholas, aka the person upon which our dear Santa Claus was modeled. Now, just who was this guy? I know you’ve seen pictures and figures of St. Nicholas dressed like a bishop, carrying a crozier and he looks nothing like our Santa. What’s up with that? Imma tell ya.

The true story of Santa Claus begins with Nicholas, who was born during the third century in the village of Patara. At the time the area was Greek and is now on the southern coast of Turkey. His wealthy parents, who raised him to be a devout Christian, died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still young. Obeying Jesus’ words to “sell what you own and give the money to the poor,” Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He dedicated his life to serving God and was made Bishop of Myra while still a young man. Bishop Nicholas became known throughout the land for his generosity to those in need, his love for children, and his concern for sailors and ships.

Under the Roman Emperor Diocletian, who ruthlessly persecuted Christians, Bishop Nicholas suffered for his faith, was exiled and imprisoned. The prisons were so full of bishops, priests, and deacons, there was no room for the real criminals—murderers, thieves and robbers. After his release, Nicholas attended the Council of Nicaea (from which we get the Nicene Creed) in AD 325. He died December 6, AD 343 in Myra and was buried in his cathedral church, where a unique relic, called manna, formed in his grave. This liquid substance, said to have healing powers, fostered the growth of devotion to Nicholas. The anniversary of his death became a day of celebration, St. Nicholas Day, December 6th.

Now, how did St. Nicholas transform into Santa Claus? It’s in the language. The Dutch brought St. Nicholas to the US with them. Yep, in Dutch, St. Nicholas is “Sinterklaas.” Get it? Pretty awesome how languages work!

For those of you who are interested, there is a very rich history that one can find of the process in which this holy man, St. Nicholas, became our Santa Claus. Google is an awesome thing!

So, I wish you a very blessed and happy Feast of St. Nicholas today!