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A parish of the Antiochian Archdiocese
 Life
of Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas was the Bishop of Myra in
Lycia. He is known for many miracles and for his love and compassion for the poor and for
children. He was also present at the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea and was a staunch
opponent of Arianism.
Saint Nicholas is the common name for
Saint Nicholas of Myra, who lived in 4th century Byzantine Lycia (modern day Antalya,
Turkey), who had a reputation for secret gift-giving. This is as much as is generally known
about him in the West.
This historical character was the inspiration for a
mythical figure known as Nikolaus in Germany and Sinterklaas in the Netherlands
and Flanders, which in turn was the inspiration for Santa Claus. Sinterklaas (a contracted
form of Sint Nicolaas) is a major celebration in the Netherlands and in Flanders.
Among Orthodox Christians, the historical Saint Nicholas is remembered and revered.
Saint Nicholas is revered by many as the patron
saint of sailors, merchants, archers, children, students, in both Greece and Russia.
Here a podcast about St Nicholas from
Ancient Faith Radio:
For All the Saints
 Posted
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Click to listen to this podcast now. (13:25) - Theodora Elizabeth
Nicholas of Myra (also Nikolaus) in
Lycia, Asia Minor (lived c. 270 - 345/352), was a 4th century bishop and is a Christian
saint. His feast day is December 6, presumably the date of his death. In the
Netherlands 5 December is known as his feast: this is Sinterklaasavond, or St.
Nicholas' Eve. Among Christians, he is also known as the "Miracle Worker". Several acts of
kindness and miracles are attributed to him. Historial accounts often confuse him with the
later Nicholas of Sion.
Nicholas was born in Asia Minor during the 3rd
century at Patara in the province of Lycia, at a time when the region was Hellenistic in its
culture and outlook. Nicholas became bishop of the city of Myra. He was very religious from
an early age and devoted his life entirely to Christianity. He is said to have been born to
relatively affluent Christian parents in Patara, Lycia, Asia Minor, Roman Empire where he
also received his early schooling. According to some sources, his parents died while he was
still a child, leaving a paternal uncle to care for him. Other sources place the death of
his parents at the time he was already a young adult, leading him to a period of
soul-searching which finally resulted in his uncle introducing him to Christianity. Whatever
the reason, as a young adult and scholar, Nicholas moved to Myra to continue his studies and
there the above-mentioned uncle introduced him to the local bishop. The latter is said to
have seen potential in the youth and took Nicholas under his patronage. Nicholas received
his ordination as a priest at an early age.
As the patron saint of sailors, Nicholas is
claimed to have been a sailor or fisherman himself. More likely, however, is that one of his
family businesses involved managing a fishing fleet. When his parents died, Nicholas still
received his inheritance but is said to have given it away to charity. So was Saint Nicholas
a working, albeit wealthy, man who complemented his day job with caring for his
congregation, or was he a full-time bishop? The impressive list of deeds of Nicholas seems
to point to the latter. This does not say, however, that his appointment to priest or bishop
meant a complete rupture with his former life. More likely this was a gradual process.
Nicholas' early activities as a priest are said to
have occurred during the reign of co-ruling Roman Emperors Diocletian (reigned 284 - 305)
and Maximian (reigned 286 - 305) from which comes the estimation of his age. Diocletian
issued an edict in 303 authorizing the systematic persecution of Christians across the
Empire. Following the abdication of the two Emperors on May 1, 305 the policies of their
successors towards Christians were different. In the Western part of the Empire Constantius
Chlorus (reigned 305 - 306) put an end to the systematic persecution upon his accession to
the throne. In the Eastern part Galerius (reigned 305 - 311) continued the persecution until
311 when he issued a general edict of toleration from his deathbed. The persecution of 303 -
311 is considered to be the longest in the history of the Empire. Nicholas survived this
period although his activities at the time are uncertain.
Following Galerius' death his surviving co-ruler
Licinius (reigned 307 - 324) mostly tolerated Christians. As a result their community was
allowed to further develop, and the various bishops who acted as their leaders managed to
concentrate religious, social and political influence as well as wealth in their hands. In
many cases they acted as the heads of their respective cities. It is apparently in this
period that Nicholas rose to become bishop of Myra. Judging from tradition, he was probably
well loved and respected in his area, mostly as a result of his charitable activities. As
with other bishops of the time, Nicholas' popularity would serve to ensure his position and
influence during and after this period.
The destruction of several pagan temples is also
attributed to him, among them one temple of Artemis (also known as Diana). Because the
celebration of Diana's birth is on December 6, some authors have speculated that this date
was deliberately chosen for Nicholas' feast day to overshadow or replace the pagan
celebrations.
Nicholas is also known for coming to the defense
of the falsely accused, often preventing them from being executed, and for his prayers on
behalf of sailors and other travelers. The popular veneration of Nicholas as a saint seems
to have started relatively early. Justinian I, Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire (reigned
527 - 565) is reported to have built a temple (i.e. a church building) in Nicholas's honour
in Constantinople, the Roman capital of the time.
Bishop Nicholas At The First Ecumenical Council
In 324 Licinius was defeated in a war against his
Western co-ruler Constantine I of the Roman Empire (reigned 306 - 337). The end of the war
found the Roman Empire unified under the rule of Constantine. Instead of tolerance, his
policies towards Christians consisted of active support. Under his patronage the Christian
church experienced an age of prosperity. But the relative peace of his reign brought to the
forefront the internal conflict within contemporary Christianity. One of the apparent main
reasons of this conflict was the failure to agree to a commonly accepted concept about God
in general and Jesus in particular. At this time the teachings of Arius in Alexandria, Egypt
were gaining popular support but also attracting great opposition. They would form the basis
of Arianism. Emerging fanaticism in both opposing factions only resulted in spreading tumult
across the Empire.
Deciding to address the problem as a matter of the
state, Constantine called the First Council of Nicaea which also was the first Ecumenical
council in 325. The number of attendees at the Council is uncertain with Eusebius of
Caesarea reporting as few as 250 and Athanasius of Alexandria as many as 318. In any case
Nicholas is usually counted among them and was noted as an opponent of Arianism.
A later writer claimed that after Arius had
presented his case against Jesus' divinity to the Council, Nicholas hit Arius in the face
out of indignation. Nicholas was kicked out of the Council for this offence, and jailed as
well. However, according to this account, that night the Virgin Mary appeared in a vision to
many of the bishops of the Council, telling them to forgive Nicholas, for he had done it out
of love for her Son. They released Nicholas and allowed him back into the process the next
day.
The council lasted from May 20 to June 19, 325 and
resulted in the declaration of the Nicene Creed and the formal condemnation of Arianism. The
books of Arius and his followers were condemned to be burned but the execution of this
decision was left at the hands of each bishop for their respective territories. To what
point this decision was followed remains uncertain.
Following this apparent victory to his faction
Nicholas returned to Myra. He is applauded by later Christian writers for keeping Myra free
of Arianism. But the decisions of the council failed to stop the spread of Arianism. In fact
the tides soon turned and in his later years Arianism managed to win favour with
Constantine. In fact Constantine was baptised by Eusebius of Nicomedia, an Arian bishop who
had also attended the council, shortly before his death on May 22, 337. Constantine was
succeeded by his three surviving sons: Constantine II of the Roman Empire (reigned 337 -
340), Constantius II (reigned 337 - 361) and Constans (reigned 337 - 350). Constantius
originally received the Eastern part of the Empire but the death of his brothers left the
entire Empire under his control. During his reign he strongly favoured Arianism by seeking
to place Arian bishops in most positions. There is no indication that Nicholas was affected
by these policies and he remained in his position till his death. This lack of disturbance
by the Arian Emperor has been seen as indicating the strong support Nicholas had gained
among the people of his territory. According to this reasoning not even Constantius would
risk a possible revolt by removing a popular bishop.
Abduction Of His Relics
On August 26, 1071 Romanus IV, Emperor of the
Eastern Roman Empire (reigned 1068 - 1071) faced Sultan Alp Arslan of the Seljuk Turks
(reigned 1059 - 1072) in the Battle of Manzikert. The battle ended in humiliating defeat and
capture for Romanus. As a result the Empire temporarily lost control over most of Asia Minor
to the invading Seljuk Turks. It would regain its control over Asia Minor during the reign
of Alexius I Comnenus, (reigned 1081 - 1118). But early in his reign Myra was overtaken by
the Islamic invaders. Taking advantage of the confusion sailors from Bari, Italy seized the
remains of the saint over the objections of the Orthodox monks then caring for them.
Returning to Bari they brought the remains with them. The remains arrived on May 9, 1087.
Some observers have reported seeing myrrh exude from these relics.
The Face Of The Historical Saint
Whereas the importance of relics and the business
associated with pilgrims and patron saints caused the remains of most saints to be spread
over several churches in several countries, Saint Nicholas is unique in that most of his
bones have been preserved in one spot: his grave crypt in Bari. Although jealously guarded
and kept from prying eyes of scientists, especially with the still continuing miracle of the
manna, the Roman Catholic Church allowed for one scientific survey of the bones: In the late
1950s, during a restoration of the chapel, it allowed a team of their own scientists to
photograph and measure the contents of the crypt grave.
In the summer of 2005, the report of this
measurements was sent to a forensic laboratory in England. The review of the data revealed
that the historical Saint Nicholas was barely five foot in height (while not exactly small,
still shorter than average, even for his time) and had a broken nose. This last may seem
strange for a man of "saintly behavior", but would fit perfectly with Nicholas' sometimes
violent nature as reported at the First Ecumenical Council.
Deeds And Miracles Attributed To Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors and
is often called upon by sailors who are in danger of drowning or being shipwrecked.
According to one legend, as a young man Nicholas went to study in Alexandria and on one of
his (sea) voyages from Myra to Alexandria he is said to have saved the life of a sailor who
fell from the ship's rigging in a storm. In a colourful version of this legend, Nicholas
saved the man on his voyage back from Alexandria to Myra and upon his arrival took the
sailor to the church. At that time the old bishop had just died and the church fathers were
instructed in a dream to choose for their next bishop a "man of victory" (Greek: Nikei).
While the saint was praying, the loose-lipped sailor went around telling how courageously he
was saved by the man Nikei-laos, upon which the church elders had no choice but to appoint
Nicholas as their new bishop.
Another legend tells how a terrible famine struck
the island and a malicious butcher lured three little children into his house, only to kill
and slaughter them and put their remains in a barrel to cure, planning to sell them off as
ham. Saint Nicholas, visiting the region to care for the hungry, not only saw through the
butcher's horrific crime but also managed to resurrect the three boys from the barrel.
In his most famous exploit however, a poor man had
three daughters but could not affort a proper dowry for them. This meant that they would
remain unmarried and probably, in absence of any other possible employment would have to
become prostitutes. Hearing of the poor man's plight, Nicholas decided to help him but being
too modest (or too shy) to help the man in public, he went to his house under the cover of
night and threw three purses filled with gold coins through the window opening onto the
man's floor. One version has him throwing one purse for three consecutive nights. Another
has him throw the purses over a period of three years, each time the night before one of the
daughters comes "of age". Invariably the third time the father lies in waiting, trying to
discover their benefactor. In one version the father confronts the saint, only to have Saint
Nicholas say it is not him he should thank God alone. In another version, Nicholas learns of
the poor man's plan and drops the third bag down the chimney instead. For his help to the
poor, Nicholas is the patron saint of pawnbrokers; the three gold balls traditionally hung
outside a pawnshop symbolize the three sacks of gold. People then began to suspect that he
was behind a large number of other anonymous gifts to the poor, using the inheritance from
his wealthy parents. After he died, people in the region continued to give to the poor
anonymously, and such gifts were still often attributed to St. Nicholas.
It should be noted perhaps that a nearly identical
story is attributed by Greek folklore to Basil of Caesarea. Basil's feast day on January 1
is also considered a time of exchanging gifts.
It is said that in Myra the bones of Saint
Nicholas each year sweated out a clear watery liquid, called Manna, which of course was said
to possess immense powers. As the bones were stolen and brought to Bari, they continued to
do so, much to the joy of the new owners. So even up to today, a flask of manna is extracted
from the tomb of Saint Nicholas every year on December 6th (the Saint's birthday). It is
however worth noting that the tomb lies at sea level in a harbor town so the occurrence of
watery liquid can be explained by several theories. Still, neither the church nor any
scientists have ever tried to analyse the fluid, so truth still lies in the eye of the
believer.
One of the most amazing feats of Saint Nicholas
however was that he lived to a ripe old age and died peacefully in his own bed. At a time
where most saints earned their place in heaven by dying for their faith in manners most
unusual and cruel, this definitely made him stand out (together with Saint Martin, who also
died of natural old age) and definitely aided to his 'popularity' in every way of the word.
Among the Greeks and Italians he is a favourite of
sailors, fishermen, ships and sailing. As such he has become over time the patron saint of
several cities maintaining harbours. In centuries of Greek folklore, Nicholas was seen as
"The Lord of the Sea", often described by modern Greek scholars as a kind of Christianised
version of Poseidon. In modern Greece, he is still easily among the most recognisable saints
and December 6 finds many cities celebrating their patron saint. He is also the patron saint
of all of Greece.
In the Middle Ages, both Saint Nicholas and Martin
of Tours were celebrated as true people's saints. Many churches were named for them and
later gave their names to the villages that emerged around them. As described above, while
most contemporary saints earned their place in heaven by dying for their faith in manners
most unusual and cruel, both Nicholas and Martin lived peacefully to a ripe old age. At a
time of Religious wars and Crusades the idea that one could go to heaven, even become a
saint, just by the way one lived instead of the way one died must have offered a great deal
of consolation for the Medieval common folk. Therefore this time made Saint Nicholas a
'popular' saint in every sense of the word, more than all his miracles combined.
Today, saint Nicholas is still celebrated as a
great gift-giver in several Western European countries. According to one source, Medieval
nuns used the night of December 6th to anonymously deposit baskets of food and clothes at
the doorsteps of the needy. According to another source, On December 6th every sailor or
ex-sailor of the Low Countries (which at that time was virtually all of the male population)
would descend to the harbour towns to participate in a church celebration for their patron
saint. On the way back they would stop at one of the various Nicholas fairs to buy some
hard-to-come-by goods, gifts for their loved ones and invariably some little presents for
their children. While the real gifts would only be presented at Christmas, the little
presents for the children were given right away, courtesy of Saint Nicholas ... or Santa
Claus... This, and also his miracle of him resurrecting the three butchered children, made
Saint Nicholas a patron saint of children and later students as well.
Due to the modern association with Christmas,
Saint Nicholas is a patron saint of Christmas, as well as pawnbrokers (see above).He was
also a patron of the Varangian Guard of the Eastern Roman Emperors, who protected his relics
in Bari.
 The
holy person of St. Nicholas is a popular subject portrayed on countless Eastern Orthodox
icons, particularly Russian ones.
-
"Icons are quite literally meant to be 'Windows Into Heaven' and to
instil in the viewer an attitude of prayerful reflection on the Divine. In Russia icons
were not only displayed in churches, but are given the place of honour in many homes, thus
serving as a daily reminder to live in strict accordance with Christian virtue, values and
duties." (Source:
The InstaPLANET Cultural Universe).
 In
Catholic iconography, Saint Nicholas is depicted as a bishop, wearing all the insignia of
this profession: a red bishop's cloak, a red miter and a bishop's staff (crozier). Due to
the episode with the three dowries, he is shown holding in his hand either three purses,
three coins or three golden balls. Depending on whether he is depicted as patron saint of
children or sailors, his images will be completed by a background showing ships, children or
three figures climbing out of a wooden barrel (the three slaughtered children he
resurrected).
In a strange twist, the three golden balls
referring to the dowry affair are sometimes misinterpreted as being oranges or other fruits.
As in the Low Countries, oranges are generally believed to come from Spain, this led to the
belief that the Saint lives in Spain and comes to visit every winter bringing oranges and
other 'wintery' fruits.
We would be delighted to answer any questions you
might have about the Orthodox Christian Church. If you do not find the answers you need here
(FAQ--Coming Soon), please feel free to contact the
Department of Missions and Evangelism, and
someone will respond to your question as soon as possible.
Copyright © [St. Nicholas Eastern Orthodox Christian Church]
All rights reserved.
Revised: April 20, 2007.
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