[Nyerges is an author / lecturer /
educator who has written such books as “Extreme Simplicity,” “How to Survive
Anywhere,” “Guide to Wild Foods,” and other books. Information about his
books and classes is available at www.SchoolofSelf-Reliance, or Box 41834, Eagle Rock,CA
90041]
A few
years ago, I recall a Christian woman complaining about the fact that “Santa
Claus” has gained a more prominent role during the Christmas season than the
Jesus child. She argued that this was a sign that “we” have allowed
secularism – and maybe even paganism – to creep into the Christmas
tradition. I didn’t jump into the
conversation because it would have been a very long conversation. I would have started with the fact that many
of today’s Christmas commemorations predate Christianity. And I would have addressed her notion that
“Santa Claus” is from the so-called “pagan” tradition. Really?
So
then, who is Santa Claus? Is he just a fictitious jolly man to make us
feel happy during the dark of December? No, not really. There was
an actual historical figure upon which “Santa Claus” is based.
Nikolas of
Myra was a 4th century
Bishop in the Catholic church of Asia Minor (modern-day Demre, Turkey).
He was born on March 15, 270, in Pataya, Lycia, in Asia Minor, what is now
modern Turkey. At that time, however, the area was culturally Greek, and was
politically a part of the Roman diocese of Asia. Nikolas was the only
child of wealthy Greek parents, who both died in an epidemic when Nikolas was
young. As a result, Nikolas inherited
much from his parents, and was then raised by his uncle (also named Nikolas),
who was a Bishop of Patara, and who trained the young Nikolas into
priesthood.
Nikolas
was said to be religious from a very early age, and he always chose to fast on
Wednesdays and Fridays.
Because of his outspoken beliefs, he was
persecuted by the Romans and was imprisoned during the persecution of
Diocletian. Remember, the new religion
of Judeo-Christianity did not find favor in the hierarchy of the Roman empire.
In case you never heard of the
“persecution of Diocletian” – also known as “the Great Persecution” -- it was
the Roman Empire’s most severe of the persecutions against Christians, simply
because they were Christians. In 303, four emperors issued a series of
dictatorial laws which essentially did away with any legal rights of
Christians. The edicts demanded that the Christians comply with traditional
Roman “religious” practices, meaning, giving sacrifices to the various Roman
gods. The implementation of these edits was weakest in the British
colonies where the Empire had the least sway, and the most severe in the
Eastern provinces, where Nikolas lived.
Since Nikolas refused to worship the
Roman gods, he was imprisoned, and suffered hardship, hunger, and cold for
about 5 years. Then Constantine came into power, who nominally became a
Christian, and ended the persecutions in 313, and Nikolas was released.
Constantine is known for “Christianizing” the Roman Empire, and co-opted and
re-named all the Mythraic (“pagan”) holidays so they could all now be regarded
as Christian holidays.
Shortly after his return to his homeland
in 317 A.D., Nikolas became the Bishop of Myra.
He was later invited to attend the First
Council of Nicaea in 325, the famous council where much of the modern dogma of
the Catholic church was determined. Nikolas of Myra was one
of many bishops to participate in the Council at Constantine’s request. He is
listed as the 151st attendee at the Council.
At the Council, Nikolas was a staunch
anti-Arian. Arius of Alexandria held the position that the “Son of
God” did not always exist, but was created by the Father. Nikolas
disagreed with Arius, and defended the developing orthodox Christian
viewpoint. According to stories told, Nikolas got so angry at Arius that
he punched him in the face! Really? Proto-Santa Claus punches a
fellow man of the cloth? That’s what the historians tell us
happened!
Back in his homeland, Nikolas developed
the reputation of being a generous bishop. He inherited wealth from
his parents, and he would sometimes give gold and other valuables to those who
he learned were in need. In one case, it is said that Nikolas tossed a
bag of gold coins into a needy family’s yard, anonymously. Those
who wrote about Nikolas said that he was a humble man, and didn’t want to be
seen giving money to people, so he did it secretly. He was well-known for
wanting to give such gifts in private when he traveled the countryside,
and so children were told to go to sleep quickly or Nikolas would not
come with gifts. This, apparently, is the origin of telling children to
go to sleep or that Santa will not come.
In one story, he apparently snuck into
the home of a family where the three daughters of a poor man were about
to get married. Nikolas put some gold into the stockings which the girls left
by the fire to dry. This, apparently, is the origin of hanging up
stockings on Christmas eve. Nikolas was also well known for the gifts
that he gave to newly married couples during the already established Christmas
season.
And so it goes. Nikolas was a
complex man, part of the new Catholic tradition which now celebrated the birth
of Jesus on the already-observed winter solstice. (Early Judeo-Christians did
not celebrate the birth of Jesus, a date that has been lost to history.
Some historians argue that the birth of Jesus occurred in either May or
September, but everyone agrees it was not December 25.)
He died on December 6, 343,which is to
this day known as “Saint Nicholas Day.” Upon his death, he was buried in
the cathedral of Myra. He is revered as a saint in most sects of
Christianity and is especially honored in the Eastern Orthodox Church.
By the year 450, churches in
Greece and Asia Minor were being named in honor of Nicholas. (His name is
normally spelled “Nicholas” in most modern English renderings of his
name.) He was officially honored
as a saint by the Eastern Catholic Church in 800. December 6 began to be
celebrated as Bishop Nicholas Day in France by the 1200s.
As time went on, when ever someone
received a mysterious gift, it would often be attributed to Saint Nicholas,
which helped to grow his mythology.
The Dutch called Saint Nicholas
“Sinterklass,” which is the most likely manner in which the name Saint Nicholas
gradually evolved into “Santa Claus.” Along the way, Saint Nicholas was
given some of the attributes of Odin, the Norse God, who could travel through
the sky and who had a secret home somewhere around the north pole. Come
to think of it, even the Superman story borrowed from Odin. Remember how
Superman sometimes goes to a secret cavern in the Northern coldlands and converses
with his ancestors via ice crystals?
The image continued to morph over the
years, with the Coco Cola company giving the world a somewhat sanitized and
plumper Saint Nicholas / Santa Claus with their early 20th
century ads. There we began to see the fatter bearded man in the red
suit.
Today, the man you see in the mall is the
modern condensation of fact and myth, embodying the generosity of one Catholic
Bishop, the good will of all who gave gifts in his stead, and bits of the
mythology of Odin. And I was really feeling good about that,
thinking that the mall is at least one last place where you can go and take
your picture with Santa for free – except, in most malls these days, you
can’t! Yes children, even Santa has to make a living.
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