In the eyes of the Catholic church, a saint is a person who’s lived such a holy life that even after death and their ascent to heaven they are still able to help the earth bound souls.
It was believed that
the white bearded St Nicholas clad in his red bishop’s robes continued to help
the less fortunate through his gift giving.
So In the years
following his death the St Nicholas legend grew.
As Christianity
flourished within the Holy Roman Empire so did St Nicholas and by the year 450
many churches in the Eastern provinces of the empire in Asia Minor and Greece
were being named to honor him and by the year 800 he was the most popular saint
in the Eastern Catholic Church.
Such was his growing
popularity as a Saint and his high regard amongst Christians that his mortal
remains, which had been held in his church in Myra since his death, were stolen
by a band of Italian sailors in 1087 A.D. and taken to Italy where they remain
to this day, housed in the Basilica de
St. Nicola in Bari.
The St Nicholas legend
spread ever wider around the world and in 13th century France
December sixth became the feast of St Nicholas or Bishop Nicholas Day
And as the his fame spread north his red bishops robe was replaced by
more practical suit of clothes, still red, but trimmed with white fur and his
bishops mitre was replaced by red fur trimmed hat.
Then By the end of the
15th century, St Nicholas was with the exception of Jesus and Mary
the most popular religious figure in the Christian world.
Even after the
protestant reformation when the worship of saints and relics was discouraged
the people kept faith with Nicholas.
When in the 17th
century the puritan Oliver Cromwell became Lord Protector of England he banned
anything about Christmas the might be construed as enjoyable.
He banned any kind of
feasting, drinking or dancing he even banned the hanging of holly.
In America the
puritans went further by banning even
the mention of St. Nicholas as well as gift-giving, candle-lighting and
carol-singing.
But this only served to make people believe in St Nicholas even more
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