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He is known as St. Nicholas, Sinterklaas and Santa Claus among
many other names. He is defined as the Saint of Bari or as
the Wonder-Worker. But when most people think of him our minds'
eye envisions a white bearded fat man dressed in a red suit with
a fur trim. He was never officially canonized as a saint but his
reputation places him as none other. His relics are preserved
in Bari in Southern Italy. The world abounds with stories and
images and/or icons of St. Nicholas. He is revered among Catholics
and Orthodox Christians as well as Angelican and Lutheran churches.
St. Nicholas is patron saint of sailors, merchants, archers, children,
and students in Greece, Belgium, Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia, Russia,
the Republic of Macedonia, Slovakia, Serbia and Montenegro. He
is also patron of Barranquilla (Colombia), Bari (Italy), Amsterdam
(Netherlands), Beit Jala in the West Bank of Palestine, Liverpool
(England) and Russia.
St Nicholas is often portrayed on Eastern Orthodox and Russian
Icons as an Orthodox bishop wearing the omophorion and holding
a Book of the Gospels. Sometimes he wears he Eastern Orthodox
mitre and sometimes he is bare headed.
In most St Nicholas Icons he is depicted as an elderly
man with a short, full beard and a balding head. In commemoration
of the miracle attributed to him by tradition at the Ecumenical
Council of Nicea, he is depicted with Christ over his left shoulder
holding out a Gospel Book toward him and the Theotokos over his
right shoulder holding the omophorion.
St. Nicholas icons through the Roman Catholic Church show
Saint Nicholas as a bishop, wearing the insignia of his profession,
a red bishop's cloak, a red miter and a bishop's staff (crozier).
The episode of the three dowries is commemorated by his hand holding
three purses, three coins or three golden balls. If he is depicted
as patron saint of children St Nicholas pictures show three figures
climbing out of a wooden barrel (the three slaughtered children
he resurrected). Because of his patronage to mariners some Saint
Nicholas pictures show him standing in a boat or rescuing a drowning
sailor.
The greatest popularity of St. Nicholas is found in Russia
where he is patron saint along with St. Andrew the Apostle. So
many Russian pilgrims journeyed to Bari, Italy before the revolution
that their government supported a church, hospital and hospice
in Bari. At Rome, the basilica of St. Nicholas in Carcere was
founded between the end of the sixth and the beginning of the
seventh centuries. He is named in preparation of the Byzantine
(Greek Rite) Mass.
There are a number of St. Nicholas Symbols with which he is
recognized from his popular stories and customs.
Miter (mitre): The special tall pointed hat worn by a bishop.
This is the general symbol for bishops, but it is unique to St.
Nicholas among holiday gift-givers.
Crosier (crozier): The hooked staff carried by a bishop represents
a shepherd's staff. The bishop is considered to be the shepherd
of the people. Again, the cozier is a general symbol for bishops,
but unique to Nicholas among gift-givers.
Pictures of Saint Nicholas show him holding Three Gold
Balls: Representation of the gold given to provide for the impoverished
maidens. Nicholas' gold balls became the pawnbroker's symbol.
Sometimes oranges or apples are used to represent gold. Gold Coins
are another way of representing the gold given as dowries. Or,
with money bags. The numbers of three or one bag represent the
gold thrown into the house to provide dowry money.
Pictures of Saint Nicholas with three Maidens represent
the three young women who received the gold dowry money.
Pictures of St. Nicholas with children in a tub declare
St. Nicholas is the protector of children, from the story rescuing
young children or students from the evil butcher or innkeeper.
St. Nicholas is the patron saint of children.
St. Nicholas pictured with a sailor is a symbol of St. Nicholas'
close relationship with seamen, ships and the sea. Another representation
of Nicholas' relationship with ships and sailors is the anchor.
St. Nicholas carries the Book of the Gospels or the Holy
Scriptures. In some European gift-giving traditions the large
book is considered to be the record book of children's behavior.
Shoes: Legend is that children put carrots, turnips, or
hay in their shoes for St. Nicholas' horse or donkey and St. Nicholas
would replace them with treats. So shoes filled with treats for
children or feed for horses and donkeys are also symbols of St.
Nicholas.
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