Saint Nicholas of Myra
Also known as
- Nicholas of Bari
- Nicholas of Lpnenskij
- Nicholas of Lipno
- Nicholas of Sarajskij
- Nicholas the Miracle Worker
- Klaus…
- Mikulas…
- Nikolai…
- Nicolaas…
- Nicolas…
- Niklaas…
- Niklas…
- Nikolaus…
- Santa Claus
- 6 December
- 22 May (translation of relics (9 May on the Julian calendar))
Profile
Priest. Abbot. Bishop of Myra, Lycia (modern Turkey). Generous to the poor, and special protector of the innocent and wronged. Many stories grew up around him prior to his becoming associated with Santa Claus. Some examples
- Upon hearing that a local man had fallen on such hard times that he was planning to sell his daughters into prostitution, Nicholas went by night to the house and threw three bags of gold in through the window, saving the girls from an evil life. These three bags, gold generously given in time of trouble, became the three golden balls that indicate a pawn broker’s shop.
- He raised to life three young boys who had been murdered and pickled in a barrel of brine to hide the crime. These stories led to his patronage of children in general, and of barrel-makers besides.
- Induced some thieves to return their plunder. This explains his protection against theft and robbery, and his patronage of them – he’s not helping them steal, but to repent and change. In the past, thieves have been known as Saint Nicholas’ clerks or Knights of Saint Nicholas.
- During a voyage to the Holy Lands, a fierce storm blew up, threatening the ship. He prayed about it, and the storm calmed – hence the patronage of sailors and those like dockworkers who work on the sea.
- c.346 at Myra, Lycia (in modern Turkey) of natural causes
- relics believed to be at Bari, Italy
- against famine
- against fire
- against imprisonment
- against robberies
- against robbers
- against storms at sea
- against sterility
- against thefts
- altar servers
- archers
- boys
- brides
- captives
- children
- choir boys
- girls
- happy marriages
- lawsuits lost unjustly
- lovers
- maidens
- penitent murderers
- newlyweds
- old maids
- paupers
- pilgrims
- poor people
- prisoners
- scholars
- schoolchildren
- students
- penitent thieves
- spinsters
- travellers
- unmarried girls
- apothecaries
- bakers
- bankers
- barrel makers
- boatmen
- boot blacks
- brewers
- butchers
- button makers
- candle makers
- chair makers
- cloth shearers
- coopers
- craftsmen
- dock workers
- druggists
- educators
- farm workers
- farmers
- firefighters
- fish mongers
- fishermen
- grain merchants
- grocers
- grooms
- hoteliers
- innkeepers
- judges
- lace merchants
- lawyers
- linen merchants
- longshoremen
- mariners
- merchants
- millers
- navigators
- notaries
- parish clerks
- pawnbrokers
- perfumeries
- perfumers
- pharmacists
- poets
- ribbon weavers
- sailors
- ship owners
- shoe shiners
- soldiers
- spice merchants
- spinners
- stone masons
- tape weavers
- teachers
- toy makers
- vintners
- watermen
- weavers
- Greek Catholic Church in America
- Greek Catholic Union
- Varangian Guard
- Worshipful Company of Parish Clerks
- Germany
- Greece
- Russia
- Ariano Irpino-Lacedonia, Italy, diocese of
- Bari-Bitonto, Italy, archdiocese of
- Castellaneta, Italy, diocese of
- Galway and Kilmacduagh, Ireland, diocese of
- Liège, Belgium, diocese of
- La Rioja, Argentina
- Dorfbeueren, Austria
- Feldkirch, Austria
- in Belgium
- Barranquilla, Colombia
- in Czech Republic
- in England
- Liverpool
- North-Moreton
- Portsmouth
- St Nicholas, Glamorganshire
- St Nicholas, Pembrokeshire
- St Nicholas-at-Wade
- Winchester
- locations in France
- locations in Germany
- locations in Greece
- in Ireland
- locations in Italy
- Acquaviva Picena • Albisola Superiore • Alfano • Alice Castello • Altissimo • Amaro • Ancona • Anoia • Antonimina • Apulia • Aradeo • Arcidosso • Arcola • Arena • Argenta • Ascea • Ascrea • Avolasca • Bagnara Calabra • Bajardo • Bardolino • Bari • Baschi • Baunei • Belmonte Castello • Belvedere Langhe • Bocchigliero • Bomporto • Bonea • Bonefro • Borgiallo • Borgone Susa • Briatico • Brucoli • Calascio • Calenzano • Calvello • Camini • Camisano Vicentino • Cammarata • Campoli del Monte Taburno • Campora • Camposanto • Candidoni • Canolo • Capistrano • Capizzi • Cappelle dei Marsi • Capraia Isola • Caprarica di Lecce • Capriati a Volturno • Capriglia Irpina • Carano • Cardinale • Carisolo • Casabona • Casalanguida • Casaletto Spartano • Casalnuovo di Napoli • Castagnaro • Castel d’Aiano • Castelfondo • Castelfranci • Castelguglielmo • Castellaneta • Castell’Azzara • Castello di Cisterna • Castelluccio Inferiore • Castelnuovo di Conza • Castelnuovo di Farfa • Castelpoto • Castelvetere in Val Fortore • Castiglione Carovilli • Castrocaro Terme • Celico • Centola • Ceppaloni • Ceraso • Ceresole Reale • Cerreto di Spoleto • Cervicati • Cerzeto • Champorcher • Chialina, Ovaro • Chiusa Sclafani • Ciminà • Ciorlano • Cividate al Piano • Coassolo Torinese • Coccau • Cocumola • Colobraro • Colonna • Comeglians • Concerviano • Contessa Entellina • Controne • Coperchia • Coreglia Ligure • Corigliano d’Otranto • Cotronei • Craco • Creazzo • Cursi • Cusano Mutri • Dasà • Diano Castello • Dipignano • Duronia • Egna • Episcopia • Farindola • Feroleto della Chiesa • Fiume Veneto • Flumeri • Fontanarosa • Forchia • Forino • Fossalto • Fragneto Monforte • Gagliato • Galatro • Gallo di Comiziano • Gardone Riviera • Genazzano • Gesualdo • Gioi • Gioiosa Marea • Gualtieri Sicaminò • Guardiaregia • Guspini • Ionadi • Irgoli • Isnello • Ispani • La Thuile • Lacedonia • Lago • Lagonegro • Lattarico • Lauria • Lecco • Lettomanoppello • Ligosullo • Lucito • Lungro • Lupara • Macchia d’Isernia • Macchia Valfortore • Macchiagodena • Maglie • Maierato • Mallare • Mandela • Marina di Gioiosa Ionica • Marliana • Massa San Nicola • Mazzanoz Romano • Meldola • Melicucco • Melissa • Mendicino • Mentana • Meran • Merano • Mesoraca • Mezzojuso • Mileto • Mira • Molina Aterno • Monfumo • Monsummano Terme • Montalbano Elicona • Montazzoli • Monte di Pruno, Contursi Terme • Monte Giberto • Montecalvo in Foglia • Montecastrilli • Montefredane • Monteleone di Spoleto • Montelibretti • Monterosso Calabro • Montesano sulla Marcellana • Montesarchio • Monteu Roero • Montoro Inferiore • Morro d’Oro • Motta di Livenza • Muravera • Naples • Narcao • Nicosia • Nocara • Novi Velia • Nughedu San Nicolò • Ofena • Omignano • Ornavasso • Orvinio • Ottana • Paduli • Paganico Sabino • Palazzo Adriano • Palmi • Pancalieri • Paternopoli • Pentone • Perarolo di Cadore • Perinaldo • Pesco Sannita • Piaggine • Picerno • Pietra Ligure • Pietrafitta • Pietraroja • Pizzoni • Poggio San Marcello • Polla • Pollica • Pollutri • Ponte San Nicolò • Ponzano Romano • Postiglione • Pozza di Fassa • Pratella • Pratiglione • Presenzano • Prignano Cilento • Proves • Provvidenti • Quarna Sotto • Ribera • Riva di Solto • Rivello • Rivisondoli • Roccastrada • Roccavaldina • Rodengo-Saiano • Rofrano • Roscigno • Roseto Capo Spulico • Roverè Veronese • Rutigliano • Sacile • Sagrado • Saint-Nicolas • Salemi • Salve • San Giuliano del Sannio • San Marco d’Alunzio • San Nicola da Crissa • San Nicola la Strada • San Pietro a Maida • Poffabro, Frisanco • San Polo Matese • Santa Cristina d’Aspromonte • Santa Maria a Vico • Santadi • Sant’Egidio del Monte Albino • Santo Stefano di Camastra • Saponara • Sassari • Savignano Irpino • Scandale • Scheggino • Secinaro • Sellia Marina • Serravalle Sesia • Sestri Levante • Sicily • Siderno Superiore • Simala • Simeri Crichi • Sirolo • Solferino • Sorano • Sorianello • Soriano nel Cimino • Spadola • Specchia • Squinzano • Stefanaconi • Stella Cilento • Summonte • Tadasuni • Talla • Teora • Terzolas • Torelli • Tortoreto • Trecastagni • Uggiano Montefusco • Varapodio • Vastogirardi • Vazzano • Venetico • Venice • Verano • Vernante • Villa Santa Maria • Villafranca Tirrena • Volturara Irpina • Zanica • Zola Predosa • Zoldo Alto • Zungri • Zuni, Calvi Risorta
- Kaunas City, Lithuania
- Is-Siggiewi, Malta
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cuxhaven, Netherlands
- Hantum, Netherlands
- Kampen, Netherlands
- St Nicolaasga, Netherlands
- Beit Jala, Palestinian Territory
- Aberdeen, Scotland
- Liptovský Mikulás, Slovakia
- Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Miklavž na Dravskem polju, Slovenia
- in Spain
- Stralsund, Sweden
- in Switzerland
- anchor
- bishop calming a storm
- bishop holding three bags of gold
- bishop holding three balls
- bishop with three children
- bishop with three children in a tub at his feet
- purse
- ship
- three bags of gold
- three balls
- three golden balls on a book
- boy in a boat
MLA Citation
- “Saint Nicholas of Myra“. CatholicSaints.Info. 20 April 2024. Web. 25 April 2024. <>