Saint Nicholas was born into a wealthy Christian family in the third century. The sudden death of his parents following the plague made him the heir to a heavy family property. Due to his intense love for Christ, he decided to donate his wealth to the poor.
He became known for his compassion for the destitute, his passion for children, and his cooperation with workers in various fields. It was a time when the slave trade was rampant. He used all his money to redeem children who would be sold into slavery. Nicholas, who had left everything to himself, accepted God’s call and became one in Christ. He worked hard in his ministry and was exiled and imprisoned during the persecution of Emperor Diocletian.
He was later released from prison but later returned to AD. At the Council of Nicaea in 325, he was struck by a religious missionary, Arius. Historians have noted that this was a great event of late. AD He died at Meera on December 6, 343. He was buried in his own cathedral church. Eventually, he spread many stories about his gift of charity and became one of the most wonderful saints in Europe. St. Nicholas was a man who traveled a lot; Saint Nicholas was also described as “the savior of the seafarers”. The early Europeans arrived in the newly discovered country and joined this saint as their mediator.
Columbus arrived at the port of Haiti on December 6, 1492, on the feast day of the saint, and named it “Port of St. Nicholas.” The town of Florida, now known as “Jacksonville”, was later called “St. Nicholas Cross” by Spanish nationalists.
The Protestant revolutionaries were indifferent to the saints, But St. Nicholas’ celebrations were so widespread that they could not be uprooted. Northern Europeans, especially the Dutch, continued the celebration of a man wearing a long white robe, dressed in red, and riding his horse in the streets. To commemorate the work of Nicholas who redeemed the children who were to be sold into slavery, children’s entertainment, such as nuts, apples, and donuts in their clothes, were frequent.
It is generally believed that it was the Dutch who brought “Nicholas Day” customs to the modern world. But historians do not agree with this; They believe that Nicholas’ feast was brought by the German settlers of Pennsylvania, “Penisil Waniadach.” The ‘Nicholas Celebrations’ arrived in New York via Vania in Peninsula. But it was only after American independence from slavery that the Dutch in New York began celebrating their tradition.
The patriot and the archaeologist John Pinard was the author of St. Nicholas’s The World. Nicholas Centers Website Reveals. In 1804, The New-York Historical Society was founded by John Pinard.
In January 1809, he became a member of the Historical Society of Washington Irving and published the Knickerbocker’s History of New York, the same year. This is a book about humorous Saint Nicholas. According to this historical organization, they see V. Nicholas not as an orthodox bishop from the East, but as a crafty Dutchman with an earthen pipe.
Nicholas is first portrayed in the book St Nick in Dutch New Amsterdam as a smoker leaning over to give gifts to his children. On December 6, 1810, when Nicholas Thirunel celebrated the New York Historical Society for the first time, Pinkard asked Alexander Anderson to paint a portrait of Nicholas. Eleven years later, William b. Gilly has released another book titled ‘Sante Claus the children’s friend’. The book depicts the saint coming from the north with gifts in a swift snowman. It is a beautiful poem, and it adds to the memory of the bishop Nicholas. Two years later, the story of Nicholas comes to an end with the most famous being A Visit from St. Nicholas’ single was released; That is the famous song today called The Night Belone.
By 1920, renowned painters, N.C. Wyatt and JCLendecker made lifelong images of a red-haired, white-bearded man. Following this tradition, Norman Rockwall painted covers for the publication of The Saturday Evening Post in the 1930s.
In 1931, painter Haddon Suntbloem linked Santa to Coca-Cola and created “Coca-Cola Santa”. On countless Christmas Day trips, the face of Santa, who drinks Coca-Cola for thirst, began to appear in the media before he left home and moved into another house.
Consequently, Saint Nicholas’ saintly image has been transformed into that of a world-class vendor. To put it mildly, he would have to be replaced by a magical seller who sells almost anything at the end of the year. Today is a good time to rekindle the true Nicholas Day celebration, as the relationship with Saint Nicholas is completely cut off. Let us bring back St. Nicholas. The arrival of Santa can be remembered as a reminder of Nicholas’ true strength.
Let us come to the coming of Jesus by joining with St. Nicholas, a kind and generous benefactor of faith, a courageous warrior and a helper of the poor.
From the Works of Fr. White Longnecker
