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Show EBEiSSSi' n IIIM li' I IHI Ii St, Nicholas Children of Holland, Belgium and parts of Germany have their annual holiday, closely corresponding correspond-ing to our Christmas, on Decembei 6, celebrated as St. Nicholas Day In frvct. cur own Santa Claus is derived de-rived from the legend of St. Nicholas, Nich-olas, who was fancied as driving reindeer bringing presents to good children. There is supposed to'have been a' real St. Nicholas, however, born about the year 300, who became a bishep of the early church in Asia Minor. He is reputed to have been a man of great piety and generosity, gen-erosity, who gave his inheritance to the poor. He also is said to have performed numerous miracles, ln eluding the bringing to life of three youths who had been murdered mur-dered and salted down by an innkeeper inn-keeper with whom they had taken lodgings. But there is no mention of him in the writings of his contemporary church fathers, and the accounts later given wide credence did not appear until centuries after hie supposed activities occurred. Yet, strange as it may seem, his name became very prominent during the Middle Ages, and has persisted un- : til the present time.. He is known as the patron saint of Russia, of children, of travelers, travel-ers, and oddly enough, of thieves. However legendary St. Nicholas may be, he is very real to the boys and girls who look forward to his annual coming, for, an an immigrant immi-grant from Holland has said: "St. Nicholas comes and fills our shoes, j after he has taken out the grain I which we put there for his rein- jdeer." |