St. Nicholas

St. Nicholas was bishop of Myra in Lycia, in present-day Turkey, in the early fourth century. Though the historical details of his life are scarce, his veneration is among the most widespread and enduring in all of Christendom, honored fervently in both the Eastern and Western Church. He is traditionally said to have suffered imprisonment during the persecution under Diocletian and, by some accounts, to have taken part in the First Council of Nicaea in 325 in defense of the true divinity of Christ against the Arian heresy.

He is remembered above all for his boundless and secret generosity, most famously in the legend that he saved three poor sisters from ruin by tossing bags of gold through their window by night to provide their dowries. From this fame for hidden gift-giving grew the beloved figure of Santa Claus, by way of the Dutch "Sinterklaas." Patron of children, sailors, and the poor, and of many nations and cities, he is celebrated on 6 December.