Santa Claus saves three sisters from Slavery

Santa Claus saves three sisters from Slavery

Yes, the first Santa did just that and that is why today we hang up stockings at Christmas!

Who was the first Santa?

He was the Christian Bishop of Myra, also known as Nicholas of Bari.  He was alive sometime around 300BC.  Yes, a long time ago.  He was a Greek and his parish was in the seaport of Myra, which in those days was part of the Roman Empire in Asia Minor but is now called Demre and is in Turkey. 

The town didn’t move the country boundaries have!

How did he save the girls?

Legend tells us that the girl’s father was so poor that he didn’t have the dowry that tradition required for their marriages. The father therefore decided that the only way to survive was to sell his three daughters into slavery.  Yes, at this time they lived in a very weird world.

Well, the bishop heard about this and decided to do something about it.   So, under the cover of darkness, on three separate nights he threw a bag of gold through their window.  Now by the third night the father was watching to find out who was doing this act of generosity.  He saw the Bishop and asked him why.  Saint Nicholas then begged him not to reveal his charitable act.

So, why do we hang up stockings at Christmas?

The other legend linked to this story is that he didn’t through the bags through the window, but down the chimney.  There, the story goes they landed in stockings hung by the fire to dry.

This tradition tells us is why we hang stockings at Christmas

Did he do any more good deeds?

Yes, there are more stories of his love of children, his kindness, his generosity, and the miracles he brought about, most of which were learnt after his death.

St Nicholas and the three boys

While on his travels, a story is told that Saint Nicholas stopped for the night at an inn. It was at a time there was a severe famine.  It is said that the cruel, inhuman innkeeper, desperate to keep his paying guests, murdered three young brothers, intending to serve them as food. St Nicholas, realising something was wrong, searched the inn and discovered the remains of the three boys. In horror he prayed for their souls and made the sign of the cross over their bodies. Miraculously, they rose up whole and were restored to life!

The Patron Saint of Sailors

Saint Nicholas also became the patron saint of sailors, again this is a further legend.  During a threatening storm off the coast of Lycia the sailors they sort his aid to bring them home safely, which he did. After that a custom grew among the sailors of the Aegean and Ionian seas.  Therefore, before leaving for a voyage they would wish one another a good voyage, with the phrase, “May Saint Nicholas hold the tiller”.

We loved the story of the three girls so much that our sister site Educational Musicals has published Saint Nicholas – The Real Santa Claus so your children can enjoy being part of history. 

To learn more, hear two of the songs and read two pages of script please click on Saint Nicholas – The Real Santa Claus where you can download the show today.

Enjoy the show, as history matters.

10 Questions to discuss:

1. 1. What is the main claim made in the blog post about the origin of hanging stockings at Christmas?
   2. Who was Saint Nicholas, and what was his historical context?
   3. According to the blog, what motivated Saint Nicholas to save the three sisters from slavery?
   4. Are there any historical sources to support the claim that Saint Nicholas threw gold through a window?
   5. How does the blog explain the alternative legend of the stockings hanging by the chimney?
   6. Besides the story of the three sisters, what other good deeds are attributed to Saint Nicholas?
   7. What is the significance of the story about Saint Nicholas saving the three boys at the inn?
   8. How did Saint Nicholas become associated with sailors, and what tradition arose from this association?
   9. Are there any potential biases or limitations in the information presented in the blog?
   10. How does the story of Saint Nicholas connect to the modern-day Santa Claus figure?

To learn more about this amazing man, click: