Children everywhere are lining up to tell Santa Claus what they want for Christmas.
They are writing letters to the North Pole, looking for the infamous Elf on the Shelf to report back to the jolly old man in red, and being extra well-behaved to make sure they make that nice list.
However, what many of those children don’t know is that they don’t have to wait until Christmas to celebrate their favorite gift-giving holiday figure.
The real Santa Claus lived from 280–343 A.D.
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St. Nicholas was a Christian bishop in the early church who was famous for his attentive care of the poor, offering the inspiration for Santa Claus.
Here are a few other things you might not have known about the real Santa Claus.
1: His Actual Feast Day
Dec. 6 is the official feast day of St. Nicholas celebrated by the western Christian world, not Christmas Day as some believe. Even the Eastern Christian rite separates out Christmas and the feast of this saint, celebrating it on Dec. 19.
2: The Shoe Tradition
Many families who do celebrate the feast also have a separate custom involving the children leaving out their shoes the night of Dec. 5. St. Nicholas was known for secret and anonymous gift-giving and would leave coins in the shoes of the poor. It is still a tradition today that children leave out their shoes and parents leave candy, money, or other little surprises in the shoes.
3: St. Nicholas of Myra and Patron of Fishermen
St. Nicholas was actually a Greek man who was the bishop of the Grecian town of Myra. He is also known as the patron saint of fishermen, which is surprising considering his connection with Christmas seems unrelated to his nautical ties. This connection comes from the Greeks and Italians who venerated this saint and saw him as the Christianized Poseidon.
4: His Wealth
St. Nicholas was born to two Christians, Epiphanius and Johanna. The couple was very wealthy, but unfortunately they both died of an epidemic when Nicholas was a young boy. He was therefore sent to be raised by his uncle, the Bishop of Patara. However, upon his parents untimely death, he received substantial amounts of money. He used his wealth to help the poor.
5: He Saved Women from Ruin
St. Nicholas is best known for his charity to the poor. On one occasion, he learned of a man with three daughters who had no money for dowries. As a result, the three daughters would not be able to marry and, with no opportunity for work at the time, would have to become prostitutes to support themselves. St. Nicholas paid the dowries of all three so that they could be married. This is just one of the many stories about St. Nicholas and his unwavering charity.
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