"Real Mediterranean"
Nicholas of Myra, also known as Nicholas of Bari, or Saint Nicholas, or Santa is the common name of the Bishop of Ancient Myra. Myra (DEMRE or KALE today) is near Antalya ( is the big and beatiful city nearby Mediterranean sea)
in modern-day Turkey. He was born between 270 and 286. He died December 6, 326, 345 or 351. He was born in the ancient cityof Patara near by Kemer Antalya, in Anatolia.
In the 11th century, his remains were taken to Bari, Italy,. His parents were relatively well-off. Nicholas is said to have distributed his fortune among the poor. This is relatively well documented. Less documented deeds of his include saving children from drowning. Nicholas saved young girls from being made prostitutes (because their fathers did not have the money for a dowry). He helped seamen in a storm and saved a child that was abducted.
In the Eastern Orthodox Church, Saint Nicholas of Myra is a very prominent figure. Very often, the third large icon on the Iconostasis in Orthodox churches is devoted to him. The other two are usually devoted to Jesus, and to Mary with the child.[] He is the Saint behind Santa Claus. He is the patron Saint of Children, of Seafarers and merchants. He is also the patron saint of Greece and both Amsterdam, capital of Netherlands and Moscow, capital of Russia
St. Nicholas was born in Patara around 280 became bishop of Myra, and died around 350. Only these basic details are known to history, but legends abound concerning the life of the saint. A much-embellished hagiography (life of the saint) was written by Simon Metaphrastes in the 10th century.
St. Nicholas is said to have been born of wealthy parents and to have traveled to the Holy Land in his youth. He was tortured and imprisoned during the persecutions of Diocletian, and released when Constantine ordered official toleration of Christians. Nicholas is said to have attended the famous Council of Nicea in 325 (although his name does not appear in the official lists), where he became so infuriated by the heretic Arius that he slapped him hard in the face!
Many of the legends of St. Nicholas involve him helping young people and the poor. In one tale, a butcher lured three boys to his house during a time of famine. While they slept, he killed them, cut them up and placed the pieces in a barrel of salt, intending to sell them for food. Nicholas, who was told of this horrendous act by an angel, hurried to the butcher's house and restored the boys to life.
Another popular legend has it that three daughters of a poor merchant were about to be forced into prostitution since they had no marriage dowries, but St. Nicholas saved them from a life of sin by dropping three bags of gold into the merchant's garden or chimney (versions vary), enabling them to get married.
The saint was buried in Myra upon his death, and a church may have been built over his tomb soon after. If so, it would have been badly damaged in the earthquake of 529 and repaired along with Myra's other buildings later in the 6th century under Emperor Justinian. Damaged in the Arab raids of the 7th century, the Church of St. Nicholas of Myra was rebuilt in the 8th century; it is this structure that largely survives today.
After his death, Nicholas became the patron saint of sailors and seafarers, and many pilgrims came to visit his tomb. Over the centuries, the legends and great popularity of St. Nicholas of Myra led to the Christmastime figure of the bearded man who secretly brings toys to children. He is still known as St. Nick in most of Europe (and he brings his gifts on December 6, not Christmas), but in America he came to be known as Santa Claus.
Class 6A and 6B
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