Show st nicholas loved for piety grace the name of santa claus chaus is merely slurring the dutch san nicholas which is of course saint nicholas american children are probably the only ones who say it exactly that way nicholas was an actual person he was bishop of myra in lycia asia minor in the first part of the fourth century A D he was also the youngest bishop in the history of the church from the day of his birth nicholas revealed his piety and grace he refused on fast days to take the natural nourishment of a child but nicholas was not a barefoot recluse vowed to poverty his ia father was a wealthy merchant and his riches enabled him to be a dispenser of the good things in life the feast of saint nicholas was originally celebrated on december 6 later when church people in the late middle ages tried to suppress the festivities which grew up around the boy saints day his festival came to be associated with christmas day |