"Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus!"

Today, we give thanks for St. Nicholas of Myra (south western Asia Minor) from the 4th century who is remembered on the calendar of saints on this date. He is noted for his presence at the Council of Nicaea and as the gift giving personality behind our present day Santa Claus. Below is the story that started the Santa tradition.

There was a very rich man in the city of Mora who lost all his wealth. He had three daughters of the age of marriage and could not marry because of their father's poverty. Satan caused the man to think that he should make his daughters live in sin. God revealed to St. Nicholas the thoughts which were in this man's head. St. Nicholas took one hundred Dinars of his father's money and tied it up in a sack, and during the night, he threw the money into the window of the man's house. When the man found the gold, he was astonished and rejoiced exceedingly and was able to give his eldest daughter away in marriage. During another night, the saint threw another one hundred Dinars into the man's house and the man was able to give his second daughter away in marriage.

The man wanted to know who this charitable person was. The third time when the saint threw the gold into the house, the man was watching and immediately when he felt the thud of the sack dropping, he ran out of his house to see who was throwing the gold to him. He found the kind Bishop St. Nicholas, and the man bowed down at his feet, paid him great homage, and thanked him because he saved his daughters from poverty and from a life of sin. The saint refused to accept any thanks and asked them to thank the Lord Who put this thought in his heart.
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