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Show ATA CLM5 : Anwicaiv children "v ' ) CVS j VvTiry "" a" firown-ups know, is a nick- i: fl S"isA ) tY I Qi tal . name for St. Nicholas. And St. , lf M7 5 -D j ( -vAJ Nicholas was not a German C" ' f .nflj-W " sr' Vs -V, , J k$Jw t$k saint tnat wiU p'ease al1 god ?f i) ' . (rs 'ff ) A JkS-3T Americans. The saint of children Xf " iA'STV' lf A A 2&f-r has not come to us from the ,(f K 'TTj-i , Ji V "jK ) 4 people who so wantonly abused KlM fptYV?y'' ll JrlW PSS?? the children of France and Belgium. When-we I ITi mttfJ. )lrSAV YW1' I kV pfc;;K call Sr. Nicholas "Santa Claus" we are merely 1 ll'rP ?7WsW iVf! Zt A . M af YSl'-ffti saying in our own way "San Nicolaas," as the peo- l( N I "" tW'V2x piYfe Fr&LJl AfeftsM? pie of Holland say it. For the Hollanders, who II I Jjj Jffi' j ' 'yffflSMMBm settled in New York and New Jersey 300 years VP W-v ,'': Jtnf BSfe'SisBWft ago at the very beginning of our country, brought fW3& Hl ' & SYffliSiSSSlft! San Nicolaas with them, and it was not long be- jX(? $$$&&9!&$M r Hlr T ; fBre Americans were saying "Santa Claus." H f ,', AiH5l S"i V el Why, St. Nicholas belongs to all the world. "5T 4)'' VS''!-. '' n AVTNti J V) st'i Hundreds of churches in England bear his name. -t KS'SJl WfflCtt f f V90M0 There are more than a hundred St. Nicholas. , ,J y vVi churclies in Belgium. Thousands of such churches K f Jj ;'V-;n5 Hf 1;! 'V' A V T&S- KVSSSiWW are scattered all over Europe. jJifS'. J ( V 'tK The queer thing about it is that St. Nicholas V1- ' 'I''" i WI&MWHWMiSMM-Bi was really born in Asia Minor, in Panthera, in the vvySoAJt " ; ;"J V Xl E VC tf?V v' province of Lycia, in the sixth century. St. Nicho- T&SA-NNy C-irfAs'-?yVKW las of Bari, he is oftenest called by Europeans, but c'L iCf OCT-' S2P'fflM only the bones of St. Nicholas reposing for eight g2p$M m:MK0miMmMVM centuries in the crypt of a handsome cathedral at YaVI "OxT ? , SjU:AW .t Barl, Italy, have given him that title. He ne-er v ' ' . T-iittSHMSttBii lived in Bari. Italian sea traders, who worshiped Jf&liK sZ&C ' '-'ffm him as their especial protector, stole his body ' Jtfpi 3 ; from its resting place in Myra in the twelfth cen- ifU . S: tury and brought it to the Italian seaport. Since ""i glve the saint a Cup 0t gok1' T'me "?nt ' t that time the celebration held there in the saint's ' V T ' ' beautiful boy was born. Immediately the father hnn. i- ! ' had a nm made nf mire cold. It was very heavy 4 -4' ANTA CLAUS, as most children X!&r y and a" grown-ups know, is a nick-kv nick-kv name for St. Nicholas. And St. sSfeHk .Z Nicholas was not a German j&i&JySifa SjA saint that will please all good 'ilSSv Americans. The saint of children V, has not come to us from tiie people who so wantonly abused the children of France and Belgium. Whpn- we call Sr. Nicholas "Santa Claus" we a.re merely saying in our own way "San Nicolaas," as the people peo-ple of Holland say it. For the Hollanders, who .settled in New York and New Jersey 300 years ago at the very beginning of our country, brought San Nicolaas with them, and it was not long before be-fore Americans were saying "Santa Claus." Why, St. Nicholas belongs to all the world. Hundreds of churches in England bear his name. There are more than a hundred St. Nicholas . churclies in Belgium. Thousands of such churches are scattered all over Europe. The queer thing about it is that St. Nicholas was really born in Asia Minor, in Panthera, in the province of Lycia, in the sixth century. St. Nicholas Nicho-las of Bari, he is oftenest called by Europeans, but only the bones of St. Nicholas reposing for eight centuries in the crypt of a handsome cathedral at Barl, Italy, have given him that title. He ne-er lived in Bari. Italian sea traders, who worshiped him as their especial protector, stole his body ' from its resting place in Myra in the twelfth century cen-tury and brought it to the Italian seaport. Since that time the celebration held there in the saint's honor is unique. The eastern world knew and loved him first, but it is from western Europe that we learn of many of the quaint customs connected with the celebration celebra-tion of his birth. In Lycia he lived to a good old age, filling his days even in childhood by doing good deeds and giving lavishly to the poor of the fortune he inherited. It was Christlike to give, so. as a steward of God, his wealth belonged to God's children, Nicholas believed. Finally he was made bishop of Myra, where he went to live after a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. It was not strange that after such a life of charity he should become a saint of the common people, even as St. George was a saint of knighthood. knight-hood. He was invoked by the laborer toiling for his daily bread, by mariners, by merchants. He was protector of the weak against the strong, the poor against the rich, the captive, the prisoner, the slave. He was especial guardian of maidens! schoolboys, the orphan poor. Throughout most of Europe children are taught to reverence him. and to believe if they are docile and attentive to their duties he will fill the cap or stocking with dainties dain-ties ; if they are naughty or idle, he certainly has a rod in pickle to bring along for them. Mere is what the Encyclopedia Biitannica has to say about St. Nicholas: "St. Nicholas, bishop of Myra, In Lycia, a saint honored by the Greeks and the Latins on the sixth of December. His cult is as celebrated as his history is obscure. All the accounts that have come down to us are of a purely legendary character, char-acter, and it is impossible to find any single incident in-cident confirmed historically. The main facts of his life are usually given as follows: "He was bishop of Myra at the time of the Emperor Diocletian, was persecuted, tortured for the faith, and kept in prison until the more tolerant tol-erant reign of Constantine, and was present at the council of Nicaea. It should be observed that this last circumstance is ignored by all historians histor-ians and that St. Atlianasius, who knew all the notable bishops of the period, never mentions Nicholas, bishop of Myra. The oldest known monument of the cult of St. Nicholas seems to be vhe Church of Sts. Phiscus and Nicholas built at Constantinople, by the Emperor. Justinian. In the West, the name of St. Nicholas 'appears in the ninth century martyrologies, and churches dedicated dedi-cated to him are to be fouud at the beginning 0f the eleventh century. It is more especially, however, from the time of the removal of his body to Bari, in Apulia, that his cult became popular. The inhabitants of Bari organized an expedition, seized his remains by means of a ruse, and transported them to Bari where they were received in triumph on the ninth of May, 10S7, and where the foundations were laid of a new basilica in his honor. This was the origin of a famous and still popular pilgrimage. "There are nearly 400 churches In England dedicated dedi-cated to St. Nicholas. He is the patron saint of ltussia ; tfie special protector of children, scholars, schol-ars, merchants and sailors; and is invoked by travelers against robbers. In art St. Nicholas is represented with various attributes, being most commonly depicted with tiirec children standin" in a tub by li is side. (If the various Interpretations Interpreta-tions of this, none is absolutely certain. One explanation ex-planation has been sought in the legend of St. Nicholas miraculously restoring to life three rich youths, who had been murdered, cut up, and concealed con-cealed in a salting tub by a thievish innkeeper or butcho1-, in whose house they had taken lodg- "A legend of his surreptitious bestowal of dowries dow-ries upon the three daughters of an impoverished citizen is said to have originated the old custom of giving presents in secret on the eve of St. Nicholas, Nich-olas, subsequently transferred to Christmas day. Hence the association of Christmas with 'Santa Claus,' and American corruption of the Dutch form, 'San Nicolaas,' the custom being brought to America by the early Dutch colonists." Many wonder tales are told of St. Nicholas. Here are three famous adventures of the saint: -Rescue of the Stolen Boy. There was a rich merchant who was a Christian. He lived near the border of a heathen land. One day his only son was stolen by some wicked neighbors, who sold him to a heathen king.- The boy was handsome, so the king made him the royal cup-bearer. It happened that the king was giving a great banquet, And as the boy was presenting the cup full of wine he suddenly remembered that it was the Feast of St. Nicholas, and that his family father, mother, and sisters were happily celebrating cele-brating the day. Thinking about this, the boy burst into tears. "Why do you cry1?" asked the king angrily. "Do you not see that your tears are falling into my cup and spoiling my wine?" "This is the Feast of St. Nicholas," answered the boy, sobbing, "and every one at home is eating eat-ing and is merry! And, alas! I am not there!" "Great may be your St. Nicholas," replied the king scornfully, "but he cannot save you from my hand !" Scarcely had the king spoken these words when a violent whirlwind tore around outside the palace, and a flash of lightning illuminated the hall, and loud thunder roared. And, lo ! St. Nicholas himself, him-self, dressed in his bishop's robes, and wearing his mitre, stood before the throne. He caught the boy by the locks, and flying with him through the dome of the hall, whirled him rapidly through the air. In a few minutes he set him down in the midst of his astonished family, who were keeping the feast of the good St. Nicholas. The Terrified Robbers. After St. Nicholas was dead, he still cared to help people. Once there was a man who would not become a Christian. He heard how many kind things St. Nicholas did for his followers, so he stole an image of the saint. He placed the Image in the best room of his house, which was filled with treasures. The next morning, before he left the house, he said to the image: "Guard my treasures! If, when I return, I find anything gone, I'll beat you well I" So saying, he went away. He bad not been gone long when robbers broke into the house and stole all the treasures, and carried them off to their den. The man came back and saw what had happened. He was filled with fury. He took a whip and beat and hacked the image without mercy. That very night St. Nicholas himself appeared to the robbers. He showed them his bruised and bleeding form, and commanded them to restore the treasure they had stolen. They were terrified, and gathering together all the stuff, carried it back to its owner. They told him what had happened, hap-pened, and he was so astonished that he immediately immedi-ately became-a Christian. The Boy and the Cup. Once there was a ricli man who had no son to be heir to his wealth. He made a vow to St Nicholas that if a son were born to him he would give the saint a cup of gold. Time went by, and a beautiful boy was born. Immediately the father had a cup made of pure gold. It was very heavy and wrought all over with figures. In fact, the cup was so elegant that when the goldsmith had finished it the father decided to keep it for him: self, and have a silver one made for the good saint. When the silver cup was finished, the father took his little son, who was old enough to walk, and set out for the shrine of St. Nicholas. On the way, feeling thirsty, he stopped near a rlve, and giving the cup of gold to the hoy, told htm to fetch some water. . The child went to do so. but stooping over, slipped on the bank and fell into the river. And he was seen no more. The father, weeping with grief and repentance, hastened to the shrine and laid the silver cup on the altar. But the cup rolled to the floor. Once, twice, thrice, did the man place it on the altar, but every time it fell to the ground. And while all the people who stood by marveled to see this wonder, suddenly the little boy himself stood on the altar steps, holding the cup of gold in his hand. St. Nicholas had saved him 1 Full of joy the father took the cup of gold and placed it with the silver one upon the altar. Then thanking St. Nicholas, he took his son and carried him safely home. As the Christmas legend came down the ages it gathered to itself the myths of all the faiths; and what more natural and right than that the religion of the brotherhood of man should contain something of every Ideal and every form of wor ship of man, since the human race began? And last, but somehow most conspicuous now among all the traditions, the legend of St. Nicholas, Nicho-las, or Santa Claus, straight from Holland! Hollanders celebrate Christmas most heartily. The Star of Bethlehem, as seen in Holland, is the harbinger of Christinas a huge illuminated star which is carried through the silent, dark, Dutch streets shining upon the crowding people, and typical of the star which once guided the wise men of the east. The young men of a Dutch town carry this star through the streets as the signal that Christmas Christ-mas has come again. They gather money for the poor from the crowds who come out to welcome the symbol of peace, and having done this for the good of those whom fortune has not befriended, they betake them to the head burgomaster of the town, who Is bound to set down the youths who form the star company to n very comfortable meal, "fls a great institution, the Star of Bethlehem, Bethle-hem, in ninny Dutch towns and cities. Christmas is celebrated In Holland as a time for sugar plums and candies and gifts. Toward dusk, the story goes, a white sheet is spread inside in-side the door, and the family, attired in their best and bravest, await the saint. Presently he arrives, ar-rives, clad In embroidered robes, with gems, jeweled jew-eled gloves and golden mJter and in ills arras either gifts or sweets or the dreaded birch rod for the children according to their various deserts. And these, with a little speech of scolding or approval, ap-proval, he drops upon the sheet before he vanishes - again into the night. . Such Is the kindly saint who came to the Island of Manhattan with the first Dutch settlers and still lives among us changed only In name and costume like all the rest of the immigrants. |