St. Nicholas

[MC Just]

[url="http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=167"]http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=167[/url]

[MC Just]

[url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11063b.htm"]http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11063b.htm[/url]

Bishop of Myra in Lycia; died 6 December, 345 or 352. Though he is one of the most popular saints in the Greek as well as the Latin Church, there is scarcely anything historically certain about him except that he was Bishop of Myra in the fourth century.

Some of the main points in his legend are as follows: He was born at Parara, a city of Lycia in Asia Minor; in his youth he made a pilgrimage to Egypt and Palestine; shortly after his return he became Bishop of Myra; cast into prison during the persecution of Diocletian, he was released after the accession of Constantine, and was present at the Council of Nicaea. In 1087 Italian merchants stole his body at Myra, bringing it to Bari in Italy.

The numerous miracles St. Nicholas is said to have wrought, both before and after his death, are outgrowths of a long tradition. There is reason to doubt his presence at Nicaea, since his name is not mentioned in any of the old lists of bishops that attended this council. His cult in the Greek Church is old and especially popular in Russia. As early as the sixth century Emperor Justinian I built a church in his honour at Constantinople, and his name occurs in the liturgy ascribed to St. Chrysostom. In Italy his cult seems to have begun with the translation of his relics to Bari, but in Germany it began already under Otto II, probably because his wife Theophano was a Grecian. Bishop Reginald of Eichstaedt (d. 991) is known to have written a metric, "Vita S. Nicholai." The course of centuries has not lessened his popularity. The following places honour him as patron: Greece, Russia, the Kingdom of Naples, Sicily, Lorraine, the Diocese of Liège; many cities in Italy, Germany, Austria, and Belgium; Campen in the Netherlands; Corfu in Greece; Freiburg in Switzerland; and Moscow in Russia. He is patron of mariners, merchants, bakers, travellers, children, etc. His representations in art are as various as his alleged miracles. In Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands, they have the custom of making him the secret purveyor of gifts to children on 6 December, the day on which the Church celebrates his feast; in the United States and some other countries St. Nicholas has become identified with Santa Claus who distributes gifts to children on Christmas eve. His relics are still preserved in the church of San Nicola in Bari; up to the present day an oily substance, known as Manna di S. Nicola, which is highly valued for its medicinal powers, is said to flow from them.

[MC Just]

Santa Claus and St. Nicholas print version

Everybody loves Santa Claus. He embodies holiday cheer, happiness, fun, and gifts—warm happy aspects of the Christmas season. How do Santa Claus and St. Nicholas differ?

Santa Claus belongs to childhood;
St. Nicholas models for all of life.

Santa Claus, as we know him, developed to boost Christmas sales—the commercial Christmas message;
St. Nicholas told the story of Christ and peace, goodwill toward all—the hope-filled Christmas message.

Santa Claus encourages consumption;
St. Nicholas encourages compassion.

Santa Claus appears each year to be seen and heard for a short time;
St. Nicholas is part of the communion of saints, surrounding us always with prayer and example.

Santa Claus flies through the air—from the North Pole;
St. Nicholas walked the earth—caring for those in need.

Santa Claus, for some, replaces the Babe of Bethlehem;
St. Nicholas, for all, points to the Babe of Bethlehem.

Santa Claus isn't bad;
St. Nicholas is just better.

[Myles Domini]

The surrender of Christmas to a morphed form Odin, the so-called Santa, is worse than our surrender of All Hallow's Eve to the pagans. I find myself in agreement with Hmom, Cmom and everyone else who has definitively condemned this diabolical tradition insinutated and fed by secularist powes to give Christmas a new 'Father'.

There is no 'Father Christmas' except God the Father. Santa is a distraction from truth and a perversion of truth. The legitimate veneration of St Nicholas has been tarnished by this [i]figure[/i] who claims his name. Christmas is not about waiting for anything except the gift of salvation which comes through the God-Man.

Get the kids to dress up as the Magi and give gifts on the Epiphany or St Nicholas' feastday. St Nicholas was a Bishop who taught people to come to Christ, Santa Claus is a daemon who draws them into the spirit of the world. Protect your children from this idol. On December 6th tell them the real story of St Nicholas and on December 24th tell them the real story of the Christ child. When the Santa Claus myth dies the world will be a better place.

INXC
Myles

[MC Just]

[quote name='Myles' date='Dec 9 2005, 04:26 PM']The surrender of Christmas to a morphed form Odin, the so-called Santa, is worse than our surrender of All Hallow's Eve to the pagans. I find myself in agreement with Hmom, Cmom and everyone else who has definitively condemned this diabolical tradition insinutated and fed by secularist powes to give Christmas a new 'Father'.

There is no 'Father Christmas' except God the Father. Santa is a distraction from truth and a perversion of truth. The legitimate veneration of St Nicholas has been tarnished by this [i]figure[/i] who claims his name. Christmas is not about waiting for anything except the gift of salvation which comes through the God-Man.

Get the kids to dress up as the Magi and give gifts on the Epiphany or St Nicholas' feastday. St Nicholas was a Bishop who taught people to come to Christ, Santa Claus is a daemon who draws them into the spirit of the world. Protect your children from this idol. On December 6th tell them the real story of St Nicholas and on December 24th tell them the real story of the Christ child. When the Santa Claus myth dies the world will be a better place.

INXC
Myles
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Amen..

[Era Might]

I have no problem with Santa Clause.

So he lives in the North Pole. So he rides reindeer. So he's a bearded plumper. So he has a sweet tooth. Big deal. He's about as harmless as Frodo or Aslan.



The innocent myth can be idolatrized, but so can anything else. Teach your kids the real meaning of Christmas, and show it to them in how you live, and innocent myths won't be a problem.

Edited December 10, 2005 by Era Might

[franciscanheart]

[quote name='1337 k4th0l1x0r' date='Dec 9 2005, 11:50 AM']Santa = Saint
Claus = an older form of the name Nicholas

Santa Claus is very real, and is close to God. I think we should teach our children about the REAL Santa Claus.  The whole reindeer and sleigh thing are silly.
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and it is one thing to encourage the teaching about the life and work of Saint Nicholas on or close to his feast... not the birth of Christ. Santa, the fat man in a red suit who brings lots of toys and goodies on Christmas Eve, does detract from Christmas. If you really want to argue the meaning behind the name you've got no argument here. Yes.... it's a name. But is a name to be celebrated on December 6th not the 25th, the day of Christ's birth.

celebrate St. Nick on the 6th and share the beauty and joy of the end of advent which is Christ's birth with your children. Why must we take away from their learning about what this season truly is. we dont use advent to count down to the coming of the big man who squeezes down our chimney. Anyone can be a smart*ss and say oh well Santa Clause really means Saint Nicholas. That's not the point. You know very well that we are talking about the man who sits in the malls and rides in a sleigh.

Again... the 6th of December is for celebrating St. Nicholas and the rest of the time is for Christ. We should be preparing our hearts and our homes for the birth of our savior, not clearing out room in our closets for the toys and other goodies 'Santa' will be bringing.

I have to agree that the world will be a much better place when this 'Santa' man disappears.

Edited December 10, 2005 by hugheyforlife

[Era Might]

[quote]Santa, the fat man in a red suit who brings lots of toys and goodies on Christmas Eve, does detract from Christmas[/quote]

I would say that he CAN detract from Christmas, but he doesn't have to. Cooking the Christmas meal can detract from Christmas too. Christmas gifts, even, can detract from Christmas. We always have to keep the proper perspective, but Santa Clause can be a joyous tradition if it is framed as such.

Edited December 10, 2005 by Era Might

[franciscanheart]

honestly i dont believe in exchanging gifts on Christmas anyway... the true gift is the birth of our Savior and i think we should spend the day enjoying the incredible event.

[cmotherofpirl]

[quote name='Era Might' date='Dec 9 2005, 06:32 PM']I would say that he CAN detract from Christmas, but he doesn't have to. Cooking the Christmas meal can detract from Christmas too. Christmas gifts, even, can detract from Christmas. We always have to keep the proper perspective, but Santa Clause can be a joyous tradition if it is framed as such.
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Santa is a nice story for those kids not lucky enough to celebrate the birth of baby Jesus.

[franciscanheart]

amen, cmom. amen.

[Christie_M]

[quote name='tomasio127' date='Dec 7 2005, 01:51 PM']

or

?
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um. ?

[quote name='Nathan' date='Dec 7 2005, 03:48 PM']If I ever get married and have kids, I think I'll do the whole Santa Claus thing, too -- at least in the early years of childhood (8 or 9 would be pushing it a little). I think it's important that little children have their imaginations and sense of wonder stimulated like that, through positive mythology like Santa and the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy. It's a good, clean, safe introduction to the Real Thing: Christ.
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same here. though I would rather my kids beleive in St. Nicholas for the Santa.
Did you know that if you say Santa Clause realy fast it sounds like St. Nicholas??

[sraf]

Up on the housetop, reindeer pause: Out comes good old Santa Claus! Down through the chimney with lots of toys, all for the little one's Christmas joys. Ho! Ho! Ho! Who wouldn't go? Ho, ho ho! Who wouldn't know - Up on the housetop, click, click, click, down through the chimney wi' Good Saint Nick!
*AHEM*
[quote]The surrender of Christmas to a morphed form Odin, the so-called Santa, is worse than our surrender of All Hallow's Eve to the pagans.[/quote]
First of all, Christianization ROX. Unless you're a pagan.
Secondly: If you believe in the Collective Unconcious, as Jungians do, then you postulate a realm of archetypes such as the Wise Old Man, the Earth Mother, the Trickster, the Fool, etc. These elements show up again and again in so many different cultures, often with shocking similarities even when the people making them are continents - even oceans - apart. When people loose these myths, we lose some of ourselves. Perhaps that is why we attempt to consume and consume so much, trying to make up for a lack of real myth which can teach us some very real things without detracting from the reality of God.
(Myths and legends are masks that God wears...)
Christians do need some elements of these myths: how often is God the Father shown as a Wise Old Man? When the Wise Old Man needs to come down into less-uber-Christian mainstream, it trickles into Santa Claus. (Mary can be perceived as the Earth Mother or a number of other things.)

Yes, Virginia (confirmation name, ahem) there is a Santa Claus. And when he leaves the world, we will be depleted of myth.
Long live myth.

[cmotherofpirl]

There is nothing wrong with reading your children "The Night before Christmas", the probem is teling them its true.

[sraf]

Exactly. Thank you. :