The true story of Santa Claus begins in Turkey! Nicholas, the Bishop of Myra, was a much-loved figure. Born to wealthy parents, he was known for his good deeds, immortalised in legends told for generations. In the most famous - he heard of a poor merchant who could not afford a dowry for his daughters and feared they would be sold into slavery. Nicholas arrived at night, throwing purses of gold into the house. Told and retold, one version has the windows barred, forcing Nicholas to hurl the coins down the chimney, landing - yes, you guessed it - in the girls stockings hung up to dry. Its important to remember the original, true story... And yet, compared to his later incarnation, the story of Nicholas of Myra is known by so few. Prof English tells me its important that the origins are not forgotten. Im not against the figure of Santa Claus but for many people, hes become a sort of vapid, hollow character, he says, and theyre interested in finding someone with meat on it, with roots and tradition. Rediscovering historical Nicholas is a way to check the over-commercialisation. He advocated justice and stood up for his fellow citizens. Lots of stories are missing if we simply focus on him as a gift-giver.
Posted on: Wed, 24 Dec 2014 14:18:19 +0000
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