It’s that time of the year! The hearth has to be fed every second and the candles seem to vanish into thin air. The days are getting shorter and the need to cuddle each other for warmth is irresistible. Halfway through November we get some distraction: the arrival of Saint Nicholas. He’s the protector of seamen and traders. We celebrate the day of the holy Nicholas on the sixth of December. But who was this kind man?
The miracles of Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas was born in Myra in the third century after Christ. Myra is in the land nowadays inhabited by the Turks. From a young age on, he proved to be very pious. Even as a baby his behavior was noticed, and he was very loved by the local community. Nicholas was to become a great man!
From adolescense on, he performed many miracles. One of the most know stories is the story of the three young girls..
After the death of his parents, Nicholas was left with great wealth. He didn’t keep all of his wealth for himself though, but shared everything to honor God. When he found out that an acquaintance of his had become very poor, he decided to help him. Nicholas really wanted to prevent the acquaintance’s three daughters to become prostitutes out of pure despair. A very good cause to spend his riches on.
Nicholas snuck out of his house in the middle of the night, on his way to the poor man. In his hands he held a piece of cloth, with in it a piece of gold. More gold than most people would ever own! He threw the piece through the open window, and sprinted away.
This piece of gold saved the family for a while. When all of the gold was spent, Nicholas went on his way again. He repeated the process from last time, but gave even more gold to the old man.
The old man was suprised to find gold again, and decided he would have to stay extra alert to make sure he’d see the good giver next time. The third time, Nicholas was caught. He ren away as fast as he could, but somehow the old man caught up to him. He threw himself in front of Nicholas’ feet, and wanted to kiss them. Nicholas rejected this: he didn’t need credit for his good deeds.
There are many stories about Saint Nicholas. He saved the people from starvation by multiplying wheat, he calmed down storms at sea and rescued sailors, prisoners and students.
Saint Nicholas’ day has been celebrated for hundreds of years. Not only in the Low Countries, but also in the surrounding countries! Maarten Luther tried to stop this celebration of the Holy Nicholas, but fortunately, we still get to celebrate it!
We wish you all a great Saint Nicholas season!