This, of course, involved an important theological question. Nicholas (the dates of his life vary greatly depending on the source and are between 270 and 365) was bishop of Myra (Demre) in the province of Lycia in what is now Turkey in the fourth century. Many stories about the saint are confused with legends about a sixth-century abbot named Nicholas of Sion (near Myra) and also with the vita of another bishop named Nicholas from nearby Pinara, today’s Minare near Fethiye.
There are hardly any reliable facts about the real life of St. Nicholas. What remains today are powerful stories and customs that stimulate the imagination. During the persecution of Christians under Emperor Galerius, he is said to have been held prisoner and tortured for a while. It is also recorded that Nicholas of Myra took part in the Council of Nicaea, which is of immense importance for the Christian churches. Emperor Constantine I had called the ecumenical council to dogmatically unite the various Christian movements that had formed by the fourth century.
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A slap in the face for Arius
The most important point of the theological debates was the “nature” of Christ between divinity and humanity or his position as the Son of God and within the Trinity. Arianism, named after the theologian Arius (ca. 270–327), spoke out against the equality of God the Father and Son and in favor of a more “human” Jesus.
In the course of the arguments with Arius (who lost in the debate against the followers of the doctrine of the Trinity), Nikolas is said to have even slapped him in the face and was briefly imprisoned for it. Of course, there is no evidence of this Nicean brawl – Nicholas of Myra does not appear on the (albeit incomplete) list of participants either, and the sources for this and many other stories are much more recent.
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According to legend, the historical Nicholas was anything but meek on other occasions too: he is said to have saved three generals who were unjustly imprisoned by falling into the executioner’s arm. According to another reading, the bishop appeared to the emperor in a dream to get him to release the men: the stratelate miracle. The saint is said to have brought three boys back to life who had been dismembered by cannibals.
-Nicholas as “super-saint”
In the Greek Orthodox Church, Nicholas is considered a “hyperhagios,” or “super-saint,” and he is also extremely popular in the Catholic Church. The veneration of the combative bishop developed in the Byzantine Empire from the sixth century onwards. It was probably spread in the West by Empress Theophanu, who brought relics from Byzantium with her on the occasion of her wedding to Emperor Otto II, and experienced a great upswing since the High Middle Ages. Since then, Santa Claus has traditionally been out on December 6th to bring presents to the children.
According to legend, he gave gold to three poor, unmarried young women to save them from fate as prostitutes. He is therefore often depicted with three golden balls or apples. He probably owes his reputation to stories like these as someone who secretly brings gifts – he used to like apples, nuts and other sweet treats that were sought after and rare at the time. The Krampus and other sinister figures accompanied by Santa Claus have been created since the 17th century – but their function as children’s fright is currently a little out of fashion.
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Reliquienraub
The relics of the presumably historical Nicholas of Myra have been in the specially built Basilica of San Nicola in Bari, southern Italy, since the 11th century. The sarcophagus at Myra was broken open in 1087 and the remains were taken to Bari, Italy, where they rest in the purpose-built Basilica of San Nicola. A three-day festival in honor of the saint is celebrated here every May.
Dutch emigrants brought Nicholas (Dutch: Sinterklaas) to America in the 17th century. Here the figure of the saint developed into the American Santa Claus, who has been competing with the native Christ child for several decades.
