st nicholas: the secret santa

this friday night is the Eve of the Feast of Saint Nicholas, a night when children around the world put out stockings for small, simple (often edible) gifts.

There are many stories about Nicholas that are worth learning and re-telling. The one that most caught my attention this year is the one about how Nicholas heard of three impoverished young maidens who were about to be sold into slavery by their father because he had no money for wedding dowries. Nicholas secretly tossed gold (balls? bags?) through the window (or chimney?) of their home, landing in their stockings that were drying by the fire. These gifts saved them.

Two other great stories included one about famine relief and another about how he advocated for prison justice. What a different version of Santa! Sacrificing for strangers in need, giving secretly, advocating for justice. . . If you're interested in the history of how St. Nicholas (de)volved into Santa, I recommend reading this article or listening to this NPR story.