In England, there are over 400 Anglican churches dedicated to St. Nicholas, seven of which, including the cathedral at Newcastle, are in the North East.
All of these local churches are of some considerable age, indicating that St. Nicholas was a popular dedication saint in the early Middle Ages in England and probably in Europe too.
About St. Nicholas
St. Nicholas was an historical figure, born between AD 260 and 280 in the village of Patara. At the time, the area was Greek but it is now on the southern coast of Turkey. His parents were well-off and raised him as a devout Christian.
After the untimely death of his parents, Nicholas used his whole inheritance to help the needy, and this Christian generosity became his hallmark and the stuff of legend.
Devotion to God
He devoted himself to the service of God and was made Bishop of Myra when only a relatively young man. He suffered imprisonment for his faith before attending the historic Council of Nicaea in AD 325.
He died on 6th December AD 343 in Myra and was buried in the cathedral there. The saint’s feast day has since been celebrated on 6th December each year.
Patronage
Although he is best known as the patron saint of children and mariners, some very unlikely groups are in his patronage. The long list includes barrel makers, parish clerks, candle makers, florists, grocers, lawyers, lovers, spice-dealers and pawnbrokers.
The three golden balls, the old symbols of the pawnbroker trade, are based on a reported event in the saint’s life when he reputedly used three bags of gold to redeem the lives of three young women.
Transformation
It was in America and not Europe that the image of St. Nicholas was to undergo a complete transformation. The celebration of St. Nicholas slowly developed amongst the growing band of European colonists who settled in America from the 16th century onwards.
By 1804, the saint was being promoted as the patron of not just the nostalgic and romantic New York Historical Society, but also of the whole of the American capital city.
On the 6th December 1810, the Society held its first St. Nicholas anniversary dinner, at which the saint was presented more as a provider of gifts to children than as a worthy Christian bishop.
The Night Before Christmas
The popular transformation of the saint was boosted further in 1823 when an anonymous poem, which we now know as ’The Night Before Christmas’, was published and had a huge influence on the Americanisation of St. Nicholas.
Thirty five years of Coca-Cola advertising from 1931 which depicted the jolly, red-coated Santa we are all now familiar with, more or less completed the metamorphosis from saintly bishop to the commercial spirit of Christmas.
Growing Interest
There is a growing interest in both America and Europe in restoring the spiritual purpose of the Christmas festival; the rehabilitation of St. Nicholas as the saintly and generous Bishop is an important part of this movement.
More and more churches in England are celebrating the Saint’s day on the 6th December with special events such as Patronal Feasts and visits from the saint himself to explain who he is and what the true spirit of giving really means at Christmas.
Role Model
As patron saint of children and lover of the poor, St. Nicholas is, after all, a model of how Christians should live.
Further Information
A rich source of material on St Nicholas can be found by following the links to www.stnicholascenter.org and www.stnicholassociety.com
