Santa Claus—otherwise known as Saint Nicholas – has a long history in Christmas traditions. Millions of children wait for Santa on Christmas Eve. Today, in our imagination he is a jolly man in red who brings toys to good girls and boys on Christmas Eve. But the story stretches back to the third century when Saint Nicholas walked the earth and became the patron saint of children.
It is believed that Saint Nicholas was born around 280 A.D. in Patara, near Myra in modern-day Turkey. He was a person of piety and godliness. Hence, St. Nicholas became the subject of many legends. It is said that he gave away all of his wealth which he had got from his ancestors and traveled the countryside helping the poor and sick. One of the best-known St. Nicholas stories is the time he saved three poor sisters from being sold into slavery or prostitution by their father. He provided the money that they could be married.
Over the course of many years, Nicholas’s popularity spread and he became known as the protector of children and sailors. His feast day is celebrated on the anniversary of his death, December 6. This day was traditionally considered a lucky day to make large purchases or to get married. By the Renaissance, St. Nicholas was the most popular saint in Europe. Through his imagery of Santa Claus, he had got great worldwide admiration and popularity even among the children too.