Name Nicholas is coming from niké (victory) a laós (people). In The Czech Republic Mikuláš, in The Netherlands Sinte Klaas, in England Santa Claus.

The Life
Saint Nicholas is one of those saints whose life-facts are supported with little historical evidence. Perhaps this is why his life inspired so many legends and myths. He was born in Patras, a town in western Lykia, the then-Greece and today's Turkey. Legend claims that the year of his birth falls between the years 280 and 286; other sources mention the year 260, or the time around 250. His parents left him a fortune that he gave away to the poor. In the year 300 he became the Bishop of Myra. However, under the rule of Emperor Dioclecianus at the beginning of the 4^th century when Christians were persecuted across the entire Roman Empire, Saint Nicholas was imprisoned and driven out of his native land. Christianity was embraced by Emperor Constantinus in 313, and Nicholas was set free and allowed to resume his episcopate. In 325 he attended the Council of Nice. In the autumn of his life he paid a visit to the Holy Father in Rome. Saint Nicholas died on December 6, between the years 345 and 352. He was buried in Myra (known today as Demre in Turkey) but his relics were stolen in 1087 and transferred to Bari in Southern Italy where, as a legend has it, Nicholas stopped during his pilgrimage to Rome.

The Legends
Saint Nicholas became one of the most honored saints of the Eastern Church (the territory of the Eastern Roman Empire, later called Byzantium), where he is respected as an advocate of orthodoxy against unbelievers.
A great number of legends and stories about the life of Saint Nicholas became the basis for his worship. During his life Saint Nicholas would take care of orphans, widows and those who were persecuted. The knowledge of his generosity derives from a legend about the three daughters of an indebted father who faced the danger of having to make their living as prostitutes. When Saint Nicholas learned about their situation he threw purses of money into their bedrooms for three nights, which saved them from their grim fate. The father paid up his debts and managed to put some money aside for his daughters' trousseaus. This is why Saint Nicholas is prayed to by single girls who want to get married. In some countries Saint Nicholas is taken for the patron saint of a happy marriage. During times of famine the citizens of Myra were helped by Saint Nicholas who reproduced their loaves of bread (as a result, Saint Nicholas became the patron saint of bakers). Saint Nicholas is said to have saved the lives of several sailors during his stay in Bari. Subsequently, Saint Nicholas depicted with an anchor is also worshipped as the patron saint of sailors and merchants. Saint Nicholas also protected fishermen and carters (the latter in Eastern Europe). He took care of bridges and protected people from floods. The name day of Saint Nicholas, which falls on December 6, has been associated with enrichment since the Middle Ages; consequently many merchants prefer to arrange important transactions and business deals on that same day.


Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of:

• Russia and Lorraine;
• Children, virgins, altar boys, pilgrims, and travelers;
• Merchants, attorneys, judges, notaries public, apothecaries, innkeepers, traders in wine, manufacturers of and traders in perfumes, sailors, fishermen, rafters, millers, bakers, traders in grain and seeds, butchers, beer brewers, distillers, farmers, weavers, traders in lace and cloth, stone workers, laborers in stone quarries, book binders, button makers, candle makers, firemen, and captives
• Safe and good sailing, protection from danger caused by water and the sea, regaining lost property, and protection from thieves.

The Tradition
The folk tradition centered on Saint Nicholas is still alive. The custom of giving children Saint Nicholas gifts (behind a window, in a chimney, inside a shoe or stocking, etc.) was clearly inspired by the legend of the three daughters with an indebted father.
Saint Nicholas (also St. Nicolaus, its derivation being Santa Claus) brings Christmas presents to children in Great Britain, the USA, Sweden, and other countries. In the Czech Republic, Saint Nicholas's presents were handed out on the eve of the saint's name day, i.e. on December 5. This tradition has existed in our country since the Middle Ages, when masked processions of Saint Nicholas walked around town and stopped at each house. Later, this tradition changed into the distribution of gifts to children.
The citizens of Bari celebrate the transfer of Saint Nicholas's relics on May 8, at which time the sea becomes the place for a public festival during which people go out in their boats to sail to the saint's statue. In the afternoon, the city witnesses a traditional historical carnival.