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Saint Nicholas. San Nicola. Agios Nikolaos. Aziz Nikolaos. Sveti Nikola.
This saint is known by many names. Born into a wealthy Greek family in Patara, Roman Lycia-Pamphylia, Nikolaos was inspired by Myra’s bishop, his uncle, to serve the church. After his parents’ death, Nikolaos distributed their wealth amongst Myrna’s poor. This distribution, along with his growing fame for miracles, earned Nikolaos the appellation “the Wonderworker.” Officially canonized by Pope Eugene IV on June 5, 1446, Saint Nikolaos became the patron saint for children, merchants, repentant thieves, and sailors. His reputation amongst worshippers growing, his secret habits of gift-giving inspired modern tales of Santa Claus.
Three particular stories are attributed to Nikolaos that highlight the saint’s piety and relationship with believers. Encountering a formerly wealthy man, left unable to pay his three daughters’ dowries, Nikolaos filled three purses with gold, secretly leaving the pursues in the family’s house at night. Continuing, Nikolaos purportedly resurrected three children slain during a famine, whose corpses were intended for sale by their butcher. A third trinity, Nikolaos spared three innocent men from execution, who were condemned by a bribe-accepting juror. Just as the executioner’s blade was to strike, Nikolaos appeared, released their chains, pushed away the blade, and chastised the corrupted juror.
Upon his return from pilgrimage to Egypt and Palestine, Nikolaos was named Myra’s bishop, consequently jailed during Diocletian’s Great Persecution, released only after Constantine’s accession. Nikolaos is considered as having attended the First Council of Nicaea, supporting Trinitarianism and staunchly anti-Arianist. Later hagiographies state that Nikolaos punched the bishop Arius, subsequently imprisoned, his miter and pallium taken away. While jailed, Jesus Christ and the Theotokos appeared, Nikolaos declaring his imprisonment a consequence of his love for them. In response, Christ and the Theotokos removed Nikolaos’ chains, restoring his vestments.
In Eastern Orthodoxy, eight feast days celebrate our “Lord of the Seas,” a now-Christianized Poseidon. May 9th celebrates the Translation of Saint Nikolaos’ relics from Myra to Bari in 1087; May 10th celebrates the Saint’s relics passing through Zakynthos while journeying to Bari; May 20th the relics’ arrival in Bari; July 29th Saint Nikolaos’ Nativity; August 16th-22nd the Synaxis of All Saints of Lefkados; September 22nd the Synaxis of All Saints of Tula. December 6th or 19th, Julian or Gregorian, is celebrated as a slava across many Eastern Orthodox households. Slavas are traditions of ritually glorifying a family’s patron saint, here commemorating Saint Nikolaos’ death.